Finance Manager Benelux / Senior Accountant EMEA

About the job

The Finance Manager Benelux & Senior Accountant EMEA is responsible for ensuring accurate, timely and compliant financial accounting and reporting across the Benelux entities, while supporting accounting and financial control activities across EMEA.

The role combines hands-on senior accounting responsibilities with Finance Manager ownership for the Benelux, acting as a key Finance business partner for local management and working closely with Finance colleagues and business stakeholders across EMEA.

The position plays an important role in strengthening financial control, improving processes and ensuring consistent accounting and reporting standards across the organisation.

Key responsibilities include

Accounting & Financial Control

• Take ownership of general ledger accounting and financial control activities for the Benelux entities.

• Coordinate and review monthly, quarterly and year-end closing activities.

• Ensure balance sheet accounts are reconciled, reviewed and adequately substantiated.

• Review accruals, provisions, prepayments, fixed assets and intercompany transactions.

• Investigate accounting discrepancies and drive corrective actions.

• Maintain strong internal financial controls and identify opportunities to improve accounting processes.

• Ensure timely and accurate financial information in accordance with company accounting policies.

Financial Reporting

• Prepare and review monthly financial reporting for the Benelux.

• Support EMEA consolidation and reporting requirements.

• Analyse financial results and explain significant variances to management.

• Provide financial analysis and insight to support business decision-making.

• Support budgeting, forecasting and other management reporting activities where required.

Tax, Audit & Compliance

• Coordinate local statutory accounting and annual financial statement requirements.

• Support VAT, corporate income tax and other relevant local tax processes.

• Coordinate with external auditors, tax advisers and other Finance partners.

• Ensure compliance with applicable local accounting requirements and internal Finance policies.

• Support internal and external audits and ensure timely resolution of audit findings.

Finance Manager Benelux

• Act as the key Finance contact for the Benelux organisation.

• Partner with local management on financial performance, controls, risks and business decisions.

• Coordinate local Finance activities and ensure financial deadlines and reporting requirements are met.

• Identify financial risks and opportunities and communicate these proactively to management.

• Provide financial guidance to commercial and operational stakeholders.

• Take ownership of continuous improvement of the Benelux Finance organisation and processes.

EMEA Finance

• Work closely with Finance colleagues across EMEA to improve consistency and quality of accounting and reporting.

• Support intercompany accounting and reconciliation between EMEA entities.

• Work closely with CFO. Set EMEA wide accounting policy and upgrade processes.

• Contribute to standardisation of Finance processes, controls and reporting across EMEA.

• Participate in Finance transformation, ERP, automation and process-improvement projects.

• Support new business models and evolving financial processes, including e-commerce.

People Management

• Lead, coach and develop the Finance team, fostering a collaborative, accountable and high-performing working environment.

• Set clear objectives and priorities and ensure an effective distribution of responsibilities and workload.

• Provide regular feedback and coaching, supporting individual development and career growth.

• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings and performance and development reviews.

• Build team capability through knowledge sharing, cross-training and effective succession planning.

• Encourage ownership, continuous improvement and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• Promote strong collaboration within Finance and with other departments across the organization.

• Act as a role model for integrity, professionalism, accuracy and accountability.

Experience, Qualifications and Leadership Competencies

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Economics or similar.

• Approximately 5–8+ years of relevant accounting, financial control or audit experience.

• Strong experience with month-end and year-end closing.

• Solid understanding of balance sheet accounting, reconciliations and financial controls.

• Experience with statutory accounting and local compliance requirements.

• Experience working within an international and preferably multi-entity EMEA environment.

• Strong ERP and financial systems experience.

• Advanced Excel and financial analysis skills.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.

• Ability to work independently and take ownership while remaining hands-on.

• Strong stakeholder-management and communication skills.

• Fluent English; Dutch is highly desirable.

Preferred Experience

• Professional accounting qualification such as RA, RC, ACCA or equivalent.

• Experience within sporting goods, retail, consumer goods, wholesale or an inventory-driven organisation.

• Experience with both commercial and operational Finance.

• Exposure to e-commerce and digital financial processes.

• Experience with Finance transformation, ERP implementation, automation or process optimisation.

• Experience working within an international organisation with global and regional stakeholders.

People leadership:

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach and develop finance professionals.

• Accountability: Sets clear expectations, takes ownership and holds the team accountable for quality and deadlines.

• Communication: Communicates clearly and confidently, adapting effectively to team members, senior management and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Decision-making: Able to make sound, pragmatic decisions while balancing financial accuracy, compliance and business needs.

• Collaboration: Builds strong relationships across functions and promotes a supportive, team-oriented working environment.

• Change & improvement mindset: Encourages continuous improvement and guides the team effectively through process and organizational change.

Other requirements

• The position is primarily office-based in Capelle aan den IJssel/Rotterdam. We are therefore looking for candidates who can commute to the office on a regular basis and are based, or willing to become based, within reasonable commuting distance.

• Candidates must have the legal right to work in the Netherlands by the intended start date. Visa/work permit sponsorship is not available for this position.

What we offer

• A dynamic role within a successful and established international Sports (and Golf) brand.

• Salary level up to 95k€ gross annual total, including holiday allowance and bonus-arrangement, based on experience and background

• Participation to Company pension scheme

• A role for 40 hours per week, flexible working hours.

• Space for talent and personal development

• Modern office next to Rotterdam, on-site gym

• International work environment with ambitious colleagues.

• Being part of a group of people who are working towards the same goal: grow the brand as big as possible, without losing the high-quality standards and philosophy out of sight!