Team Lead Accounting

Fifty entities. One Ledger you can trust.

HoSt is an international, technology-driven company in the energy transition. From the Netherlands we develop, build and operate bio-energy, biogas and sustainable heat solutions, with teams in the Netherlands, France, the United States, Poland and Latvia and projects across Europe and the Americas. Our ambition is big: 25 million tonnes of CO₂ reduction by 2032 through our projects and installations worldwide.

This growth brings increasing complexity in financial reporting, consolidation and governance. In the coming years, our focus will be on further professionalising the finance function, transitioning to IFRS and ensuring consistent, high-quality financial reporting across the Group.

A clean, reliable and audit-ready general ledger is the foundation for achieving these ambitions.

To help us meet these challenges, we are looking for a Team Lead Accounting: a proactive, structured and hands-on leader who will drive the development and continuous improvement of our accounting function.

The role

As a hands-on Team Lead Accounting, you are responsible for the quality, completeness and auditability of the general ledger across the holding company and approximately 50 group entities throughout Europe. You provide day-to-day leadership to a team of approximately seven colleagues (three GL Accountants and four AP/AR specialists) and report to the Manager Reporting & Accounting. Acting as the key link between financial accounting and the controlling function, you ensure that financial information is accurate, consistent and available on time for reporting, audits and analysis.

You are the driving force behind the department. You provide direction to the team, guide and coach AP/AR and GL colleagues, and act as the main point of contact for controllers. You also play an active role in statutory audits. You take ownership of structural improvements in data quality and ensure that the monthly closing and audit files for each entity are delivered in such a way that controllers only need to perform the final review.

In addition, you oversee statutory compliance requirements relating to smaller annual accounts. This allows controllers to focus on higher-level financial analysis, IFRS-related matters and providing strategic advice to the business.

You take the lead in improving processes, make smart use of AI and automation to increase efficiency, and drive the accounting function to the next level.

What you will do

You take ownership of the Group's general ledger and monthly closing process, providing direction and leadership to the team's day-to-day accounting activities.

Leadership & Team Management

As the driving force behind the department, you set the tone and lead by example. You:

• Provide daily direction to the team, allocate and monitor workloads, while also actively contributing to operational activities.

• Coach AP/AR and GL colleagues in their professional and technical development.

• Act as the central point of contact for controllers, international colleagues and local accounting firms.
  

General Ledger & Month-End Closing

You ensure that the general ledger is clean, complete and reliable, enabling timely month-end closings. You:

• Plan and monitor the monthly closing process for all entities based on a structured closing calendar.

• Take responsibility for journal entries, balance sheet schedules and reconciliations.

• Reconcile sub-ledgers with the general ledger and resolve discrepancies at their source.
  

Audit, Quality & Internal Controls

An important part of your role is ensuring that the financial administration is fully audit-ready, transparent and can be reviewed efficiently. You:

• Structurally improve data quality and ensure the consistent application of accounting policies and principles.

• Maintain a complete and traceable audit trail at general ledger level.

• Independently prepare audit files for each entity and deliver them ready for review by controllers and external auditors.
  

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

You provide the reliable financial foundation that enables controllers to effectively manage performance and provide sound business advice, while driving the further professionalisation of the accounting function. You:

• Provide reliable financial input for consolidation and reporting, supporting controllers with analyses and explanations.

• Take the lead in improving and standardising closing, reporting and accounting processes, ERP configurations and work instructions.
  

AI, Automation & Efficiency

An important part of your role is making smart use of AI and automation, allowing the team to focus on activities that deliver real added value. You:

• Actively use AI and automation for reconciliations, analyses, checks and documentation, reducing manual work and the need for subsequent corrections.

• Encourage and support the team in adopting AI and new tools, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

• Ensure that the use of AI and automation meets the required standards for quality, auditability and internal control.

What you bring

You combine real technical accounting depth with the drive to change how things are done. You bring:

• Hold a bachelor's or master's degree, preferably in Accountancy, Business Economics, Finance & Control or a related field.

• Have at least seven years of experience in an accounting role. Leadership experience within an accounting firm, particularly in financial statement preparation, is a strong advantage.

• Have experience guiding or coaching colleagues and are ready to take on a team leadership role.

• Have a thorough knowledge of general ledger accounting, month-end closing, balance sheet reconciliations and journal entries.

• Have a solid understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting, as well as an affinity with auditing and internal controls.

• Preferably have experience with 4PS and Whitevision.

• Have a demonstrable interest in AI, data and automation, and the ability to identify opportunities to make processes smarter and more efficient.

• Have a good command of both English and Dutch, written and spoken. English is the primary working language within the team.

How you work

Being proactive and well-organised is at the heart of this role. You combine strong technical accounting expertise with leadership skills. You have the energy and ambition to help build and develop the accounting function within an international, growing organisation. You are driven, analytical and have a strong getting-things-done mentality. You work in a structured way, have a keen eye for detail and take ownership of your responsibilities.

You:

• Take the initiative and inspire colleagues to bring out the best in themselves.

• Work in a structured and organised manner, thinking in terms of closing calendars, deadlines and established routines.

• Take a proactive approach, identifying and resolving issues before they are raised by controllers or auditors.

• Bring structure, control and predictability to the closing and audit processes.

• Are curious about new technologies and continuously look for smarter and more efficient ways of working.

• Take ownership, show initiative and have the confidence to take a clear position when needed.

Our offer

At HoSt you work in an international, technology-driven company at the heart of the energy transition, with room to shape an independent payroll function in a growing group with colleagues in five countries. You work with highly educated colleagues in a professional yet informal culture, in a team that challenges and supports each other. On top of that, we offer:

• Good terms of employment and a salary that matches your experience and education;

• An attractive annual profit share (paid in September) after at least 12 months of employment;

• An excellent pension scheme;

• A commuting allowance of €0.23 per km;

• The option to work 32 to 40 hours a week;

• Flexible start times between 7 and 9 am;

• Plenty of room to work from home (at least three days a week at the office);

• The chance to work for a market leader in sustainable energy with a strong focus on innovation, winner of the Oryx and Gazelle awards 2024;

• Working in an international family business where your ideas matter and successes are celebrated together;

• Joining a team of both starting and experienced professionals;

• Working in a brand-new, sustainably built office in Hengelo with state-of-the-art sustainable facilities;

• Plenty of opportunities to develop yourself, technically and professionally;

• The latest bike through our bike lease plan;

• Gift vouchers for the kilometres you cycle.

Apply

Are you the Team Lead Accounting who wants to build a fast, automated close that runs like clockwork? Let’s talk.

Upload your CV and a short motivation via the apply button. We will let you know within 14 days whether we invite you for an interview.

Want to discuss the role first? Contact Marleen Kok (Manager Reporting & Accounting) or Irene Tan-Perk (Corporate Recruiter) on +31 88 460 90 80.