Accounting Director – Continental Europe

CommScope (NASDAQ: COMM) helps companies around the world design, build and manage their wired and wireless networks. Their network infrastructure solutions help customers increase bandwidth, maximize existing capacity, improve network performance and availability, increase energy efficiency, and simplify technology migration. Global sales exceed $5.5bn and the company employs over 25,000 people around the world.

CommScope provide solutions to some of the largest buildings, venues and outdoor spaces globally, in data centres and buildings of all shapes, sizes and complexity, at wireless cell sites, in cable headends and telco central offices, and in airports, trains, and tunnels. Vital networks around the world run on CommScope solutions.

Their size, reach, supply chain, operational precision, and responsive personnel power our advances into new forms of communication. This forward-thinking approach is supported by a long tradition of excellence—CommScope was instrumental in the creation of:

• Cable TV infrastructure
• The first wireless networks
• The first data centres

Role:

The recent acquisition of Broadband Network Solutions (BNS), carved out of the TE Connectivity business, represents a huge transformational change for Commscope. It creates access to new technologies and markets and a significantly increased profile across Europe.

This transformation also creates the opportunity to appoint an outstanding individual to the role of Accounting Director – Continental Europe to be based in the European hub of Kessel-Lo in Belgium.

Reporting directly to the EMEA Finance Director, this role forms part of the EMEA Finance Leadership Team with combined responsibilities covering 30 plus countries, 50 plus legal entities all within a complex business model. This specific role covers Mainland Europe with combined revenues of circa $1bn. Within both US GAAP and local statutory requirements this person provides strategic and tactical leadership including the development of accounting systems, internal controls, reporting and related business processes to maintain accounting and reporting data integrity and consistency.  In addition this role is responsible for indirect tax compliance and the payroll function together with regional support of other corporate finance functions including treasury and income tax.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute an accounting strategy with emphasis on accurately computing, analysing, reconciling and communicating company financial information.  Ensure that accounting processes, programs and reports are developed, implemented and effectively administered while appropriately aligning with corporate business and accounting objectives. Establish, standardise and communicate accounting related approval guidelines, policies, procedures and controls to key stakeholders
• Ensure that accurate accounting information is provided to all businesses as necessary.  Supervise compilation of various reports and analyses for presentation to management.  Proactively identify potential accounting issues and works with various internal and external parties to implement resolutions
• Participate in the development of company-wide, global accounting processes, policies and procedures and administers approved accounting procedures within the context of a global SAP ERP system.  Develop and direct the operation of accounting systems and procedures to obtain improved information.  Communicate accounting policy and procedures to internal customers
• Lead geographically dispersed teams, providing coaching and development to these teams, ensuring that the team scales and is capable of delivery a world class finance service to the business. Recruit, coach and retain key talent
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge.  Remain current on existing and new regulations and communicate effectively to management the impact of regulatory developments.  Participate in the identification and resolution of accounting issues arising from business initiatives and new accounting requirements, including necessary research of technical accounting issues and appropriate course of action
• Has expert knowledge and application of statutory requirements including SOX, US GAAP, local regulations, transfer pricing, revenue recognition, indirect tax compliance
• Build and utilise key networks internally and externally
• Sophisticated change agent, driving process improvements, efficiencies, and team capability