Sr. Director, Accounting (d/f/m)

Personio's intelligent HR platform helps small and medium-sized organizations unlock the power of people by making complicated, time-consuming tasks simple and efficient. Our team of 1,500 Personios is building user-friendly products that delight our 15,000+ customers and their 1.5 million employees. Ready to make an impact from day one?

This role requires 3 days per week in the office and is based in Munich or Berlin.

We are looking for a Sr. Director of Accounting

• Who is equal parts technical expert, builder, and change agent. This is not a “maintain the status quo” role.

• You will inherit a solid foundation and take ownership of transforming it: modernising our close process, embedding AI-powered tooling into day-to-day accounting workflows, and professionalising the function ahead of scale.

• Reporting to the CFO, you will lead a team of experienced accountants and work closely with Finance, Legal, and the Executive team.

Build at scale

• You're joining at an inflection point — the processes you design today will be the backbone of a public company tomorrow.

AI-first mandate

• Finance leadership actively supports AI adoption. You'll have budget, tooling, and executive air-cover to experiment and implement.

Real ownership

• Direct line to the CFO with genuine scope to shape how the accounting function operates globally in Europe.

• Work on a platform used by millions of employees across Europe — your work has visible, meaningful impact.

Role Responsibilities: What you‘ll do

Accounting Operations & Close

• Own and continuously improve the end-to-end monthly, quarterly, and annual close process — driving speed, accuracy, and automation

• Ensure timely and accurate financial statements under both HGB (German GAAP) and IFRS

• Lead statutory reporting, external audit management, and tax compliance for German entities

• Oversee revenue recognition in accordance with IFRS 15, with specific expertise in SaaS subscription and multi-element arrangements

Process Architecture & Automation

• Redesign legacy processes from first principles — if a manual step can be automated, automate it

• Partner with Finance Systems and IT to deploy and optimise ERP capabilities (Workday)

• Drive AI tooling adoption across the accounting function: smart reconciliations, anomaly detection, AI-assisted journal entry review, and predictive close analytics

• Build scalable controls infrastructure that supports IPO-readiness without adding bureaucratic overhead

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead and mentor a team of accounting professionals; recruit top talent as the function scales

• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors, tax advisors, and banking partners

• Partner closely with FP&A, Legal, and Revenue Operations on business transactions, new product launches, and commercial models

• Provide clear, decision-relevant accounting guidance to the CFO and executive leadership team

Role Requirements: What you need to succeed

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 3 years in a senior leadership role

• Deep, hands-on expertise in German GAAP (HGB) — you can navigate a Jahresabschluss yourself and coach others through it

• Strong working knowledge of IFRS, in particular IFRS 15 and IFRS 16

• Demonstrable experience with SaaS or subscription-based revenue models and the accounting nuances they bring

• Qualified accountant (WP, CPA, ACA, ACCA, or equivalent); Big Four background is a plus

• AI Fluency: You have hands-on experience using AI to improve your workflow, and the sound judgment to know exactly when to rely on it and when to step in yourself.

Builder's mindset

• Proven track record of building or materially overhauling accounting processes — not just inheriting and maintaining them

• Designed a close process from scratch or reduced close cycle

• Implemented or optimised an ERP/accounting system end-to-end

• Built a team or function in a high-growth or scale-up environment

• Intellectually curious about automation and AI — you actively seek opportunities to replace repetitive work with smart tooling

• Comfortable with ambiguity: you can define the path forward even when the map doesn't exist yet

Leadership & communication

• You lead with clarity, not hierarchy — your team knows what good looks like and why it matters

• Fluent in English (German is a plus)

• Able to translate complex accounting concepts into crisp, jargon-free narratives for non-finance executives

Why Personio?

Personio is an equal opportunities employer, committed to building an integrative culture where everyone feels welcomed and supported. We embrace uniqueness and understand that our diverse, values-driven culture makes us stronger. We are proud to have an inclusive workplace environment that will foster your development no matter your gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, education level, or race.

Aside from our people, culture, and mission, check out some of the other benefits that make Personio a great place to work:

• Receive a competitive reward package – reevaluated each year – that includes salary, benefits, and pre-IPO equity

• Enjoy 28 days of paid vacation, plus an additional day after 2 and 4 years

• Make an impact on the environment and society with 1 (fully paid) Impact Day

• Receive generous family leave, child support, mental health support, and sabbatical opportunities.

• We follow an office-led, remote friendly approach, including opportunities to work from home and international locations. Many of our teams have designated days for gathering in the office to enhance collaboration and foster a sense of community.

• We enjoy gathering for meals, cultural initiatives, and events like local Summer Sessions and year-end celebrations. There's also healthy snacks, drinks, and a weekly catered lunch.