VP Finance

VP Finance

Location: Belgium or Germany Reports to: Managing Director Employment Type: Full-time Company Overview

We are a privately held, pre-revenue biotech/life sciences company structured as a US Inc. (Delaware C-Corp) with two wholly owned foreign subsidiaries: a German GmbH (development operations) and a Belgian SRL (research operations, held as a subsidiary of the GmbH). The company currently has approximately 34 employees across three entities. Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced finance leader based in Europe to serve as VP Finance. This individual will own financial operations, including FP&A and accounting, across our three-entity, three-country corporate structure, reporting directly to one of the company directors in Belgium or Germany and interacting with the Board of Directors. The role will lead a small internal team and manage a group of internal consultants, including AP and US accounting, while also directing external accounting firms in Belgium and Germany that support statutory bookkeeping and compliance in each jurisdiction. This is a working leader role: the ideal candidate is equally comfortable setting financial strategy and board-level reporting as they are reviewing statutory accounts, managing close timelines, and being the final point of accountability for accurate, timely, audited financials. Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & External Consultant Management

Directly manage and develop a small internal finance team, including an Associate Director FP&A and a Senior Accounting Manager Manage internal consultants, including Accounts Payable (AP) and US Finance / Accounting Select, manage, and hold accountable external accounting/bookkeeping firms in Belgium and Germany responsible for local statutory bookkeeping, payroll payments, and compliance filings, ensuring their output meets group reporting deadlines and standards Maintain processes and controls across the internal team and external consultants/firms so that close, reporting, and audit timelines are consistently met as the organization grows Multi-Entity Accounting & Consolidation

Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process across all three entities, coordinating internal team members and external consultants/firms to meet close deadlines Manage consolidated financial statements in NetSuite, ensuring accurate intercompany eliminations and consistent application of US GAAP and local statutory accounting standards Maintain intercompany agreements, cost-sharing arrangements, and transfer pricing documentation between the three entities Serve as primary administrator/owner of the NetSuite ERP system, including chart of accounts structure, workflows, and reporting European R&D Tax Incentives & Grants

Oversee the company's utilization of Belgian innovation income deduction, partial withholding tax exemption for R&D personnel, and any applicable grants and German R&D tax incentive programs (e.g., German research allowance (Forschungszulage), Coordinate with local tax advisors to ensure documentation, timelines, and eligibility criteria are met for ongoing and new incentive claims Track and report on incentive-related cash inflows and their impact on the consolidated cash position Treasury & Cash Management

Oversee cash flow forecasting and treasury operations across all three entities, including intercompany funding flows from the US Inc. down to the German GmbH and Belgium SRL Oversee banking relationships in the Belgium, Germany, and US Monitor foreign exchange exposure (USD/EUR) and recommend hedging or mitigation strategies as appropriate Statutory Compliance & Tax

Ensure timely statutory filings, VAT/tax compliance, and statutory financial statement preparation for the Belgian SRL and German GmbH, directly managing the external accounting firms responsible for local bookkeeping and statutory reporting in each country Review and sign off on statutory accounts prepared by external Belgian and German accounting consultants, ensuring alignment with group consolidated figures under NetSuite Manage US Inc. corporate tax compliance and coordinate with US tax advisors (including the US Accounting Director/Manager consultants) on international tax matters (e.g., transfer pricing, GILTI/Subpart F considerations, foreign subsidiary reporting) Maintain compliance calendars for all jurisdictions and ensure no filing deadlines are missed Payroll & HR-Finance Coordination

Collaborate and oversee finance's roll in the payroll processing and with HR coordination with payroll providers or in-country payroll systems in Germany and Belgium Partner with local HR/People functions (or external providers) on benefits administration, employment cost budgeting, and compliance with local labor/social security requirements FP&A, Budgeting & Reporting

Oversee the company's financial model, annual budget, and rolling cash runway forec