Head of Accounting France

About MVH Europe:

Mars Veterinary Health (MVH) Europe is a family of leading veterinary care providers committed to creating a better world for pets. Our network includes trusted brands such as AniCura and Linnaeus, operating over 500 animal hospitals and clinics across 17 European countries. Together, our teams deliver high-quality, modern veterinary care for companion animals, ensuring peace of mind for pet owners through excellent access and patient safety.

AniCura, our largest brand in Europe, provides care to over three million patients each year through 12,500 dedicated professionals. Linnaeus, operating primarily in the UK and Ireland, is home to over 6,000 Associates empowered to deliver exceptional care through a culture of collaboration, clinical excellence, and continuous development.

At MVH Europe, we prioritize a culture of accountability, inclusion, and wellbeing. We believe our purpose — to make A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS — starts with building a better world for our people. We support our teams through strong governance, comprehensive wellbeing programs, and a shared passion for delivering exceptional outcomes in veterinary care.

Role Overview:

The Head of Accounting France ensures the accuracy and integrity of our financial reporting, provides leadership and development for the team, and oversees various accounting and financial operations activities, ensuring compliance with accounting standards and company policies. They will collaborate closely with MVHE Group Accounting and Financial Operations teams and drive deployment of various transformation projects in cooperation with Regional, Global and Corporate Accounting & Reporting teams, whilst ensuring excellence in execution of financial operations in line with KPIs, SLAs and Stakeholder experience.

This role requires a hands-on leader who actively engages in accounting operations while supervising team workflows to ensure all deadlines are achieved. Reporting to the Director of R2R Operations, this role follows a hybrid model, with three days per week based in our Lyon office and occasional travel across EU Group locations for knowledge sharing and leadership development.

Key Responsibilities:

The Head of Accounting France within the MVHE Finance Operations team, reporting directly to the Director of R2R Operations. This role requires collaboration with various internal stakeholders, including market operations, finance teams, clinics and external auditors. The role holder will work across multiple reporting systems, ensuring compliance with internal policies and external standards such as US GAAP and local GAAP. The position demands strong leadership skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage complex accounting processes in a dynamic environment.

• Lead and develop a team of 6 accounting professionals and contractors.

• Set up and reshape critical financial processes in a dynamic and growing environment.

• Ensure the accuracy of periodic financial reporting to Mars Group (US GAAP) and the statutory (French GAAP) annual financial statements.

• Present balance sheet movements to the management team.

• Serve as the main point of contact for authorities, bank, internal and external auditors, and tax advisors.

• Identify and monitor provisions and maintain general ledger accounts.

• Handle ongoing business transactions and ensure compliance with statutory reporting requirements.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including market operations, business controllers, clinics, and the MVHE to ensure effective financial processes, compliance, and reporting.

• Initiate and lead projects to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness within the finance function.

Summary of the Role:

• Job Title: Head of Accounting France

• Department: Finance

• Reports To: Director Record-to-Report Operations

• Location : Lyon, France

• Contract: Full-time

• Languages: Fluent English required and French required

Education & Professional Qualifications:

• University degree in Economics, Finance, or Accounting.

• Professional certification such as ACCA, CIMA, CA, or CPA is preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum 10+ years of experience in accounting and financial reporting, including at least 5 years in people management roles.

• Proven experience in structuring, optimizing, and scaling accounting processes.

• Strong proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel.

• Experience with Oracle, Blackline, and/or OneStream is an advantage.

• Fluency in English; French language skills

• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and collaboration skills.

• Structured, detail-oriented, and able to work independently in a complex environment.

Strong advantages include:

• Experience in private equity–backed or M&A-driven organizations.

• Exposure to managed service operations.

• Participation in or leadership of large-scale finance transformation initiatives.

• Background in audit.

Key Competencies:

• Builds Effective Teams

• Manages Complexity

• Ensures Accountability

• Communicates Effectively

• Balances Stakeholders

Interested?

For more information, please contact Lekya Kanamarlapudi, Group Corporate Recruitment Partner, who will be happy to tell you more about the role and recruitment process.
Alternatively, apply directly by submitting your CV via the Apply button.

Mars Veterinary Health is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Internal Candidates: If you are interested in this role, please reach out to the Corporate Recruiter to learn more about the internal recruitment process.