Vice President, Global Controller
About The Position
POLITICO is seeking an experienced Vice President, Global Controller to lead our global accounting function and serve as a key partner to the CFO and Finance leadership team. Based at our Arlington, Virginia headquarters and reporting to the CFO, you will lead our Global Accounting Team (US and European). This highly visible role will be responsible for ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and scalability of POLITICO’s financial operations across our growing global organization. The ideal candidate brings deep technical accounting expertise combined with strong business judgment and a modern, forward-looking approach to finance—someone who can strengthen controls and processes, develop a high-performing global team, and build the financial infrastructure needed to support POLITICO’s continued growth and evolving business.
Requirements
- 15+ years of progressive accounting experience at an international group, including several years as a regional or global Controller.
- A professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) and a degree in accounting, finance or a related field.
- Strong understanding of the accounting principles under both IFRS and US GAAP.
- Experience consolidating a multi-entity, multi-currency group into a large corporate parent, whether in industry or in an audit practice.
- Proven ownership of an internal control framework over financial reporting and of external audits.
- Strong revenue recognition experience (IFRS 15 and ASC 606), ideally with subscription, advertising or events revenue.
- Working knowledge of transfer pricing and international tax, enough to shape structure and challenge advisers. You do not need to be a tax specialist.
- Experience leading finance teams across countries and time zones, including a regular early-morning overlap with our Brussels hub.
Nice To Haves
- Hands-on experience with acquisitions, disposals or carve-outs, including purchase accounting and discontinued operations.
- Workday Financials and Salesforce experience, and a record of automating close and reporting.
- Familiarity with Belgian GAAP, and additional European languages.
Responsibilities
- Lead the global close and IFRS consolidation for group reporting, with operational accounting delivered through our regional Controllers.
- Set accounting policy and be the final voice on complex judgments, including subscription revenue recognition.
- Lead statutory reporting and filings in every jurisdiction in which POLITICO operates, in partnership with our external accountants.
- Own the financial governance and control framework (ICFR), and serve as the main contact for external auditors and Internal Audit.
- Oversee tax accounting, transfer pricing and indirect tax compliance with external tax advisers.
- Partner with tax and legal on international structure, entity set-up, and the financial unwinding, liquidation or roll-up of legacy and redundant entities.
- Support acquisitions end to end, from financial due diligence and quality of earnings through to post-deal integration.
- Lead purchase accounting, including purchase price allocation, valuation of identifiable intangibles and annual goodwill impairment testing.
- Lead the accounting for disposals and restructurings, including carve-out financials and discontinued operations.
- Drive automation of finance processes in Workday and the order-to-cash flow from Salesforce through to the ledger.
- Build and develop the global accounting team, set clear accountabilities, and define how we measure the function’s success.
Benefits
- We value our people. Click here for more on what we offer and what it’s like to work for POLITICO.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
