Director, Accounting

Director, Accounting

Location: London (UK) - Hybrid (2 days per week in office)

With millions of diners, 60,000+ restaurant partners and 25+ years of experience, OpenTable, part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), is an industry leader with a passion for helping restaurants thrive. Our world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most - their team, their guests, and their bottom line - while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion. 

Every employee at OpenTable has a tangible impact on what we do and how we do it. You’ll also be part of a global team and its portfolio of metasearch brands. Hospitality is all about taking care of others, and it defines our culture.

About the Role

A fast-paced, global business with significant growth ambitions, and an Accounting function entering a period of transformation to support that growth. This is an exciting opportunity to drive that agenda, with full ownership of the numbers and the scope to shape what comes next for the function.

Reporting directly to the VP, Controllership and working in a leadership team alongside Reporting, Risk, and Payroll, the Director, Accounting holds full accountability for the completeness and accuracy of the Global General Ledger across the full P&L and Balance Sheet. This role will lead a team of accounting professionals and drive an improvement agenda that scales the function to meet the demands of a fast-paced business - through hands-on ownership of the numbers, critical thinking on every estimate and judgement, and continued development of the function beyond process compliance.

What You’ll Do

Own the Global General Ledger & Financial Close

• Ultimate accountability for the Global GL under US GAAP, including the completeness, accuracy, and timely close of all entities worldwide
• Build and lead a scalable end-to-end close operating model; set standards, drive consistency, and coach the team to execute with rigour
• Maintain the quality of balance sheet reconciliations and close deliverables; identify and resolve issues in a timely manner, applying critical evaluation alongside sound accounting and commercial judgement
• Estimates, accruals, and accounting positions that accurately reflect the pace and trajectory of the business, with the accounting telling the true story behind the numbers
• Deliver authoritative monthly and quarterly P&L and balance sheet flux analysis - clear on commercial and accounting drivers, risks and opportunities, and material one-off items  

Apply and Uphold Technical Accounting Standards

• The senior escalation point for accounting matters across the business; research, document, and defend positions on complex and novel issues
• Provide technical accounting support to business growth and commercial deals, including under ASC 606 (Revenue Recognition) and other judgement-intensive areas
• Ground accounting in US GAAP principles and policies, with technical rigour as the baseline
• Evaluate the accounting treatment of commercial arrangements with technical precision and commercial awareness
• Critical thinking on every judgement call, with standard methodology as a starting point rather than a substitute for judgement    

Drive Continuous Improvement

• Own the improvement agenda - simplify, standardise, and automate close processes, leading with the adoption of AI and enabling technology
• Partner across Finance, Enterprise Systems and AI Enablement on systems transformation that scales the function for the future
• Define and embed quality standards, governance frameworks, and documentation requirements across a geographically dispersed team
• Partner with Finance Operations and the Center of Excellence to maintain clear ownership and consistent execution across time zones (US West Coast, US East Coast, UK, India).   

Lead & Develop the Team

• Coach and develop a team of accounting professionals, building technical capability and succession depth within the function
• Create a high-performing team culture grounded in clear expectations, mutual accountability, meaningful development, and direct, honest communication

Partner Across the Organisation

• Build strong relationships with Finance and Commercial business partners; bring commercial perspective to accounting judgements
•   Represent the Accounting function with confidence and credibility at senior management level   

What You’ll Bring

Experience & Qualifications

• Fully-qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CPA, CA or equivalent)
• Significant post-qualification experience in financial accounting leadership, with full GL accountability and ownership of the end-to-end close cycle across a complex, multi-entity, global business - including the completeness and accuracy of the numbers
• Proven track record of leading and developing teams of qualified accountants and people managers  

Skills & Ways of Working

• Deep technical grounding in US GAAP, with the confidence to take and defend positions on complex matters
• Numbers-first with strong ownership of accuracy - credible at senior stakeholder level, telling the story behind the numbers and comfortable pushing back when warranted
• A natural change leader with an improvement mindset - builds the case, brings the team along, and delivers lasting change at pace
• A high-performing people leader, invested in growth and outcomes
• At ease in fast-paced, global complexity, fluent across both strategic and detailed work

Benefits and Perks

• 5 weeks paid vacation
• Time off for your birthday
• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
• Focus on mental health and well-being:
  • Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
  • Company-paid subscription to Headspace
  • Annual company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
• Paid parental leave
• Paid volunteer time
• Focus on your career growth:
  • Development Dollars
  • Leadership development
  • Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings
• Travel Discounts
• Employee Resource Groups
• Private health & dental insurance
• Income protection and life assurance
• Employee Assistance Program - including 24/7 GP & free legal advice
• Pension plan contributions
• Discounted gym membership
• Bike2Work
• Season ticket loan
• Social events & Thursday happy hours
• Free lunch 2 days per week

Work Environment & Flexibility

At OpenTable, we pride ourselves on fostering a global and dynamic work environment. As a team member with us, you will benefit from a schedule tailored to accommodate a global workforce operating across multiple time zones. While the majority of your responsibilities may align with conventional business hours, there will be instances where you are expected to manage communications - via calls, Slack messages, or emails - outside of regular working hours to effectively collaborate with international colleagues, respond to restaurant partners, and/or address urgent matters. OpenTable will always abide by and consider local laws and regulations.

Inclusion

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. We know the best ideas come when we bring different voices to the table, so we're building a team as dynamic as the diners and restaurants we serve-and fostering a culture where everyone feels welcome to be themselves.

If you need accommodations during the application or interview process, or on the job, we’re here to support you. Please reach out to your recruiter to request any accommodations.

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