Head of Operations (Qualified Expert-Comptable) - France

The Apex Group was established in Bermuda in 2003 and is now one of the world’s largest fund administration and middle office solutions providers.

Our business is unique in its ability to reach globally, service locally and provide cross-jurisdictional services. With our clients at the heart of everything we do, our hard-working team has successfully delivered on an unprecedented growth and transformation journey, and we are now represented by over circa 13,000 employees across 112 offices worldwide.Your career with us should reflect your energy and passion.

That’s why, at Apex Group, we will do more than simply ‘empower’ you. We will work to supercharge your unique skills and experience.

Take the lead and we’ll give you the support you need to be at the top of your game. And we offer you the freedom to be a positive disrupter and turn big ideas into bold, industry-changing realities.

For our business, for clients, and for you

Description

The Head of Operations, France is a senior leadership role, responsible for ensuring the quality, accuracy, timeliness and delivery of corporate services to clients. The role combines operational leadership with regulated professional accountability, acting as President and Responsible Expert-Comptable and ensuring that the entity maintains compliance with the professional standards established by the Ordre des Experts-Comptables.

The Head of Operations reports to the Country Head and acts as the final point of escalation for accounting opinions, client acceptance, professional judgement, independence, ethics, AML matters and regulatory inspections.

Key Responsibilities:

President and Responsible Expert-Comptable of AFCS

• Act as President and Responsible Expert-Comptable, with responsibility for ensuring compliance with the professional, ethical and regulatory obligations applicable to an OEC-regulated accounting practice.
• Maintain full control over accounting opinions, technical positions and professional conclusions.
• Hold final decision-making authority for client acceptance procedures, including high-risk or sensitive matters requiring professional judgement.
• Be responsible for AML oversight, professional ethics, independence considerations and conflict of interest matters.
• Lead and manage any regulatory inspection, query or review by the Ordre des Experts-Comptables, ensuring timely, complete and appropriate responses.

• Work closely with the Country Head, Regional Head, Compliance, Risk, Legal and relevant business stakeholders to maintain an effective governance and control framework.

Service Delivery and Operational Leadership

• Own the operating model for corporate services delivery, ensuring that local and supporting teams deliver consistently against agreed quality, timing and control standards.
• Provide senior oversight of accounting, tax compliance and service delivery activities, ensuring appropriate delegation, supervision and escalation across the team.
• Coordinate delivery between the French office and supporting locations, ensuring clear ownership, effective communication and timely resolution of delivery issues.
• Guide teams on complex accounting, tax and reporting matters, ensuring professional review and sign-off are obtained where required.
• Drive continuous improvement in operating processes, quality controls, team coordination and delivery standards across the corporate services platform.

Skills and Experience Required:

• Qualified Expert-Comptable registered or eligible to act as Responsible Expert-Comptable in France.
• Strong technical knowledge of French accounting, tax compliance, professional standards, AML obligations and ethical requirements applicable to an OEC-regulated practice.
• Significant experience leading accounting, tax compliance or corporate services operations, ideally within a professional services, corporate services, fund administration or financial services environment.
• Proven ability to exercise professional judgement, manage regulatory matters, resolve complex technical issues and act as a senior escalation point.
• Fluent in French and English.

Disclaimer: Unsolicited CVs sent to Apex (Talent Acquisition Team or Hiring Managers) by recruitment agencies will not be accepted for this position. Apex operates a direct sourcing model and where agency assistance is required, the Talent Acquisition team will engage directly with our exclusive recruitment partners.