Head of Europe Financial Control and Governance

Are you passionate about? Do you have experience within financial control and governance?

If so, now is your chance to join Ascendis Pharma as our new Head of Europe financial control and governance.

Ascendis Pharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we are applying our innovative TransCon® technology platform to fulfill our mission of developing new therapies that demonstrate best-in-class potential to address unmet medical needs.

At our headquarters in Hellerup, Denmark, research facilities in Heidelberg, Germany, and additional offices across Europe and the United States, we are advancing programs in our Endocrinology Rare Disease and Oncology portfolios. We also collaborate with partners on the development of TransCon-based products in other therapeutic areas and markets.

We are seeking a passionate Head of Europe financial control and governance to join our growing team. As a key member of the Ascendis Pharma team, you will play a crucial role in Europe regional oversight, assurance and coordination across European entities. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment, collaborate with cross-functional, global teams working together to achieve extraordinary results.

You will be joining the finance operations team consisting of 33 colleagues, and report directly to Cicek Wrabetz, Head of Europe Finance Operations who is based in Munich, Germany. You will be based in Hellerup, Denmark.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Lead regional governance and assurance. Maintain oversight of material accounting, reporting, control and compliance matters across Europe. Identify gaps, clarify ownership and coordinate resolution across teams and countries.
• Oversee financial reporting and accounting. Coordinate statutory reporting and external audits across European jurisdictions and provide assurance over close, financial reporting and internal controls.
• Navigate local requirements. Bring structure to country-specific requirements, including withholding tax, statutory obligations and invoicing, working closely with Tax, Legal, Compliance, Treasury and relevant process owners.
• Drive launch and change readiness. Represent the European financial-control and governance perspective in new-market and entity launches, identifying local requirements and impacts across processes, systems, data and controls.
• Simplify and strengthen ways of working. Challenge unnecessary complexity, country variations and manual workarounds. Identify root causes, clarify ownership and help implement compliant, scalable and sustainable solutions.
• Leverage technology, AI and automation. Partner with Finance Systems and process owners to translate business needs and pain points into well-defined, controllable and scalable solutions, using technology where it creates meaningful value.

Qualifications and Skills:

You hold a relevant academic degree – preferably a MBA or Bachelor of Management /Economics/ business administration or equivalent – and 10+ years of experience including meaningful responsibility for accounting, financial operations, monthly close, managing external accountants, auditors and controls.

Furthermore, you have:

• 5+ years of experience within external or internal audit, controllership, financial control, Finance Operations, transformation, or a related field in an international environment.
• Strong knowledge of accounting, IFRS, internal controls, audit, and European statutory and regulatory requirements.
• A professional qualification such as CPA, Cand.merc.aud., ACCA, Wirtschaftsprüfer, or equivalent is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in strengthening controls, redesigning processes, and simplifying ways of working.
• Experience working across countries and functions, including O2C, P2P, R2R, Tax, Treasury, Legal, Compliance, and Finance Systems.
• Interest in and hands-on experience with ERP systems, analytics, automation, AI, or digital finance initiatives. Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an advantage.

Key competencies:

You are a strong team player, analytical, and have a can-do attitude.

You possess an entrepreneurial mindset and can thrive in an informal, open environment where innovation and change are key.  

To succeed in this role, we also expect you to

• Challenge complexity and has evidence of making processes simpler, stronger or more scalable.
• Collaborate across functions and geographies and influences without relying on formal authority.
• Balance control, compliance, business needs and practical implementation.

Travel: 10-20 days per year.

Office: Ascendis Pharma A/S Tuborg Boulevard 12, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark

Apply now.

We evaluate applications when received, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please note that we conduct interviews on a rolling basis and reserve the right to remove the job posting at any time.   

To ensure your application is reviewed, please submit it through the specified platform - applications sent by email or other channels will not be evaluated. 

For more details about the position or the company, please contact Cicek Wrabetz, Head of Europe Finance Operations, [email protected]

You can learn more about Ascendis by visiting our website www.ascendispharma.com

Applications must be submitted in English and will be treated confidentially.

A note to recruiters:

We do not allow external search party solicitation.  Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma HR team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed.  If this occurs, your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.