Here in Barden, we are proud to be working exclusively with a global technology business to identify an ambitious and smart Senior Financial Accountant to join their well-established and highly collaborative finance team.

The successful person will work closely with the Finance Manager on a range of areas including month-end reporting, statutory reporting, analysis and project work. This person will get broad exposure across the global business while liaising with multiple teams across finance and beyond on a daily basis.

“This person will join our growing Finance team and take on a wide range of responsibilities. This would be a great step for someone ambitious looking to progress in their career in the Finance & Accounting space. A fantastic opportunity for someone to expand their skillset for the long-term” – Finance Manager

Responsibilities include:

• End-to-end accounting for your assigned entities;
• Preparation of the month-end and quarter-end reporting processes;
• Responsible for supporting and preparation of the Statutory Accounting Activities for your assigned entities;
• Liaise with internal and external auditors and support the audit process by providing timely and accurate information and data;
• Evaluation of processes and recommendations and implementations of process improvements;
• The development of strong relationships with key stakeholders across the business;
• Involvement in key projects as required to support the continued growth of the business.

About the person:

• Recently qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA);
• Experience in a multinational environment is a strong advantage but not essential;
• Strong Excel and systems experience;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong team player with the ability to interact with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.

Interested? Feel free to get in touch with Siobhán Sexton in Barden (siobhan.sexton@barden.ie) for more information.

Barden are proud to be working exclusively with a global manufacturing/technology organisation to identify an ambitious and smart financial accountant to join their well-established and highly collaborative finance team.

The successful person will work closely with the Finance Manager on a range of tasks including month-end reporting, variance analysis and ad-hoc project work. This person will get broad exposure across the global business while liaising with multiple teams across finance and beyond.

Responsibilities include:

• End-to-end accounting for your assigned entities within the EMEA region;
• Preparation of the month-end and quarter-end reporting processes;
• Completion of variance analysis and related reports for your entities;
• Liaise with internal and external auditors and support the audit process by providing timely and accurate information and data;
• Assistance with Corporate tax, VAT and payroll tasks;
• The development of strong relationships with key stakeholders across the business;
• Ad-hoc projects as required.

About the person:

• Recently qualified accountant with 1/2 years’ PQE;
• Experience in a multinational environment is a strong advantage but not essential;
• Strong Excel and systems experience;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong team player with the ability to interact with stakeholders at all level of the organisation.

Curious? Feel free to get in touch with Siobhán Sexton in Barden (siobhan.sexton@barden.ie) for more information.

A well-established and highly successful Irish business have engaged Barden to identify a commercially-minded Financial Analyst to join their Finance team. This broad role is a great opportunity for an ambitious and commercially minded person to work closely with various stakeholders across the business.

This business is well known for its strong culture and work/life balance.

“Working within our commercial team, the ideal person for this role will be a driven individual who is not afraid to hit the ground running and get stuck in. I’m looking for a focused, commercial individual who is keen to contribute to the bottom line of our business. Individuals who can recognise opportunities, act on them and give recommendations that will make a positive impact is what we are looking for.” – Finance Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE:

• Conduct financial analysis in order to identify opportunities for profit improvement across the business;
• Coordinate and project manage various cost saving initiatives identified for the organisation;
• Provide detailed analysis and key financial insights to relevant stakeholders;
• Build and maintain cross functional relationships with both internal and external stakeholders providing support on new and improved ways to drive improvement & profit across the business;
• Promote cost awareness, saving opportunities and a continuous improvement culture throughout the business;
• Ad-Hoc Project work as required.

ABOUT THE PERSON:

• Qualified accountant with 1/2 + years PQE;
• Financial analysis experience is an advantage but not essential;
• Excellent attention to detail, numeric and analytical skills;
• Process, systems and controls focused;
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills.

Sound interesting? Feel free to get in touch with Siobhán Sexton in Barden (siobhan.sexton@barden.ie) for more information.

Ever looked at a job title and got excited, only to read on and find it is not the job you thought it was?

Welcome to the world of misleading job titles!

In one organisation, a ‘Financial Analyst’ is someone who is very involved in partnering with commercial functions to provide insights, while in another, it refers to someone who performs the month-end close; both are quite different roles yet with the same title.

Likewise, as your career progresses, you will find that the further you move up and through the organisational chain, the more differences you will see in job titles – a Financial Controller in an SME company will be doing a very different job than a Financial Controller in Meta. Managing a Finance team of two people in an SME  will be a bit different from overseeing several finance teams of 4-6 people in each team.

To help you navigate your career in the right direction, we have highlighted the main groups of positions you will encounter coming out of contract and all their titles!

#1 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT

AKA GL Accountant, Financial Analyst, Management Accountant, Financial Reporting Accountant, or just plain… Accountant.

Do not let the term ‘Analyst’ sway you here.

This group can be defined by the common objective of “producing a set of financial statements for a business.” The role is also likely to include other variants, but your core mandate will be financial accounting delivery. Look out for items in the job description that might point to additional tasks you have and also consider the structure of the organisation itself. Please see our article on organisational structure (here>>>) where we discuss the difference of where a role can sit in the finance function of a MNC or SME.

If it’s a shared service centre for a US business, you can bank on the fact that a lot of the work will be very month-end focused and may have less interaction with the ‘business’ than with a ‘Financial Accountant’ role in an SME or group finance function.

#2 MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT/ FINANCIAL ANALYST

AKA Commercial Accountant, Finance Business Partner, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Commercial Finance Analyst, or, yet again, just… Accountant.

You’re starting to see the overlap in titles!

So, let’s define this category as everything you do after the financial statements or month-end results are produced – variance analysis, budgeting, forecasting and profitability analyses, assisting with core strategies and key decision-making. These roles can be OpEx, CapEx or revenue-oriented.

What you will need to assess here is the % of time spent behind the computer screen analysing information, and the time spent interacting with key stakeholders and influencing decisions, i.e., business partnering. A 90%/10% split in this dimension is a very different job to a 10%/90% split. The key here is that ‘financial analysis’ can have a broad range of connotations and serve different purposes from one company to another. The function of the ‘Financial Analyst’ and the structure of the organisation/finance function often defines the distance between you and key internal stakeholders.

This visual demonstrates that Financial Accounting work is focused on the past, while Financial Analysis roles are looking towards the future.

#3 INTERNAL AUDIT

No confusing alternative job titles here; it’s just known as Internal Audit!

This is the most misunderstood of the categories. Get rid of those ideas of it being the same as External Audit – it’s not!

Internal Audit roles can be a fantastic way of accessing certain industries, which ordinarily may not be accessible to you, given your experience, and to gain an understanding of how a business actually works. Despite initial impressions, IA presents a commercial opportunity, so it’s worthwhile assessing the long-term opportunities that can be afforded to you by choosing an IA role at this stage in your career.

Most of the Group FCs and executive-level finance professional we work with have spent some of their career in IA. Why? Because IA gives you access to senior (if not executive) management like no other role and will enable you to pick your career path within the business in the future, given the exposure you get in the role. If you’re particularly ambitious and are striving for the top, IA is a smart and strategic career move to jump you ahead of your peers, so it’s definitely one you should explore further.

#4 EVERYTHING ELSE

Every other role that falls outside these three areas includes in-house corporate finance, tax accounting, and systems roles. What is worth noting for these roles in industry at NQ level is that the people who land these roles tend to have worked in these areas in practice.

Roles Can be a Blend

Roles within SMEs often blend Financial Accounting and Financial Analysis, reinforcing the point that job titles alone don’t tell the full story. In many cases, a role may involve core financial accounting responsibilities, such as month-end close, accruals and prepayments, and elements of tax compliance (including returns), while also covering more commercial aspects, such as annual budgeting and monthly forecasting. It’s worth keeping this in mind and reviewing the job description carefully to assess where the role sits on that spectrum and what it truly involves day-to-day.

Overall, the key takeaway here is to read beyond the title and get into the details. Do your research on the organisational structure, establish what it is you want from your career and don’t get misled by preconceptions you may have developed in external audit.

Finishing your training contract in 2026? Do you want to make sure you make the very best first step after qualifying? Do you want a coffee meeting with an expert talent advisor; someone who is a qualified accountant, just like you (meet our Leinster team here>>> and our  Munster team here>>>)? Do you want a little help to create your very own best financial future? No problem. Just drop us a line today on hello@barden.ie and we will take it from there. Simple.

Barden is partnering with a Global Aircraft Lessor to introduce an AP/AR Specialist to their Dublin-based finance team.

This full-time role is ideal for a motivated finance professional with 3+ years’ experience across Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable looking to take ownership of key processes within a collaborative and international finance team.

Key Responsibilities

• Process supplier invoices and support weekly payment runs
• Manage vendor and customer accounts and resolve queries
• Perform reconciliations and support month-end processes
• Issue customer invoices and monitor AR ageing reports
• Assist with improvements to AP/AR processes and reporting

What We’re Looking For

• 3+ years’ experience across AP and AR in a corporate environment
• Strong understanding of accounting principles
• Strong Excel skills and experience with accounting systems
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Confident communicating with internal teams and external partners

For more information, get in touch with Phonsie Irwin in Barden (Phonsie.irwin@barden.ie).

As the march of AI continues, it is crucial that companies identify how to and who manages the opportunities it creates, as well as the risks it can pose.

Responsibility for AI strategy in a company is rarely restricted to a single person.  This is because AI impacts everything, from supply chains and product delivery to interpreting data, identifying new products and marketing them.

AI, if used effectively, can reduce costs, labour needs and increase the speed of “go to market”.  However, we all know it is a double-edged sword, with risks including misinterpreted data, not using an adequate population of base data and (un)ethical business practices.

As such, the responsibility for a company’s AI strategy must be a collaborative effort spanning the C-suite, board of directors, and specialised business unit leaders.

However, let’s be very clear – the ultimate ownership must lie with the CEO and the Board of Directors.

AI touches every aspect of business, and leaders need to fully understand the potential risks and opportunities it offers. Nearly 30% of AI-leading companies now have AI or generative AI formally on the board agenda. This reflects a growing recognition that AI isn’t a narrow IT or innovation topic; it’s a full-board issue touching risk, growth, and competitive positioning.

Top-performing enterprises have moved beyond using AI to improve existing processes. They are now focused on using AI to build new products, open new markets, and reinvent business models.

Where to Start?

The starting point for a board or CEO to consider the potential for AI in their company can come down to 2 basic questions:

• Where to deploy AI? and
• How to manage the risks that come with it?

The more effective companies have already made their choice.

In these companies, the CEO and the C-suite are setting the tone for AI. They acknowledge that AI is not a separate technical initiative but a strategic need that transcends all aspects of the business; AI strategy is a bridge spanning technical teams to the business, commercial, and operational strategies.

The leaders of respective teams, such as product offerings, customer experience, growth, and finance, whatever it may be, define their goals (much as in a traditional organisation structure), the AI lead and their team respond by making the goals achievable by best harnessing AI. This ensures that AI innovation will have an ultimate ROI focus rather than “AI for AI’s sake”. However, this only works when the CEO puts AI on the agenda and encourages the use of an internal team to enhance the business strategy with effective AI.

Final Thoughts

A strategy of “AI for AI’s sake” will not work – AI is a lever used to best achieve the ultimate business strategy. Whilst roles such as Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO) are growing in popularity and, indeed, need, the ultimate ownership for AI in a business must sit at the top. If a CEO or a Board delegates this responsibility, the tail (AI) will undoubtedly begin to wag the dog (strategy).

Barden Executive Search

Barden partners with Boards and executive teams to appoint leaders and build future-ready organisations. Our founders and senior leaders work directly with clients, bringing first-hand experience of scaling businesses and driving growth. Reach out to ed.heffernan@Barden.ie to connect. Your Leaders, found by Ours.

Barden is proud to be partnering with the CEO of a manufacturing business to appoint a commercially minded and ambitious Part-Qualified Accountant to join their team on a full-time permanent basis.

This is a newly created position and joins at an exciting time as the business continues to grow. Reporting to the Financial Controller, this person will be involved in management accounting process, monthly financial accounts prep, various operational finance activity as well as various exciting projects.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

• Assisting in the preparation of monthly management accounts, including balance sheet reconciliations.
• Supporting senior leadership on strategic finance initiatives.
• Overseeing revenue-related processes.
• Supporting the year-end audit process.
• Contributing to projects to ensure compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• Preparing ad-hoc reports and responding to queries.

ABOUT THE PERSON:

• Minimum 2 years’ accounting experience.
• Experience in month-end preparation or as audit senior for companies with turnover over €8m.
• Near completion of a professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA).
• Strong knowledge of accounting principles with excellent attention to detail.
• Proactive, able to manage new processes and meet deadlines efficiently.
• Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in MS Office; experience with Xero.

Let’s explore a concept fundamental to working in a non-practice environment: organisational structure. Where you sit in the organisational structure of your next employer will have a key impact on the structures you can access in the future. To make this simple, we have broken down the market into four key structures: 3 of which tend to operate in Multinationals (MNCs), and the other in Small/ Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Multi Nationals

While you may think a role in a pharmaceutical or tech MNC is simply a role in a pharmaceutical or tech MNC, where your role sits within the structure of the organisation will have a huge bearing on your day-to-day and month-to-month, as well as the experience you gain from the role and how that may be perceived by future employers. Where you sit in the organisational structure of your next employer will have a key impact on the structures you can access in the future

• Group Functions: consolidation environments (HQ) where the Global/EMEA Group CFO and CEO sit. This is where decisions are made, but the finance function can often be at arm’s length from actual business activity. Any experience you have of group audits where you worked on consolidations is highly relevant to roles in Group Functions and should be highlighted in your CV. The job title you may see for these roles is Group Financial Accountant; it can come in many guises, but the key is to look for the term “group” in the title and consol in the job spec.
• Finance Hubs/ Shared Services: these have lots of different names but are fundamentally where accounting functions are centralised for a particular geography (EMEA/ APAC). All financial and statutory accounting for different jurisdictions is done here, and information is then pushed to HQ for consolidation. You may be tasked with looking after a specific account balance, such as Fixed Assets or Intangibles, for a specific entity. Alternatively, you could be tasked with owning the PL for an entire entity, such as several pharmaceutical plants somewhere in Europe. Job titles you typically see for these roles include General Ledger accountant.
• Strategic business units: this can be a trading entity for a multinational that serves Europe or focuses on the Irish (domestic) market. It can look like an SME from the outside but has the structures, systems and politics of a larger organisation. For roles in a SBU you may see the job title of Cost Accountant, where you are analysing costs in relation to variances and efficiencies. But it is important to remember that job titles don’t mean everything.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s)

The most common type of company, ranging from the small local store to very large, privately-owned companies that are not part of a bigger multinational. Over 80% of people in Ireland are employed in SMEs and they come in every shape and form imaginable; You may see a broad range of job titles of roles on these, A role in an SME can often include a blend of financial accounting through month end, year-end, accounts prep, financial analysis through involvement in the budget and exposure to other areas such as tax through CT, VAT and PAYE returns.

It is worth noting that it is easier to move from a larger to a smaller company as your career progresses than to move from an SME to an MNC. This is because larger companies face increased reporting requirements and tend to operate in higher-control environments due to their scale.

Final Thoughts

These structures (or a hybrid thereof) can be used to describe 95% of companies out there. And guess what? If you work in a Group function, do you know where you’ll be most likely to get a job in the future? In a Group function… the ‘like with like’ concept strikes again! Also, keep in mind that some structures are further away from each other than others. For example, small SMEs are very far away from Group functions – move to an SME and you reduce your chances of working in a Group structure in the future.

Finishing your training contract in 2026? Do you want to make sure you make the very best first step after qualifying? Do you want a coffee meeting with an expert talent advisor; someone who is a qualified accountant, just like you (meet our Leinster team here>>> and our  Munster team here>>>)? Do you want a little help to create your very own best financial future? No problem. Just drop us a line today on hello@barden.ie and we will take it from there. Simple.

Barden is proud to partner with a long-established, community-focused organisation to appoint an Accounts Administrator to their Dublin-based team.

Reporting to the Financial Controller, this is a hands-on role offering broad exposure across accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll support, bank reconciliations, and VAT. It’s an excellent opportunity for an experienced accounts professional who enjoys variety and ownership in their role.

Key Responsibilities

• Process supplier invoices and manage payments
• Raise sales invoices and monitor debtor balances
• Perform bank reconciliations and post journals
• Support fortnightly payroll processing and statutory submissions
• Prepare bi-monthly VAT returns
• Ensure accurate and timely month-end close

About You

• Proven experience in a similar accounts role
• Strong understanding of accounting procedures and compliance
• Experience with Sage or similar accounting systems
• Excellent attention to detail and strong Excel skills
• Organised, proactive, and confident working independently

For more information, get in touch with Phonsie Irwin in Barden (Phonsie.irwin@barden.ie).