Galeries Lafayette Director of Financial Control
- Location
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Director
- Department
- Finance, Accounting & Revenue Management
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Apr 22, 2026
About Galeries Lafayette
Confidential luxury employer operating across global retail and wholesale channels. The organisation is characterised by meticulous product craftsmanship, an international footprint and high-touch client experiences typical of leading maisons in the luxury sector.
Confidential luxury group — Paris: Director of Financial Control role leading group reporting, internal control and financial governance.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead the Financial Control function, owning month-end close, statutory consolidation and the integrity of management reporting for the reporting perimeter.
- Ensure timely, accurate financial statements compliant with IFRS and local GAAP; coordinate external auditors and tax advisors.
- Design, implement and monitor robust internal control frameworks and governance processes; drive SOX/local control readiness where applicable.
- Partner with FP&A, Treasury, Tax and Commercial teams to deliver budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning cycles.
- Develop and standardise financial policies, reporting packs and KPI dashboards for senior management and board-level committees.
- Drive process optimisation and automation initiatives (reporting, close, reconciliations) to increase efficiency and data quality.
- Line-manage and mentor a multidisciplinary control team; recruit talent and promote professional development and cross-functional collaboration.
- Provide financial decision support to business partners, including margin analysis, inventory accounting and project profitability reviews.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting or equivalent; professional qualification (CPA, ACA, CIMA or equivalent) preferred.
- Deep technical knowledge of IFRS and statutory accounting; experience with consolidation and group reporting.
- Proven record in establishing and maintaining internal control frameworks and managing external audit cycles.
- Strong leadership capabilities with experience managing teams in an international, matrix environment.
- Excellent analytical and communication skills, able to translate complex accounting issues into clear business recommendations.
Skills
Experience
Substantial progressive experience (typically 8–12+ years) in finance and control functions, including several years in a senior controlling or finance leadership role within retail, consumer goods or luxury industries. Proven exposure to group reporting, audit coordination and process transformation is expected.
Education
Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting or a related discipline; professional accounting designation (CPA/ACA/CIMA) preferred.
Workplace
The role is situated in Paris, Île-de-France, France.
Culture
The organisation values meticulous attention to detail, craftsmanship and commercial excellence. Teams operate in an international, fast-paced environment where cross-functional collaboration and high professional standards are expected.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Galeries Lafayette, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Head of Financial Control», «Group Financial Controller», «Finance Control Director», «Financial Reporting and Control Lead», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.