Senior General Ledger Accountant — Japanese Speaking

ABOUT USWe are a global technology group that designs, develops and manufactures both software and hardware solutions for industrial and enterprise customers. Our technologies help organisations digitalise their operations, improve productivity and work more safely and sustainably. We operate across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific and employ several thousand people worldwide.We are now strengthening our finance capabilities in Asia Pacific with the creation of a new multinational finance team based in Kuala Lumpur. The team will deliver end-to-end accounting services for our entities across the region and is being built from the ground up — which means genuine ownership, senior visibility and the chance to shape processes, systems and ways of working from day one.This is a confidential search. The company name and further details will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the first conversation with our recruitment team.ABOUT THE ROLEWe are looking for a Senior General Ledger Accountant (Japanese speaking) to join a newly created multinational finance team in Kuala Lumpur.This is an opportunity for someone who thrives in dynamic environments, enjoys building processes rather than inheriting them, and is comfortable navigating transitions, migrations and organisational change. You will own the general ledger for our Japanese entities and act as the finance point of contact for Japan, while also providing hands-on support to Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable activities for the market.Approximately half of your time will be dedicated to GL accounting for Japan; the remainder will be spent supporting AP/AR Japan operations, transition activities and process build-up.DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIESManage month-end, quarter-end and year-end closing activities for the Japanese entities, ensuring accuracy and adherence to group reporting deadlines.Prepare and post journal entries, including accruals, prepayments, provisions, payroll entries, FX revaluation and other adjustments.Perform balance sheet reviews and account reconciliations, investigating and resolving accounting discrepancies.Maintain fixed asset accounting, including additions, disposals, depreciation runs and the asset register.Manage and reconcile intercompany transactions and balances across entities.Support the reconciliation between local Japanese accounting requirements and group reporting standards.Support tax compliance activities for Japan, including consumption tax (JCT), withholding tax, corporate income tax and transfer pricing documentation, in cooperation with local advisors.Support the preparation of statutory financial statements and respond to internal and external audit requests.Prepare financial and management reports, and carry out ad-hoc analysis for stakeholders.Ensure compliance with internal accounting policies, procedures and internal controls.AP/AR support — JapanProvide hands-on support to Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable activities for Japan, particularly during closing, peak periods and transition phases.Act as backup and escalation point for complex or disputed AP/AR items requiring Japanese-language resolution.Liaise with Japanese vendors, customers, local finance contacts, tax advisors and banks in Japanese.Transition & transformationSupport the transition and migration of accounting activities from Japan into the new Kuala Lumpur team, including knowledge capture, process mapping and stabilisation.Create and maintain process documentation (SOPs / desktop procedures) to a standard the team can operate and audit against.Participate in finance transformation projects, including ERP implementation, automation, standardisation and continuous improvement initiatives.ABOUT YOU5–8 years of experience in General Ledger or financial accounting, ideally within an international Shared Service Centre, Global Business Services or multinational environment.Hands-on experience with Japanese accounting, tax and reporting requirements.Strong command of month-end closing, reconciliations, intercompany accounting, fixed assets and journal entries.Willingness and flexibility to support AP and AR processes for Japan alongside your GL responsibilities — this is an explicit part of the role.Comfortable working with stakeholders across time zones, including Japan Standard Time.Proven experience supporting business transitions, migrations, system implementations or finance transformation projects.A proactive, hands-on approach with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.Comfortable in a fast-paced, evolving environment where processes are still being built and refined.Adaptable to change, resilient under pressure and effective in ambiguous situations.Strong stakeholder management, communication and problem-solving skills.Continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to identify and implement process enhancements.Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.Hands-on experience with SAP and/or Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is required.University degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration or a related field. A professional qualification (CPA, ACCA, CIMA, MICPA or equivalent) is an advantage.LANGUAGESBusiness-level Japanese (written and spoken) is essential — you will work daily with Japanese stakeholders and documentationFluent English is a pre-requisite — English is the working language of the team.Any additional Asian language (Korean, Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia) is a plus.