Head Global Project Accounting / Head Finance
Site
Switzerland, Zürich, Zurich
Sector:
Nonprofit/Community/Social Services/International Cooperation
Swisscontact is an independent non-profit development organisation established in 1959 by representatives of the Swiss private sector and civil society. Our development work focuses on private sector-led, sustainable economic development with improved quality of life for all in developing and emerging countries. A key focus is to strengthen the skills of individuals and foster the competitiveness of businesses.
The organisation is currently active in over 130 projects in 41 countries with around 1100 employees. It is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
To join our team at the Global Office in Zurich, Switzerland we are looking for a dynamic and experienced finance professional as a Head Project Accounting / Head Finance starting on 1 November 2025 or by arrangement. This unique opportunity will start as a Head of Global Project Accounting and will transition into a Head of Global Finance role after two years. This role is pivotal in supporting the transformation of our finance operations and enhancing our impact across 40 countries.
Your role will be to actively accompany and promote this process. You will work closely with business administration teams in our Regions, operations, business development and HR to ensure that our finance data is up-to date and worldwide finance processes improvement of our systems and the successful delivery of projects. In these roles, you will directly report to the Director Finance and Technology (CFO) at Swisscontact.
Key Responsibilities in the first 2 years (Head Global Project Accounting)
* Lead and manage directly a team of finance professionals.
* Ensure accurate set-up of accounts for international projects in 40 countries.
* Supervise the monthly pro-forma closing process to ensure timely and accurate reporting for 140 projects, often with different donor and currency translation requirements.
* Coordinate the semester accounts closing process, including the preparation of project financial statements for donors and the group audit.
* Collaborate with the Finance and Technology team to develop and enhance corporate project accounting processes.
* Support the training of project accounting tasks to local teams.
* Maintain and further develop the close collaboration with the Finance and Technology teams, as well as Operations, HR and Business Development
Key Responsibilities after 2 years (Head Global Finance), in addition to the responsibilities above:
* Co-management of the comprehensive closing process including the annual financial close.
* Lead the maintenance and advancement of the accounting systems, Abacus, and the integration with MS Dynamics.
* Manage the organization's treasury and foreign exchange accounts with strategic oversight.
* Develop solutions and provide guidance for complex accounting transactions, such as in-kind contributions in co-financing projects.
* Enhance team capabilities and support the development of business administration interfaces across regional offices.
* Coordinate the development of the corporate finance structure (e.g. set-up, supervision and dissolvement of subsidiaries).
* Act as a main technical contact to the Group Auditor.
View details
Working hours (%): 80-100% / 100%
Will manage other people: Yes
Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Duration: unlimited
Level of experience: Senior Professional, more than 5 years
Join date: 1 November 2025 or by agreement
Skills required
* Masters's degree or Higher Swiss Federal Diploma in Finance, Accounting, or a related field; an additional professional qualification (e.g., CPA, ACCA) is an advantage.
* At least 10 years of experience in project accounting and corporate finance in an international context, with good understanding of foreign exchange rate constellations.
* Excellent knowledge in the preparation of financial statements and consolidation in accordance with Swiss GAAP FER (or alternatively IFRS).
* Proven leadership skills with experience in managing international finance teams.
* Solid understanding in and affinity to accounting and ERP systems, ideally Abacus and/or MS Dynamics.
* Project experience in financial ERP development is an advantage.
* Excellent analytical, organizational and hands-on problem-solving skills.
* Strong results orientation and creative drive with the ability to actively and successfully manage change processes.
* Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
* Proficiency in English and German, Knowledge of French and/or Spanish is a plus.
* Understanding of project business administration in Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a plus.
Swisscontact offers attractive working conditions in an international and multicultural context. We see our work as a joint effort in an agile organizational culture: mutual respect, trust and teamwork.
We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents: letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, diplomas and references. Please apply exclusively via our online application portal. For further information please visit:www.swisscontact.org .
#J-18808-Ljbffr