General Accounting Manager - Switzerland

Role and Responsibilities

Lead the HQ-accounting team; manage day-to-day general accounting and management reporting functions of Medair Headquarters. Oversee the accounting procedures, the annual, quarterly and monthly closing processes in accordance with Swiss GAAP and audit preparation and oversight. Provide guidance and coordination to HQ managers to carry out financial planning and budgeting activities. Generate timely and accurate management reports and analysis, and formulate and implement an effective system of accounting policies and procedures with emphasis on internal controls and value added processes.

Medair Headquarters

Medair Headquarters (HQ) provides operational guidance for country programmes and activities, along with both technical and compassionate support for our relief workers. Within our headquarters, we are also responsible for promoting the work of Medair to the world, to raise and manage the funds needed to run our life-saving and sustaining programmes. Our headquarters teams are also responsible for recruiting international and HQ staff, and like our field teams, we are committed to serve the world’s most vulnerable with practical and compassionate care.

Medair

Medair is a humanitarian organisation inspired by Christian faith to relieve human suffering in some of the world’s most remote and devastated places. We bring relief and recovery to people in crisis, regardless of race, creed or nationality. As signatories of the Red Cross Code of Conduct, we believe that aid should be given to everyone who is in need, regardless of political, social or religious viewpoint. We save lives in emergencies and then stay to help people recover from crisis with dignity—working side by side with communities to leave a lasting impact. We provide a range of emergency relief and recovery services: health care and nutrition; safe water, sanitation, and hygiene; shelter and infrastructure.

Workplace         

Medair Headquarters, Ecublens, near Lausanne, Switzerland

Starting Date

As soon as possible

Initial Contract Details

Full time, open-ended contract

Key Activity Areas

General Accounting Management

• Supervise and manage day-to-day general accounting functions of the Medair HQ, incl. providing guidance and support to the general accounting to deal with complex accounting issues in the areas of accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll accounting, asset management.
• Oversee and direct Medair Staff Assistance Foundation (MSAF) officers day-to-day finance and accounting activities.

Closing Processes

• Performance of the actual closing activities, incl. the definition, documentation and implementation of the monthly, quarterly and annual closing processes.

Financial Statements and External Reports

• Prepare monthly and annual corporate statutory and consolidated financial statements, insure alignment with Swiss GAAP requirements and best practice standards. 
• Prepare other external reports and guarantee compliance to standards.

Financial Planning and Budgeting

• Providing guidance and coordination to HQ managers in carrying out the organization’s financial planning and budgeting activities.

Financial Analysis and Reporting

• Prepare relevant, timely and accurate financial management reports and comparative budget versus actual variance analysis.

HR Management, Training and Development

• Plan HR needs of the general accounting section, evaluating performance of the team and establishing performance goals and objectives for each year to monitor and give advice on the progress to enhance the professional development of staff members for organizational productivity and efficiency.

Policies, Procedures and Internal Control

• Formulate, recommend, and implement policies and procedural matters related to finance and accounting, implement internal budgetary control measures through productions of timely management and financial reports and conducting peer discussions and analysis with budget holders.

Audits and Internal Control

• Responsible for overall financial audit management (non-field).
• Ensure adequate coordination between the finance department and all external audit requirements.

Treasury Management (incl. Management of FOREX)

• Manage cash-flow and forex positions of Medair HQ and field.

Accounting Policies and Procedures

• Maintain finance and accounting policies, practices and procedures for efficiency, accurateness of the day-to-day accounting activities; develop and recommend new policies and procedures as appropriate in timely manner to strengthen accounting processes and procedures. Stay current with the developments, and practices in the non-profit accounting and update and develop appropriate policies and procedures to ensure their due implementation in the day to day accounting activities.

System Integrity, Control and Development

• Responsible for providing formal training and detailed understanding of Navigator, Cresus, Wigii and other software tools to be able to actively support and develop the finance team.  Making sure that there is a ‘super user’ understanding and systems control within the finance department.

Qualifications

• Swiss qualified accountant with “Brevet Fédéral Spécialiste en finance et comptabilité” (Swiss certified specialist for finance and accounting) or equivalent preferred
• Certified accountants of other accounting standards also considered

Languages

• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
• Working knowledge of French (spoken and written) desirable

Experience / Competencies

• Minimum two years finance and accounting experience with an ability to lead and motivate teams
• Experience in managing all areas of Profit and Loss Accounts and Balance Sheet accounting
• Good understanding of fund accounting software; Understanding of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software for finance and accounting management information in-flow processes desirable
• Strong understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) with non-profit fund accounting principles and procedures

Medair Standard Working Requirements for the International Headquarters

• Committed Christians; commitment to the Medair values
• Reflect the vision and values of Medair when interacting with team members and external contacts
• At least one year of professional experience in a relevant field (more experience preferred)
• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
• Working knowledge of French (spoken and written) for French-speaking roles
• Competent with MS Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Motivated by a spirit of service
• Solid team player

Benefits

• Salary commensurate with pay-grade of the position
• Travel expenses to country programmes (for staff who are required to make field visits)
• Annual leave; Accident insurance and pension
• Death and disability insurance; Health insurance for loss of earnings
• The opportunity to work in a Christian organisation where your contributions make a difference for the world’s most vulnerable

HQ Working Conditions

• Swiss or eligible EU citizens, or those with a valid work permit for Switzerland, can apply.

Application Process

Follow this link: www.medair.org/work-with-us, check if you fit our standard working criteria, then: apply for this vacancy (or another position that matches your profile).

Please do not make multiple applications. We will not review email applications. Only English-language applications / CVs will be reviewed. Medair does not set closing / deadline dates for applications; recruitment is on-going until the position is filled.