Finance Manager
About IWG
Part of the IWG network – the global leader in flexible workspace for over 30 years, with more than 3,400 locations across 110+ countries and a portfolio of brands including Regus, Spaces, HQ, Signature and No18. IWG Switzerland operates one of the country’s largest flexible workspace networks, serving start-ups, SMEs and multinationals.
The Opportunity
As the business scales, the Finance function must move beyond keeping the books accurate to actively producing the analysis, conclusions and early warnings that management and the Board rely on to make decisions. All within a strong financial control environment.
We are seeking a Finance Manager to take ownership of the Swiss accounting cycle and to raise the function’s output from data compilation to genuine financial insight. A central part of this role is to prioritise AI and automation , actively redesigning and automating accounting and reporting processes using modern tools. We need someone who treats automation as a first instinct, not an afterthought: continuously eliminating manual work, accelerating the close and freeing time for analysis.
Role Purpose
Own the integrity and timeliness of the Swiss accounting records and turn them into reliable, decision-ready reporting. The Finance Manager runs the day-to-day accounting cycle end to end, closes the books on a dependable cadence, and prioritises AI and automation to continuously improve how that work is done – delivering accurate financial information that feeds management dashboards and Board reporting.
Key Responsibilities
- Month-End, Accounting Cycle & Close
- Own the month-end process end to end, including full P&L ownership and timely close across the Swiss entities.
- Enter, check and post invoices, payments and complex accounting transactions in compliance with relevant standards and deadlines.
- Perform bank reconciliations and run monthly, quarterly and annual closings to a fixed, reliable timetable.
- Prepare trial balances across the entity portfolio and support the group consolidation working file.
- Identify, reconcile and document intercompany balances – ensuring transfers match declared obligations and misallocations are corrected promptly.
- Work alongside AR and AP teams to ensure accurate, timely monthly reporting and that internal deadlines are met.
- Maintain the chart of accounts, accounting procedures and fixed-asset records, ensuring data accuracy at source with a full audit trail.
- Reporting, Analysis & Insight
- Prepare financial statements, balance sheets, income statements and variance analysis.
- Conduct regular balance-sheet reviews to validate assets and liabilities, supported by back-up schedules.
- Move reporting from compilation to insight – translating numbers into clear conclusions, risks and recommended actions.
- Produce clean, reconciled inputs for management dashboards and quarterly Board packs on a consistent schedule.
- Flag deviations and emerging issues early, with proposed corrective action rather than raw figures alone.
- AI, Automation & Process Improvement
- Proactively identify manual, repetitive steps and redesign them into automated, AI-assisted workflows.
- AI-assisted tools across accounting and management reporting to cut processing time and raise accuracy.
- Implement process improvements that shorten the close cycle and free capacity for analysis.
- Document and standardise processes so the function is robust, repeatable and not dependent on a single person.
- Prepare statutory financial statements and notes (local GAAP) and support the statutory audit and Owner Reports.
- Manage quarterly VAT returns, corporate income tax returns and withholding-tax forms to deadline, per canton.
- Respond to internal and external requests auditors, management and tax authorities – with complete, well-organised support.
- Act as day-to-day liaison with external advisors, maintaining a clear agenda and cadence for quarterly reviews and audit milestones.
- Coordinate corporate-secretarial deliverables (AGM minutes, dividend resolutions, commercial-register filings) and advise management on tax and internal-control matters.
Person Specification
Experience & Qualifications
- 5+ years in accounting and financial reporting (Swiss experience preferred)
- University degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration (Bachelor’s minimum); master’s in accounting or finance is a plus
- Professional certification (CFA, ACCA, CPA or equivalent) is an advantage
- Solid command of the full accounting cycle through to financial statements and consolidation
- Knowledge of Swiss accounting, tax law and VAT management
- Experience in a multi-entity or statutory-audit environment is a plus
- Experience in a Big 4 audit environment is a plus
Skills & Personal Attributes
- Strong Excel; proficiency in accounting software
- Proactively uses AI and automation to streamline processes – a genuine priority, not just familiarity
- Structured problem-solving and financial-modelling skills
- Fluent in French and English
- Analytical – turns figures into conclusions, not just reports
- Proactive and autonomous; strong task ownership and composed under pressure
