Grant Accounting Manager

Forum Fribourg SA seeks a Grant Accounting Manager in Geneva to lead the team, ensure compliance, and drive process improvements within the Finance department.

The Finance department is expanding its Grant Accounting function to handle increasing operational complexity and support business growth. This position is essential for providing strong leadership, maintaining rigorous controls, and ensuring the team delivers high-quality financial operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage, mentor, and develop the Grant Accounting team, establishing clear goals and performance expectations.
• Oversee daily Grant Accounting operations to guarantee accuracy, regulatory compliance, and efficient service delivery.
• Direct month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing processes, ensuring all deadlines and quality benchmarks are satisfied.
• Serve as the main accountable party for Grant Accounting, enforcing adherence to internal policies, control frameworks, and accounting standards.
• Identify and implement continuous improvements in workflows, systems, and team competencies.
• Lead or contribute to projects focused on optimizing processes and enhancing accounting systems.
• Provide ongoing coaching, guidance, and professional development support to team members.
• Review and validate balance sheet reconciliations linked to grant activities to ensure completeness and accuracy.
• Monitor compliance with grantor requirements and expense regulations, taking corrective steps when necessary.
• Prepare for and lead internal and external grant audits, managing all communications with audit teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration.
• Professional accounting certification such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, or the Swiss Brevet Federal in Accounting.
• At least seven years of experience in financial project accounting, controlling, or grant accounting, preferably within a global organization or a Big Four audit firm.
• Proven ability to lead teams while maintaining hands-on operational involvement when needed.
• Deep technical knowledge of accounting principles, including Swiss VAT and cost accounting.
• Extensive experience with ERP systems and a track record of driving process enhancements.
• Demonstrated success in promoting process excellence and implementing continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across various functions and seniority levels.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, including active listening and high emotional intelligence.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.
• A strong focus on controls, attention to detail, and a proactive, pragmatic, and results-oriented approach.

Nice to have

• Proficiency in French.

What the company offers

• Opportunity to join an independent and impartial organization with over 55 years of experience in connecting leaders to address global challenges.

About the company

Forum Fribourg SA operates as an independent and impartial entity dedicated to improving the state of the world. The organization engages top political, business, and cultural leaders to shape global, regional, and industry agendas, fostering collaboration to move the world forward.

• Commitment to improving the global state of affairs.
• Engagement with leading figures to shape agendas across various sectors.