Financial Controller

**Description**

**Financial Controller, Switzerland**

**Purpose of Role**

The Financial Controller, Switzerland is responsible for ensuring all financial information is controlled and accurately reported, in accordance with strict deadlines, to satisfy all internal and external reporting requirements for all legal entities in Switzerland, including ISP’s two schools in Geneva (British School of Geneva and Ecole Mosaic).

This role will also have a large focus on systems, in particular the implementation of the group ERP and MIS in the Swiss schools.

The role will report directly into the Head of Finance & Operations, Switzerland and dotted line to the Financial Controller - Europe.

This role is based in Geneva between the two schools.

**Key Responsibilities**

**Systems**
- Collaborate with the systems team to ensure timely and effective system implementation of the ISP accounting system (Netsuite) and management information system (iSams).
- Understand the business processes, how they fit into the new system framework and identify gaps.
- Prepare and validate data migration templates; prepare reconciliations as appropriate.
- Assist in preparing all information requested by the systems team.
- Perform user acceptance testing.
- Be the NetSuite super user for Switzerland being the first point of contact for the school.
- Drive innovation in processes for more operational efficiency and data reliability.

**Core Accounting and Financial Reporting**
- Ensure financial information is recorded accurately into Netsuite, in accordance with internal deadlines.
- Train accounting team and ensure that general ledger reconciliations including cash, deferred income and relevant Balance Sheet accounts are performed and are supported with evidence.
- Ensure accruals and prepayments are correctly posted.
- Ensure accounting journals have proper approvals and support documentation.
- Perform quarterly balance sheet reviews.
- Streamline Chart of Accounts and ensure postings are performed in a consistent way.
- Establish and maintain a strong control around credit collections for the schools.
- Produce Debtors and cash collections reports, follow up on agreed actions and drive the collections process.
- Produce cash flow forecasts and report local bank balances weekly.
- Ensure the fixed asset register is accurate and updated.
- Produce Capex reports, ensure proper approvals are in place and documented and track project spending.

**Control and Compliance**
- Maintain a documented system of controls, policies and procedures.
- Implement a risk management framework by identifying risks, designing controls to mitigate them, and implementing necessary actions.
- Comply with all external statutory, financial and government reporting requirements, as well as regulations and tax filings.
- Liaise with auditors, legal and tax providers as necessary.
- Ensure accounting treatment is consistent and aligned with Group accounting policies. Where there are local differences, maintain a reconciliation of locally reported figures to Group reported.
- Assist to develop strategies, policies and plans to ensure that the schools are fully tax compliant and tax efficient.
- Liaise with external tax advisors as appropriate.
- Maintain a good technical knowledge of relevant local tax policies and processes.
- Maintain and update statutory corporate documents.
- Ensure there is a strong control around cash. Liaise with banks as needed.
- Ensure payments have proper approvals and support documentation.
- Ensure the schools have an adequate level of insurance coverage, and that policies are always valid.

**Operational, Administrative & Commercial Support**
Undertake such other reasonable responsibilities and tasks that may, from time to time, be assigned by the Head of Finance & Operations, Switzerland. This includes supporting contract negotiations with providers and contract review.
- Essential skills/experience:

- Chartered accountant or audit background
- Strong technical accounting skills
- Demonstrable understanding of working and implementing information systems; prior experience in using NetSuite or any other ERP system would be advantageous.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with different stakeholders
- Organisation skills, multi-tasking mindset and an ability to deal with shifting priorities
- Advanced Excel skills
- Fluent in written and spoken French and English

**ISP Principles**
**Begin with our children and students. **Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

**Treat everyone with care and respect. **We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

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