Accounts Payable Manager

Accounts Payable Manager

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is an international organization for public-private cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Why we are recruiting

To support continued business growth and increasing operational complexity, the Finance team is strengthening its Accounts Payable capability. This role is critical to ensuring strong team leadership, operational excellence, and robust controls, while maintaining a high level of service across the organization.

Reporting Lines & Interactions

The Accounts Payable Manager reports to the Head of Finance and has full responsibility for leading, developing, and overseeing the Accounts Payable team.

This role requires close collaboration with internal stakeholders across the organization, as well as with Procurement, IT, and external partners including suppliers and banking institutions.

The successful candidate will combine strong people leadership with deep technical expertise, leading the team while remaining sufficiently hands-on to ensure quality, control, and operational continuity.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and manage the Accounts Payable team, setting clear priorities, expectations, and performance standards
• Ensure the effective and efficient delivery of all Accounts Payable operations, maintaining high levels of accuracy, compliance, and service
• Oversee month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing activities, ensuring timelines and quality standards are met
• Act as the primary point of accountability for Accounts Payable, ensuring adherence to policies, controls, and accounting standards
• Drive continuous improvement across processes, systems, and team capabilities
• Lead and contribute to projects impacting Accounts Payable, including process optimization and system enhancements

Detailed Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and development to the Accounts Payable team, fostering accountability, engagement, and high performance
• Maintain appropriate oversight of operations while actively supporting key tasks when required, particularly during peak periods or complex cases
• Oversee vendor payments, including wires and foreign currency transactions, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Monitor Accounts Payable ageing and proactively manage payment cycles and outstanding balances
• Ensure completion, accuracy, and review of balance sheet reconciliations related to Accounts Payable
• Ensure compliance with travel expense and Corporate Credit Card policies, taking corrective action where required
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and banking partners
• Ensure consistent and accurate invoice processing and booking across the team
• Lead or contribute to cross-functional initiatives with Accounts Payable impact, ensuring alignment and delivery

Requirements

• Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration
• Professional accounting qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) or Swiss Brevet Federal in Accounting
• 10 years of relevant professional experience, including proven experience managing and developing teams in Accounts Payable or a similar finance function
• Strong track record of leading teams while remaining operationally credible and hands-on when needed
• Excellent technical accounting knowledge, including Swiss VAT and cost accounting principles
• Strong systems and ERP experience, with the ability to drive process improvements
• Experience leading or contributing to finance transformation or process improvement initiatives is highly desirable
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across functions and seniority levels
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
• Fluent in English (written and spoken); French is an advantage
• Pragmatic, proactive, and solution-oriented, with strong leadership presence and a results-driven mindset

Why work at the Forum:

The Forum believes that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to improve the state of the world by building awareness and cooperation, shaping mindsets and agendas, and driving collective action. Join us and become a driver for positive change!