Business Process Owner - Provisions & Valuation (Balance Sheet Accounting)

What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and, at the same time, promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational, and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Purpose

As Business Process Owner – Provisions & Valuation, you are the institutional reference point for the most judgmental areas of the ICRC balance sheet: provisions, post-employment obligations, and inventory valuation.

You define and govern the related accounting policies and methodologies, ensure consistency and compliance across entities and Shared Service Centres (SSC), and act as the technical backbone and backup to the current norm expert within the Accounts team.

You work end-to-end across functions (HR, Logistics, REM, Operations, FPA, SSCs), translating complex IFRS requirements into clear processes and guidance that support sound financial reporting and decision-making.

This role is part of the wider Finance transformation and future End-to-End process design and will be key in strengthening the Financial Statement Closing Process.

Main Duteis & Responsibilities (1/3)

Process ownership & governance

• Own the global balance sheet processes related to:
  • Post-employment plans and pension obligations
  • HR-related provisions
  • Operational risk provisions
  • Inventory valuation
• Define, maintain, and update global accounting policies, methodologies, and controls for these areas, in line with selected accounting frameworks (primarily IFRS; Swiss GAAP RPC an asset).
• Ensure standardisation, simplification, and harmonisation of processes across entities and SSC operations.
• Act as process design authority (together with the Global Process Owner and Head of Finance - Accounts) for all system and process changes within scope, validating local deviations where justified.

Closing, reporting & analysis

• Provide expert support during month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closings for all topics related to provisions, post-employment obligations, and inventory valuation.
• Contribute to the Financial Statement Closing Process, including for Funds and Foundations.
• Develop and monitor balance sheet health indicators for areas under scope, providing analysis on trends, risks, and opportunities to Finance leadership.
• Support management reporting and disclosure requirements related to provisions and post-employment obligations.

Main Duteis & Responsibilities (2/3)

Audit, compliance & internal control

• Ensure compliance with internal control requirements and maintain robust documentation of assumptions, estimates, and calculations.
• Act as a technical counterpart for the External Auditors and the Internal Audit for questions and findings related to your scope.
• On an ad hoc basis, support donor audits in coordination with our Resource Mobilization Team(REM).
• Collaborate with the Finance Global Process Owner & Risk Manager and Ethics, Risks & Compliance Office to define and implement appropriate internal controls over the relevant processes.
• Supervise the IRS tax filing process: coordinate data collection with GSS, liaise with external tax advisors, and organise reviews.

Collaboration & stakeholder management

• Partner closely with SSC teams to drive continuous improvement, accuracy, and execution efficiency.
• Work with HR, Logistics, REM, Operations, FPA, and other stakeholders to ensure that the underlying data and provisions accurately reflect operational realities and risks.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Head of Accounting for technical guidance and interpretation of accounting standards.
• Engage with non-finance stakeholders by translating technical accounting into clear, actionable language.

Main Duteis & Responsibilities (3/3)

Transformation & projects

• Contribute as a Finance subject-matter expert to End-to-End process initiatives, particularly:
  • Hire-to-Retire (H2R / HR)
  • Order-to-Deliver (O2D / Logistics)
• Support the design and implementation of future Finance systems (ERP and related tools), ensuring that provisions and valuation processes are robustly embedded.
• Drive and support change-management activities within your scope, helping colleagues adapt to new ways of working.

Your profile

Education & qualifications

• University degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a related field.
• Recognised professional accounting qualification (e.g., CPA, ACA, ACCA or equivalent) – required.
• In-depth knowledge of IFRS; knowledge of Swiss GAAP RPC is an asset.
• Additional certification in Business Process Management and/or Business Improvement (e.g., Lean / Six Sigma Green or Black Belt) is an advantage.

Professional experience

• Around 12–15 years of professional experience in finance and accounting, including:
• Significant experience in technical accounting for provisions, post-employment obligations, and/or inventory valuation.
• Experience in business process management, process ownership, or finance transformation in an international or complex organisation.
• Solid exposure to internal control frameworks, risk management, and audit (internal and/or external).
• Strong experience with modern ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent); experience with Oracle JDE / PeopleSoft is an asset.
• Experience in or with Shared Service Centres is an advantage.
• Experience in the humanitarian or non-profit sector and/or operational field experience as a Finance & Administration manager is an asset.

Skills & competencies

• Strong analytical and conceptual skills; comfortable working with complex estimates, assumptions, and judgmental areas.
• Ability to translate complex accounting and process topics into clear, accessible guidance for non-finance stakeholders.
• Excellent stakeholder-management skills; able to build trust, challenge constructively, and work across cultures and disciplines.
• Proven ability to drive change, improve processes, and implement standards in fluid and evolving environments.
• Strong sense of ethics, reliability, and discretion; comfortable acting as technical reference and backup for existing norm experts.
• Excellent command of English (spoken and written); French or other ICRC languages are an asset.
• Proficient user of Excel and other MS Office tools; ability to design and understand workflows and process maps.

Additional information

• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Type of contract: Open-ended
• Grade: C2
• Hiring Manager: Gregory Grand, Head of FAD Accounts
• Activity rate: 100%
• Start date: March 2026
• Recruiter: Yana Makaveeva
• Application deadline: Wednesday, 31 December 2025

Position details

• Location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Type of contract: Open-ended
• Activity rate: 100%
• Start date: March 2026
• Recruiter: Yana Makaveeva
• Application deadline: Wednesday, 31 December 2025

Our values

At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values.

For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this