Finance & Operations Manager (Part-Time)

Über den Job

The Role

This is a hands-on, part-time role created to give CLIMATEX the financial, legal, and administrative backbone it needs through a critical period: closing a seed financing round, managing grants and funding, building the financial infrastructure for licensing at scale, and keeping the company legally sound and operationally sharp.

You will be the primary lead for all financial and administrative operations, working directly with the CEO-designate and alongside our board-level advisors. You will translate numbers into decisions, keep the company compliant and organised, and be a trusted partner to the CEO-designate on everything legal, administrative and finance-related.

What You Will Own

Financial Management

• Monthly financial reporting: P&L, balance sheet, cash position, burn rate, and runway
• Manage relationships with external accountants, fiduciaries, and financial service providers
• Oversee payroll, contractor invoices, expense approvals and payments
• Monitor and flag anomalies in cost lines (e.g. legal, patents, marketing)
• Maintain financial models for investor reporting and board updates
• Prepare monthly reporting materials for the board and investors

Fundraising Support

• Prepare investor-ready financials: P&L, balance sheet, cash flow projections
• Build and maintain top-down and bottom-up financial models and forecasts
• Support due diligence processes for the seed financing round, grants, and future investment rounds
• Actively identify and pursue grant and public funding opportunities (EU, Swiss national, sector-specific) - and administer ones already granted
• Manage grant drawdown processes, financial reporting to grant bodies, and compliance with milestone-based payment requirements
• Build and maintain a 24-month financial forecast
• Own and maintain the investor data room: version control, document accuracy, and timely updates
• Coordinate equity round administration through to close: cap table maintenance, shareholder documentation, and coordination with legal counsel and notaries

Licensing Business

• Own the financial model for the licensing business: royalty projections, licensee tiers, scenario planning, and revenue forecasting
• Maintain and update the business plan: financial narrative, licensing strategy, commercial assumptions, and partner pipeline
• Manage all licensing administration: agreements, royalty tracking, invoicing, compliance with contract terms, and renewal schedules
• Coordinate legal aspects of licensing: liaise with external counsel on licence agreements, IP protection matters, and partner negotiations

Administration & Compliance

• Ensure Swiss legal and tax compliance (VAT, withholding tax, social insurance)
• Manage contracts, NDAs, vendor agreements, and deal-related documentation including term sheets and investment agreements
• Oversee IP cost tracking and patent renewal schedules
• Handle insurance, banking relationships, and regulatory filings

Operations

• Implement simple financial processes and controls suited to an early-stage company
• Support HR administration: contracts, onboarding, payroll coordination
• Support the CEO on day-to-day administration: scheduling, correspondence coordination, meeting preparation, and follow-up on action items
• Be the go-to person for financial, legal, and administrative coordination - from board materials to supplier invoices

What We Are Looking For

Must Have

• 5+ years in finance or accounting, ideally in a startup or scale-up environment
• Experience preparing investor-ready financial reports and models
• Strong financial modelling skills including scenario planning, runway management, and top-down / bottom-up forecasting
• Comfortable with Swiss accounting standards, VAT, and payroll
• Highly organised and self-directed - you run your own agenda
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving early-stage environment with limited structure
• Experience coordinating with external stakeholders including accountants, legal counsel, investors, and grant bodies
• Clear communicator who can translate financials into plain language 
• Advanced Excel / Google Sheets skills and proficiency in standard accounting and reporting software
• High attention to detail and discretion when handling financial, legal, and shareholder-related information

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting grant applications and public funding processes (EIC, Innosuisse, Horizon Europe or similar), including proactive opportunity identification
• Background in deep tech, materials, or impact-driven companies
• Familiarity with licensing business models, royalty structures, and IP commercialisation
• German or French language skills alongside English

What We Offer

• A meaningful role at the heart of a company solving a real problem in circular fashion
• Direct access to and collaboration with the CEO-designate
• Flexible working - remote-friendly with Swiss presence
• Competitive part-time compensation commensurate with experience
• The opportunity to grow into a full CFO role as the company scales