Chief Financial Officer; CFO Automation & Robotics

This opportunity is for IAR Group, part of Novastone Capital Advisors portfolio.

IAR Group is a Swiss-based international industrial group specializing in automation, robotics and customized machinery. The group engineer, build and deliver advanced automation solutions that help our customers improve manufacturing efficiency, quality and competitiveness.

Headquartered in Zofingen, Switzerland, the Group operates through three regional business units across Central Europe, Iberia and North America, with operations in Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the United States.

As IAR Group enters an important phase of transformation and builds the foundations for its next stage of growth, we are looking for an experienced and hands-on Chief Financial Officer to strengthen the Group's financial management and help shape its future development.

The CFO will be a member of the Executive Management Team, reporting to the CEO and working closely with the Board of Directors.

The role combines strategic financial leadership with hands‑on execution. The CFO will strengthen financial transparency and control across the Group, establish robust cash and performance management, further develop the international finance organization, and provide management and the Board with clear, reliable and decision‑oriented financial information.

This is an opportunity for a professional who can operate effectively at Board level while remaining close to the detail of the finance function.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the Group's financial strategy, planning, budgeting, forecasting and performance management.
• Establish rigorous cash, liquidity and working capital management, including cash flow forecast, payment management, treasury, foreign exchange risk management and Group‑wide liquidity visibility.
• Build a robust management reporting framework, including Group‑wide financial dashboards and high‑quality Board reporting covering performance, cash, working capital, project economics, forecasts and key risks.
• Take overall responsibility for Group accounting, consolidation, financial statements, internal controls, taxation and financial compliance in accordance with Swiss GAAP FER and applicable local accounting standards.
• Strengthen project controlling, including project profitability, cost‑to‑complete analysis and appropriate application of Percentage of Completion (PoC) revenue recognition.
• Improve financial processes, governance and reporting standards across the Group, creating greater consistency and transparency between countries and business units.
• Lead and further develop the international finance organization and strengthen Finance as a business partner to the operational teams.
• Manage relationships with banks, auditors, investors and financing partners, and support refinancing, M&A, due diligence and post‑merger integration activities.

• Significant senior finance leadership experience, ideally as CFO, Finance Director, Group Finance Director, Regional CFO or in a comparable role.
• Strong experience across accounting, controlling, FP&A, treasury and corporate finance.
• Experience working within an international, multi‑entity and multi‑country group structure.
• Proven experience in financial transformation, restructuring or turnaround situations.
• Strong track record in liquidity management, working capital optimisation and banking or financing negotiations.
• Experience in a project‑based industrial or manufacturing environment, ideally engineering‑to‑order or a comparable business model.
• Strong understanding of project controlling and long‑term project revenue recognition, including PoC or comparable methodologies.
• Fluent German and English.
• Based in Switzerland, or willing to relocate, and able to work…