Branch Manager for Academic Work Zürich

About the role

At Academic Work, we are experts in the early-career professional market, with a clear ambition: to become the leader in performance prediction. For nearly three decades, we have combined expertise and innovation across six countries, making us a trusted partner for clients seeking long-term performance and potential.

In Switzerland, we have been building our reputation for nearly 15 years in Geneva and Lausanne, supporting companies in securing future talent — and helping early-career professionals launch and accelerate their careers.

Our Zurich office, opened in 2022, represents our next strategic growth phase. Today’s team of 8 ambitious colleagues is laying the groundwork for what we believe could become our largest Swiss branch over time. Joining now means stepping into a high-impact environment where you can actively shape the Branch and leave a lasting mark on its future.

What sets us apart? We are a performance-driven organization where accountability, ambition, and continuous development go hand in hand. High standards are part of our DNA, and we believe that growth comes from ownership, feedback, and the constant drive to raise the bar.

Work tasks

The mission - Lead the People, Grow the Business

Your mission is split between two critical priorities: being an inspirational leader and being a relentless engine for growth. You balance a fierce business focus with a human-centric leadership style.

As a visionary yet hands-on leader, you spend your time developing your team and steering the Branch’s performance to ensure it hits its targets. You are fully accountable for the P&L, the culture, and driving the Branch forward through a high-frequency, high-energy focus on sales and market presence.

What you will actually do is: 

• Lead and develop: Lead, coach, and develop Leaders, Account Managers and Consultant Managers, ensuring they perform at a high level while delivering exceptional service to our clients and consultants.
• Team and culture building: Strengthen collaboration across the office, foster a strong sense of belonging and ownership, and build a solid local management team in the future to support the Branch’s next phase of growth. 
• Drive commercial growth: Implement the local sales strategy to grow existing key clients, and develop larger, more strategic client partnerships.
• Strategic alignment: As a member of the Country Management Team, implement Academic Work’s strategy locally, and actively drive change within the Branch.
• Financials: Take full accountability for the Branch P&L, translating strategy and forecasts into clear commercial actions that secure sustainable profitability.

We are looking for

• Proven leadership skills as a Team Manager or Business Unit Manager (or similar role) with direct accountability for business results and a track record of driving performance. Having led leaders is a strong asset. 
• Industry knowledge: A strong B2B service background. 
• Mindset: You operate with an entrepreneurial spirit—proactive, resourceful, and focused on growth, but you also possess high energy and a resilient optimism, seeing setbacks as learning opportunities. Your energy acts as a catalyst for the rest of the team. 
• Linguistic skills: Fluency in both German and English (written and spoken) is essential.
• What could set you apart: a strong B2B sales background and an understanding of the local Zurich market.

Core Competencies

These are the skills and traits that make our leaders stand out:

• Entrepreneurial drive: You operate with a start-up mindset, high energy and a strong sense of ownership.
• Resilient Optimism: You turn challenges into learning opportunities and stay positive under pressure.
• Strategic Communication: You can simplify complex information and adapt your message to different audiences. 
• Emotional Intelligence: You are self-aware and can balance performance expectations with situational empathy.

What we offer

• A culture of high performers:  Join a team where ambition and continuous improvement drive everything we do. Collaborate with passionate colleagues who challenge, support, and inspire each other to aim higher. 
• Impact beyond the work: Step into a leadership role with real influence — shaping the Branch, driving performance, and leaving a lasting mark on people and clients. Your work here has a tangible impact.
• Think big, make it happen:  We empower you to take ownership, make bold decisions, and turn ideas into action. If you are motivated by results and growth, you’ll thrive in this environment.
• Competitive compensation package: In addition to a fixed salary, you’ll benefit from performance-based variable pay and attractive perks (including 30 days of vacation, sports membership, etc.)

Our recruitment process

• Personality and logic tests (15min)
• Initial phone screening (15 minutes)
• Interview with Head of People & Performance
• Leadership case to prepare
• Interview with the Managing Director and Chief of Expanding Markets
• Welcome to our team! 

Academic Work Switzerland SA