CV Fiduciary Administrator (Trust and Administration): Example and Template
This is what a convincing CV for an administrative position in the fiduciary/trust sector looks like - with mandate figures, closing competence and the technical terms expected in Swiss trust offices.
Currently 232 open Fiduciary Administrator positions in Switzerland, across 11 cantons, 95 of them from the last 7 days. Kanton Bern advertises the most.
CV example — two-page template
This template is editable straight away — or upload your existing CV and it is carried into this layout automatically.
What qualification do I need as a Fiduciary Administrator?
As a rule, trust offices expect a commercial EFZ plus the Fiduciary Administrator or Accounting Administrator certificate (veb.ch/edupool.ch) - the Federal PET Diploma is the next step, not the entry hurdle.
State your qualification exactly as it appears on the diploma, and add the awarding body: 'Fiduciary Administrator, veb.ch/edupool.ch Certificate · 2019' is immediately understood by an HR manager in the trust sector. If you completed a commercial apprenticeship in the trust industry, mention this explicitly, as it signals mandate experience from the very first year of training.
If you are currently pursuing further education, state this with a target year in your CV, for example 'Trustee with Federal PET Diploma - currently in training, completion planned for 2026'. Many employers contribute to course costs and plan for you to become a mandate manager in the medium term; this prospect significantly increases your chances. In addition, specialist courses on VAT, payroll accounting or taxation come across as more credible than general office courses.
If you come from a different industry, bridge the gap with concrete evidence: a specialist accounting course, a certificate for your accounting software, and one or two mandates you have demonstrably handled. Use precise technical language - 'turnover reconciliation and Form 550' demonstrates more competence than 'experience in bookkeeping'.
How should I structure my work experience in a fiduciary CV?
Describe your mandate portfolio in figures for each position, and list three to four results from accounting, VAT, payroll and tax below it.
Start each position with a context line: the size of the office, the number of mandates and the industry focus. A sentence such as 'Trust company with 24 employees, 380 mandates in trade and real estate' puts your experience into perspective - an administrator from a small office with 30 mandates works differently than a colleague in a larger organisation with a dedicated payroll department.
Then quantify your output: number of mandates managed independently, balance sheet totals, VAT settlements per year, payslips per month, tax returns per season. Add impact rather than task lists, for example 'reduced accounts receivable from CHF 310'000 to CHF 170'000' or 'shortened turnaround time until closing approval from 12 to 5 working days'. Also make clear where your responsibility ends: 'ready for closing pending approval by the mandate manager' is honest and is appreciated.
Show the breadth required in day-to-day trust work: voucher entry and payment runs, interim and annual financial statements, VAT, payroll and social insurance, tax returns, commercial register and domicile work, and client contact. Anyone who can also demonstrate experience with digitalisation projects (AbaWeb, bexio with bank API, OCR voucher processing) stands out in a market where offices are currently overhauling their processes.
How long should the CV be, and does it need a photo?
Two pages is standard; a plain portrait photo is still customary in Switzerland and is generally expected in the trust sector.
Stick to two pages: page 1 with contact details, profile, brief overview and current position, page 2 with previous positions, education, certificates, software and languages. Positions at trust firms are often screened by the mandate manager themselves, who has little time - mandate figures and software skills therefore belong near the top, not in the last section.
For the photo: simple, current, dressed in business attire, neutral background. Also include the Switzerland-specific details regularly requested in the trust sector: place of residence, citizenship or permit (B, C, G), possible start date, workload percentage and your availability during the tax season from February to June. Salary expectations do not belong in the CV; if a salary expectation is requested, state a range such as CHF 78'000 to CHF 85'000 (based on 100 percent, 13 monthly salaries) in the cover letter.
Use Swiss conventions throughout: amounts as CHF 85'000, dates as 03/2020 - present, terms such as VAT, AHV, BVG and CO instead of German or international terms. Save the file as a PDF with a clear file name ('CV_Zumbrunn_Nadine.pdf'), attach diplomas and reference letters in a separate PDF, and provide references only on request - discretion is part of professional assessment in the trust environment.
Where Fiduciary Administrator are hired in Switzerland
How the 232 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Zürich | 13 |
| Bern | 11 |
| Aargau | 10 |
| Luzern | 8 |
| Basel-Stadt | 6 |
| Thurgau | 6 |
| Zug | 5 |
| Schwyz | 4 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 168 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| German | 168 (168) |
| French | 40 (14) |
| English | 34 (16) |
| Italian | 19 (5) |
Who hires Fiduciary Administrator in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| Kanton Bern | 8 |
| die Mobiliar | 5 |
| Luzerner Kantonsspital | 5 |
| Personal Knobel AG | 5 |
| Kanton Thurgau | 4 |
| Agrisano | 4 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 208 |
| Teilzeit / partiel | 19 |
| Temporär | 1 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Nadine Zumbrunn
Fiduciary Administrator (veb.ch/edupool.ch Certificate), Commercial Employee EFZ - training to become a Trustee with Federal PET Diploma
Fiduciary Administrator with 8 years of experience in mandate accounting for SMEs, sole proprietorships and real estate companies. I independently manage around 45 mandates from voucher entry through VAT settlement to annual financial statements ready for closing under Art. 957 ff. CO, and prepare tax returns for private individuals and legal entities. My strengths are clean account reconciliations, on-time Swissdec payroll runs and clear communication with clients, compensation offices and tax authorities.
What sets me apart
VAT confidence instead of back charges: I prepare around 90 VAT settlements per year (effective method and net tax rates), including turnover and input tax reconciliation with Form 550 as well as correction statements - four years without a back charge following an FTA audit.
Payroll accounting from A to salary certificate: I am responsible for 320 payslips per month including AHV/IV/EO, ALV, BVG, UVG/UVGZ, KTG and withholding tax, carry out year-end processing with salary certificates and salary declarations via Swissdec ELM 5.0, and resolved differences of CHF 46'000 with the compensation office in 2023.
Closing-ready files for mandate managers: My closing files include complete account reconciliations, balance confirmations, an overview of provisions and tax accruals - reducing the turnaround time until approval by the mandate manager from 12 to 5 working days.
Digitalisation in day-to-day mandate work: I converted 18 mandates from paper voucher files to AbaWeb or bexio with bank API and OCR voucher capture, reducing the entry effort per mandate by an average of 40 percent.
Key achievements
Accounts receivable reduced by CHF 140'000. Through a three-stage reminder process with fixed due-date runs, I reduced the office's outstanding fee receivables from CHF 310'000 to CHF 170'000 and shortened the average payment term from 58 to 34 days.
Tax season without deadline extensions. In the 2024 season, I prepared 180 tax returns (140 private individuals, 40 legal entities) in Dr. Tax and ZHprivateTax, of which 96 percent were filed within the ordinary deadline, and supported 11 objections resulting in tax savings of around CHF 74'000.
Standardised process for mandate onboarding. I created a checklist for new mandates (opening balance sheet, SME chart of accounts, VAT registration, AMLA documentation, powers of attorney) - reducing onboarding time per new mandate from 9 to 5 hours across 22 onboardings per year.
Experience
Fiduciary Administrator — Rietberg Treuhand AG, Olten, 03/2020 - present
Trust company with 24 employees, a mandate portfolio of 380 SMEs, sole proprietorships and real estate companies in the Mittelland region.
- Independently manage 45 mandates with balance sheet totals between CHF 200'000 and CHF 12 million through to closing-ready annual financial statements under Art. 957 ff. CO.
- Prepare 90 VAT settlements per year including annual turnover reconciliation; the FTA audit of three mandates in 2023 resulted in no back charges.
- Responsible for 320 payslips per month for 26 mandates, including withholding tax, BVG changes and year-end declaration via Swissdec ELM 5.0.
- Reduced the office's accounts receivable by CHF 140'000 and the average payment term from 58 to 34 days.
Bookkeeper / Accounting Administrator — Winkelmatt Immobilien & Verwaltung GmbH, Aarau, 08/2017 - 02/2020
Property management company with 1'400 managed rental units and 38 condominium owners' associations.
- Managed property accounting for 240 rental units with an annual rental income of CHF 5.6 million, including ancillary cost statements for 38 condominium owners' associations.
- Processed 450 accounts payable vouchers per month in the payment run (ISO 20022, pain.001) and reduced the number of rejections by 85 percent.
- Prepared 38 heating and ancillary cost statements per year and reduced tenant enquiries by around a third through a new allocation template.
- Took over VAT settlement (option for voluntary taxation) for two commercial properties with CHF 1.1 million in annual turnover.
Commercial Employee, Trust Sector (Apprenticeship plus follow-up year) — Bühlgarten Treuhand & Steuerberatung AG, Zofingen, 08/2013 - 07/2017
Small office with 7 employees, focused on tax returns and bookkeeping for trade businesses.
- Recorded around 9'000 vouchers per year in Sage 50 and Banana for 30 small mandates with an error rate below 1 percent.
- Prepared 120 tax returns for private individuals per tax season in Dr. Tax, including securities registers and property details.
- Organised deadline monitoring for 260 mandates and reduced late submissions from 14 to 2 per year.
- Completed the apprenticeship with an experience grade of 5.3 and was offered a permanent position.
Education
Trustee with Federal PET Diploma, Trust services, accounting and taxation - currently in training, completion planned for 2026 — Höhere Fachschule Mittelland · 2024-2026
Accounting Administrator (Certificate), Financial and management accounting, closing techniques — KV Business School · 2018
Commercial Employee EFZ (E Profile), Trust/Real Estate Sector — Berufsfachschule Zofingen · 2016
Fiduciary Administrator, veb.ch/edupool.ch Certificate · 2019 · Specialist Course in VAT for Trust Employees · 2021 · Certificate in Payroll Accounting and Social Insurance (Swissdec ELM 5.0) · 2022 · Abacus User Certificate, Financial Accounting and Payroll · 2020
Common questions
- What language should I write my CV in as a Fiduciary Administrator?
- 99% of the adverts are in German — write the CV in German unless the advert itself is in English.
- Where in Switzerland are Fiduciary Administrator most in demand?
- Spread out, Zurich first at 6%, then Bern and Aargau. Across a language border, apply with the matching version.
- What language level do Fiduciary Administrator adverts ask for?
- German in 100% of adverts that state a requirement, 100% of them at professional level. "Good knowledge" will not do — give A2 to C2.
- Are Fiduciary Administrator roles offered full or part time?
- 92% full time, only 8% part time. If you need part time, say so early rather than leaving it open.
- Who hires Fiduciary Administrator in Switzerland?
- Currently Kanton Bern, die Mobiliar, Luzerner Kantonsspital, among others. Their adverts are the best word list for your own CV.