Do you have a strong background in financial management? Do you enjoy providing high-quality administrative support to a team? And do you have work experience e.g., in an association, with EU-funded projects, in an international environment or a small company? If this sounds like you, you might be our new Financial and Administrative Manager (full-time). 

You will handle the financial administration in our association and a part of the finances of our EU-funded projects. To be successful in this role, you should have previous experience with bookkeeping. 

The AER has its main offices in Strasbourg and Brussels. You will be based in either of them, with a preference for Strasbourg, together with a part of our dynamic team. You can work partly remotely. You will report to the Secretary General based in Brussels, and together you will report to the Treasurer and the Executive Board. The working language in the Secretariat is English, while French is used to communicate with service providers, French members, authorities, and partners.

Possession of a permit for working in France or Belgium is mandatory for this position.

Key tasks and responsibilities

Financial management (about 50%)

• Financial planning, budgeting, and reporting
• Presenting regular financial overviews and answering requests, notably for the Executive Board
• Support the external accountant for the audit
• Keeping the Cegid Quadra accounting application up to date (registering bank statements, invoices, membership fees, travel reports, etc.)
• Produce, track and organize invoices, and monitor payments
• Liaising with the bank (communication, payments)
• Collaboration with the Member Relations Coordinator (on membership fees) and the Project Unit (on project income)

EU Project finances (about 35%)

• Outlining of contracts; processing payments; and monitoring budgetary performance for EU co-funded projects
• Ensuring a high quality of finance-related workflows within the projects and in relation to our donors, notably the European Commission, as well as compliance with guidelines provided by them
• Preparing monthly timesheets with colleagues; collecting and archiving evidence for projects as well as administrative and legal documentation
• Contributing to financial aspects of new project applications

HR and administrative tasks (about 15%) 

• Monitor third-party contracts and subscriptions
• Liaising with our external Social Secretariat to ensure the smooth processing of payslips and holiday rights; and assuming other tasks related to salaries, social security, and taxes
• Point of contact for questions from the staff regarding their contractual rights (e.g., salaries and benefits)
• Other administrative tasks.

Your Profile

• Minimum 3 years of full professional experience in a similar role
• University degree (BA, BSc or higher) in relevant subjects (e.g., accounting, finance) or alternatively, specialist or vocational training as an accountant, plus first concrete experience in this field of work
• Knowledge of an accounting software such as Cegid Quadra or similar (would be a plus)
• Experienced in drafting and management of contracts, terms of reference or other contractual documents (desirable)
• Familiarity with EU funding programmes
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel 
• Familiarity with cloud-based computing, collaborative document editing and working in business communication platforms, such as Slack
• Good written and oral communication skills in English and French
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills with the ability to function in a fast-paced, multicultural environment

What we offer

• A full-time position for an experienced specialist in a committed team that works together in a spirit of trust.
• A salary of around 2.750-2.950 EUR gross/month depending on qualifications and experience, a 13th salary and paid leave
• Additionally, attractive employee benefits including meal vouchers, supplementary health insurance, a subsidy for local public transport, reimbursement of a subscription for mobile telephony and other benefits.
• 14 extra holidays next to the legal holiday rights.
• Flexibility in the organisation of daily working hours.

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter (in English, max. one page) along with your CV (in English) to recruitment@aer.eu with “AER Financial and Administrative Manager” as the subject line. Additionally, we encourage you to include a recommendation letter, a copy of your diploma, and/or provide details about a specific project you have worked on.

Deadline for application: Applications are taken on a rolling basis until the right candidate has been found. Depending on the quality of applications, the final deadline for applications is 10 April 2024.

Anticipated interviews (indicative days): April 2024

Desired starting date: As soon as possible

Due to the large number of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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Founded in 1985, the Assembly of European Regions is the political platform of regional governments in wider Europe, with direct membership of public authorities from 30 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Portugal to Georgia. As the largest independent network of its kind, AER promotes the regions as key players in the European project, as well as democracy and good governance. 

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is an equal opportunity employer – our membership is diverse and so is our team. In line with our political priorities, we are an organisation committed to fostering inclusion and embracing diversity, including in our recruitment process. We therefore guarantee equal treatment of all applications regardless of sex or gender identity, ethnic, national or social background, political or religious belief, sexual orientation, age, or disability.