ABOUT EFA:

The European Free Alliance (EFA) works to make the idea of a “Europe of the Peoples” a political and cultural reality at the European and international level.

It is an umbrella organisation of 41 civic nationalist, regionalist, and autonomist parties throughout the European Union (EU), representing stateless nations, emerging new States, regions and traditional minorities in Europe. It focuses its activity on the promotion of the right of self-determination of peoples, human, civil and political rights, democracy, internal enlargement, multi-level governance, devolution of powers, cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as on civic nationalism, regionalism, autonomy and independence. The right to self determination is a cornerstone of the EFA’s program and ideology.

EFA is a European Political Party recognized by the European Parliament since 2004. It is duly registered as non-governmental organisation (asbl/vzw) under Belgian law and as EUPP under the European Parliament.

We are seeking an Office Manager to lead our small but dynamic Secretariat office in Brussels, particularly with regard to administrative and financial matters.

ABOUT THE JOB OFFER:

• Position: Office Manager;


• Contract: Full time contract (38h week). A one-year initial contract is offered, renewable upon positive evaluation before the end of the period;


• Starting date: To be agreed, mid-October 2024;


• Place of work: EFA headquarters (Brussels Capital Region, Porte de Namur area);


• Availability for occasional travelling within Europe will be required. The teleworking policy governing the Secretariat applies to this position. Flexible working arrangements can be considered depending on the needs of the candidate and the employer;


• Conditions: A competitive salary in the sector is offered according to the candidate’s experience and skills. Fringe benefits are also offered to all the EFA Secretariat employees (meal vouchers, complementary insurance, a.o.).

EFA is looking to recruit one Office Manager (F/M/X) to coordinate the office and the Secretariat team in Brussels.

The Office Manager shall coordinate with the rest of the EFA Secretariat members and external stakeholders to provide critical operational support to the rest of the Secretariat and the Bureau members. S/he will be responsible for the organization’s internal duties including office management, financial and regulatory compliance, human resources, and overseeing the coordination of the office Units (Politics, Communications, and Finances).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Office internal management and coordination;


• Management of the Financial and Regulatory Compliance Unit;


• General human resources.

Specific tasks to be developed

• Main point of contact between the Secretariat office and the Bureau;


• Management of the audit and financial procedures: grant application, audits, tendering, budget preparation;


• Communication with the Authority for EUPPs and DG FINS, regulatory compliance;


• Office rules and procedures, staff evaluation;


• General human resources;


• Monitoring correspondence;


• Managing the Financial and Regulatory compliance Unit;


• Overseeing practical coordination with the other units, chairing staff meetings, and ensuring the office’s working needs.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, human resources or similar;


• At least 5 years’ relevant experience in office management and administration. Proven experience as a team manager;


• Multilingual professional level skills: English and French/Dutch as working language. Any other EU language skills will be an asset;


• Experience with the management of on-line meeting platforms (Zoom, Teams, etc.);


• Strong multitasking and organizational skills;


• Ability to meet deadlines with strong attention to consistency, detail, and quality;


• Basic understanding of the European Union structure and the work of the European political parties and foundations;


• Basic knowledge of the Belgian employment regulations;


• Full legal right to live and work in Belgium (EU citizenship or long-term visa).

Desirable skills and assets

• Experience in Human Resources;


• Master’s degree in a relevant field;


• Experience working with international networks and coordinating a diverse international team.

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES:

EFA is looking for a high performing professional able to deploy quality, efficient and effective work, with an innovative approach.

The following drivers are an asset for EFA:

• Proactivity and responsiveness;


• An innovation mindset and the ability to anticipate trends and future needs of the organization;


• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;


• Commitment to transparency and accessibility.

EFA Staff EFA Staff are committed to the following values

• Integrity and professionalism: EFA staff members trust each other, act with honesty and goodwill, and place the interest of the organisation and its member parties foremost in their work;


• Quality service: EFA consistently strives for providing its members with excellent standards of service in a timely manner. It achieves this by carefully listening to its stakeholders and by continuously improving based on their feedback;


• Diversity & Respect: EFA mirrors diversity in its own team and supports all staff members to put their best efforts into the pursuit of the common goal. Respectful professional behaviour is the guiding principle in all working relations at EFA. We are an international organisation with staff and members from all over Europe;


• Collaboration: EFA encourages collaboration internally and with all its stakeholders. It builds quality partnerships to improve overall performance. In this role, you will join the “EFA Family”, working alongside our member parties, our MEPs, and our affiliated organisations (the Coppieters Foundation, EFA Youth).

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Interested professionals can apply by sending a motivation letter and a CV in ENGLISH to the Secretariat of EFA.

Applications should be sent to the following email address: info@e-f-a.org and using the subject line “Office Manager 2024”.

The deadline for applications is 22 September 2024.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

The procedure for the selection of the candidate is planned to be as follows:

• Deadline of Application Submission: 22 September 2024;


• First Round of Interviews: 30 September – 4 October 2024. Shortlisted candidates shall be informed and invited for an interview. Due to the high number of applications foreseen, we regret that unsuccessful candidates shall not be notified;


• Decision: 7-9 October 2024. Unsuccessful candidates shall also be informed;


• Start Date (can be arranged): Mid-October 2024. The interviews will take place in the headquarters of the European Free Alliance in Brussels. EFA will reimburse the travel expenses of shortlisted candidates upon request.