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Office Manager (French-speaking)

  • European Civic Forum
Brussels, Belgium
Full-time
Published:
Application Deadline: April 6, 2025
  • European Civic Forum
Brussels, Belgium
Full-time
Published:
Application Deadline: April 6, 2025
Apply now

Apply for this job

To apply for this position, please send your CV and cover letter to: recruitment@civicforum.eu

WHO WE ARE:

European Civic Forum (ECF) is a pan-European network of nearly 100 associations and NGOs across 29 European countries. Founded in 2005 by our member organisations, we have spent nearly two decades working to protect civic space, enable civic participation and build civil dialogue for more equality, solidarity, and democracy in Europe.

WHAT WE STAND FOR:

Since its creation in 2005, the European Civic Forum has been working to:

  • Enable civic participation through citizens’ associations and movements for a Europe grounded on Equality, Solidarity, and Democracy that guarantees effective access to rights for all;

  • Support the structuring of European civil society through alliance building, collective thinking and joint campaigning for the common good;

  • Bring institutional recognition of civil society through the setting up of genuine European civil dialogue;

  • Monitor and analyse the evolution of civil society space in Europe through our Civic Space Watch platform.


HOW WE TAKE ACTION:

  • We work to protect and expand civic space through monitoring and analysing developments, alerting on restrictions, and advocating for an enabling environment for civil society;

  • We connect civil society transnationally and cross-sectorally through alliances, campaigns and projects. We celebrate civic society’s success stories and support and build networks to enhance civic actors’ resilience;

  • We advocate and campaign for the recognition of civil society organisations in the policy making process at the European, national, and local levels.


For more information, please feel free to visit our website and Civic Space Watch, and read our latest annual report and strategic priorities.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The ECF secretariat is composed of a small but dynamic and multi-task team, responsible for the implementation of our annual work programme and the day-to-day management of the network.
Team spirit, empathy and care, mutual respect, and trust are values at the core of our work with others, within the secretariat, the governance team, and the wider network.

Are you a professional in administrative and financial management, bilingual in French and English, and would like to put your skills to good use in an organisation working to defend civic space and civil liberties? Then this offer may be for you.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

HR and administrative tasks 

  • General administration and office management: organisation of office operations and procedures; managing logistics for events, such as travel, accommodation, venue and catering bookings and the refunding of participants;

  • Maintaining office efficiency by planning and implementing office systems, supplies and equipment procurement;

  • Human resources: Liaising with social secretariat for monthly payrolls, leave requests, meal vouchers orders, Prevention and Protection at Work reports, well-being at work policies; supporting the secretary general in drafting contracts and in the design and implementation of HR strategy;

  • Supporting the administration of new contracts for employees, consultants, and interns, and ensure the efficient and timely management of ongoing contracts, including the payment of payrolls, and staff and contractors’ reimbursements;

  • Training staff members in administrative and accounting procedures and ensure compliance with Belgian law;

  • Events management, administrative and logistical support to ECF membership management, and preparation of reports of internal meetings;

  • Overseeing the filing and archiving of financial and administrative documents; preparing and distributing memos and reports; establishing standards and procedures, measuring results and making necessary adjustments;

  • Supporting the secretary general and the team in developing and implementing the organisation’s Code of Ethics.


Key financial operations tasks 

  • Budgetary control and monitoring of expenses and accounting process, including ordering, processing and payment, and preparation of invoices;

  • Carrying out budget monitoring and steady reporting; assisting in the preparation of financial reports, reconciliations and audits, and liaising with the secretary general, external accountant and auditors;

  • Coordinating the reporting of projects and grants, including collection of timesheets, invoices, and receipts; calculation of hourly rates; and preparation of financial reports in line with EU standards and requirements, in collaboration with the secretary general;

  • Monitoring of calls for projects and other fundraising opportunities.


The job description gives a general outline of the main tasks and responsibilities and is not exhaustive. As a multi-task position, it includes the possibility to contribute to other ad-hoc projects and support your teammates as necessary. This may include assistance with events management and logistics or other tasks, according to the candidate profile.

REQUIREMENT OF THE POSITION:

  • 3-5 years’ experience in a similar position, managing day-to-day administration and financial planning and analysis — ideally in a multicultural, NGO environment;

  • Experience with EU grants financial management and reporting;

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in French and English;

  • Experience with Belgian employment policies and laws.


Skills 

  • Organisational skills to set up and manage processes, deadlines and prioritise workload;

  • Excellent literacy/numeracy skills;

  • Excellent IT skills (Microsoft 365, Excel and Word);

  • Strong organisational and multi-tasking skills;

  • Excellent team player skills including commitment and flexibility;

  • Ability to work to deadlines and follow-up on tasks — comfortable in setting and sticking to own deadlines and responding to those set by others;

  • Ability to work independently and propose new actions when appropriate;

  • Ability to work in a multicultural environment;

  • Interest in the civil society sector and advancing civil and human rights;

  • Ability to work within a European membership-based organisation.


WHAT WE OFFER:

The ECF is an equal opportunities employer, committed to workplace diversity and the inclusion of people from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. We strongly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

As we are very keen on ensuring a good work–life balance, we implement the 4-day work week every other week (see details below) and ensure flexibility in the organisation of working hours both timewise and remote/office presence.

  • Location: Hybrid - Brussels office (Rue du Congrès 13) and remote (2 teleworking days per week);

  • Duration: Permanent, full-time position;

  • Reporting to: Secretary general for HR tasks and to the network development coordinator for financial and administrative tasks;

  • Working hours: You are employed on a 38 hours/week contract. An effective 35-hour work week is achieved through the allocation of 18 compensatory rest days per year, to be taken by the whole staff team every second Friday;

  • Remuneration: €3000 gross per month;

  • Benefit package: Meal vouchers (8€ per effective workday), 100% coverage of public transport season ticket within Brussels (55€/month); complete mutuelle (health insurance) coverage: base + dentalia + hospitalia inc. severe diseases; teleworking fee (20€/month); “pécule de vacances” / holidays bonus; end of the year bonus; portable laptop + home office kit; personal-life-friendly job (flexibility for family, activism, health, and other reasons), flexible remote working days;

  • Holidays: 20 days of legal annual paid leave, plus 5 days of paid extra-legal holidays. New staff that are not entitled to paid holidays in their first year under Belgian law are offered compensatory paid leave. Bank holidays that fall on Saturdays or Sundays are recovered on the following Monday.


HOW TO APPLY:

  • To apply for this position, please send your CV and motivation letter to recruitment@civicforum.eu;

  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Deadline for applications is 6 April;

  • Position to start as soon as possible.

Apply now

Apply for this job

To apply for this position, please send your CV and cover letter to: recruitment@civicforum.eu

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