Chief Financial

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The Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)

is recruiting a Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (f/m)

• Ref: 26-33
• Location: Belval Campus (Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg)

LISER , a publicly funded research institute located in Luxembourg, develops and promotes fundamental and applied research in the social sciences to respond to societal challenges, as well as to social, economic and spatial needs. With the aim of contributing to sustainable socio-economic development, based on knowledge and improving the quality of life of the population, LISER contributes to informing society and public debate, and to supporting evidence-informed decision-making by public authorities and socio-economic actors at national and international levels.

LISER is currently looking for an experienced and inspiring leader to take on the position of Chief Financial and Administrative Officer.

For Summary job advert

Your Role

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer will provide strong leadership to LISER’s central administration and play a strategic role in supporting the Institute’s scientific and societal mission. As LISER’s activities, project portfolio and management infrastructure continue to evolve, the role will combine sound public-sector management, financial sustainability, compliance and auditability with a close understanding of research activities and their operational needs as well as the capacity to lead teams, drive change and foster a culture of collaboration and accountability.

The Chief Financial and Administrative Officer will take overall responsibility for quality and reliability of LISER’s administrative and financial management, while acting as a trusted strategic partner to the Chief Executive Officer and working closely with the Executive Committee to transform financial and operational information into a dynamic instrument for steering, anticipation and decision-making. The role requires operational excellence, sound judgement and a pragmatic partnership approach: protecting the institution without creating unnecessary barriers, planning without rigidity, and supporting the responsible mobilisation of resources for scientific priorities.

The successful candidate will combine strong leadership with operational excellence, the confidence to provide constructive challenge, and the ability to engage and bring people together around shared priorities.

The Chief Financial and Administrative Officer’s main responsibilities will be the following:

• Lead, inspire and develop LISER’s central administration teams, fostering accountability, collaboration and high performance while ensuring efficient and reliable administrative and financial processes;
• Oversee budget planning, execution and monitoring, ensuring financial sustainability, sound governance and responsible management of public and contractual funds;
• Act as a trusted partner and constructive challenger to the Executive Committee, scientific departments and support services, translating institutional and operational needs into practical, financially and legally sound solutions;
• Provide regular financial reporting, forecasts, variance analyses and recommendations to support executive decision-making and proposals to the Board of Directors;
• Monitor project funding, commitments, available margins and emerging needs, anticipating financial risks and enabling timely adjustments and informed resource allocation;
• Ensure financial compliance, transparency, auditability and appropriate internal controls, meeting the requirements of funding bodies, auditors and supervisory authorities;
• Promote a forward-looking, collaborative and data-driven budget culture, leveraging ERP systems, forecasting and scenario analysis to support strategic and operational decisions;
• Identify opportunities for prudent investment and resource optimisation in support of LISER’s scientific and institutional priorities
• Drive continuous improvement of administrative and financial processes, strengthening team capabilities and fostering a service-oriented, collaborative and solution-driven culture.

Your Profile

• Higher education degree in finance, accounting, business administration, economics, public administration or a related field;
• Significant and proven experience in senior administrative and financial management, including a strong track record in leading teams, managing organisational complexity and delivering results, ideally in a complex public, para-public, academic, research, international or strongly project-funded environment, or equivalent;
• Strong command of budgetary prudence, financial sustainability,