IYBA-SEED ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL OFFICER

Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :democratic, economic, and financial governance ;peace, stability, and security ;climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;health and human development ;In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.  Description of the missionUnder supervision of the Project Coordinator, the Administrative and Financial Officer is responsible for the overall financial and administrative management of the project “IYBA-SEED: Investing in Young Businesses in Africa – Supporting Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development”.The Administrative and Financial Officer is part of the Project Management Unit (PMU) – and is based in Brussels.He/she will work on a daily basis with the PMU Team (Team Coordinator; Project Officer; Project Assistant; MEAL Officer; 3x Technical Component Leads), will support the Country Teams (via the Country Leads), and will be in regular contact with the finance and admin teams of DG INTPA and EF HQ.The position implies a high degree of autonomy and thoroughness, as well as interpersonal skills appropriate to working in a European, international and multicultural environment.Budgetary managementThe budgetary management of the project is carried out in close collaboration with the Project Coordinator, the Technical Component Leads and the Country Teams. The Administrative and Financial Officer will be responsible for:Coordinating and participating in the multi-year budget planning and monitoring the budget execution of the project;Carrying out a monthly analysis of the level of the project implementation and making recommendations, based on Expertise France’s methodologies;Preparing, ensuring the internal validation and transmitting financial reports and payment requests to the donor(s).Accounting and financial managementThe Administrative and Financial Officer is responsible for accounting and financial management at PMU-level, in particular for international activities. Accounting and financial management is mainly carried out by the Country Teams for country activities. The Administrative and Financial Officer is responsible for PMU/Country Teams coordination and support to the Country Teams. In particular, he/she will:Develop and update the project’s financial monitoring tools (Excel and ERP) in accordance with Expertise France’s internal tools and procedures;Provide methodological support to the field team and train them on: appropriation of tools, answers to questions relating to PMU procedures, link between PMU and the Country Teams;Ensure the follow-up of project expenses and their allocation/reallocation in collaboration with the Country Teams;Monitor the level of cash at local level and follow-up on payments in close collaboration with the Country Teams;Supervises and validates the quarterly and annual closures in accordance with the deadline and the controls defines by Expertise France’s procedures;Plan and follow-up on internal and external audits and verify compliance with the expenditure authorisation circuit.In general, the Administrative and Financial Officer will ensure coordination between the PMU, the Country Teams and Expertise France’s financial departments at HQ.Administrative and contractual managementDevelop and update existing dashboards and ERP data (ATLAS) with regards to administrative and contractual management;Support the appropriation of procedures and the use of the ERP by the Country Teams and ensure their proper application/use;Support the PMU and Country Teams in procedures relating to local legislation and tax obligations;Participate in procurement procedures and support the PMU and Country Teams in the conduct of these procedures;Ensure the filing of administrative documents. Description of the project or contextExpertise France is the French public international cooperation agency. It designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the balanced development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action.IYBA-SEED is co-funded by the European Union (DG INTPA), the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Team France and SlovakAid, for a period of 4 years (2023-2026). It is implemented by a consortium of leading European development agencies, including Enabel (Belgium), Expertise France (France), GIZ (Germany), SAIDC (Slovakia) and SNV (Netherlands). The consortium is led by Expertise France.IYBA-SEED is part of the third Building Block of the Team Europe Initiative “Investing in Young Businesses in Africa”, which is made up of three Building Blocks: 1) Increase the financial and technical support for pre-seed stage entrepreneurs and micro and small enterprises, 2) Increase the finance for SMEs and entrepreneurs at seed and early stages, and 3) Supporting the ecosystem, with a special emphasis on women and young people.IYBA-SEED takes an “Ecosystem Strengthening” approach: it targets the entrepreneurship ecosystem and its actors, in order to reach young businesses (i.e. SEED beneficiaries) which are defined as:(Very-)early stage businesses and entrepreneurs (pre-seed and seed)Exclusively led by young entrepreneurs (18-35yo) and/or women entrepreneurs (of all ages)The project aims to “contribute to creating decent jobs and resilient economies by strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems in a number of sub-Saharan countries so that they can increase access to Business Development Services (both financial and non-financial) for SEED beneficiaries” in 5 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Togo).IYBA-SEED works on four key components / specific objectivesCapacity Development and Networks : strengthen and connect Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Actors (EEAs) and their networks (both nationally and internationally) to improve access to Business Development Services (both financial and non-financial) for SEED beneficiariesBusiness Environment : contribute to a business environment (policies and regulations) which is conducive to the creation and growth of SEED beneficiariesEntrepreneurial Culture : promote an inclusive entrepreneurial culture that encourages existing and future young and women entrepreneurs to create and grow SEED beneficiariesKnowledge : foster access for Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Actors, SEED beneficiaries and other stakeholders to lessons learned and best practices for Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Strengthening University degree in accounting, business administration, project management or equivalent. A Master’s degree will be an asset;A minimum of 10-years professional experience, in accounting, administrative and financial management of humanitarian or development projects, including at least 7 years' experience in positions with an equivalent level of responsibility;Experience in team management;Proficiency in English and French is required. Other languages (e.g. Flemish, German, Slovak and/or Dutch) will be an asset.Specific knowledge, experience, skills or competencesExcellent command of the fundamentals of international project management and the administrative, financial and legal components, particularly in EU-funded projects required (preferably also in multi-donor, multi-country, and/or multi-operator projects);Good knowledge of EU rules and regulations required. Knowledge of Expertise France rules and regulations will be an asset;Proficiency in developing financial reports required.Soft skillsThroroughness, responsiveness, autonomy, adaptability and diplomacy;Ability to priotitise, delegate and organise work;Good interpersonal and communication skills. WHAT WE OFFERAn exciting job in an international environmentA contract for a term of 12 months (renewable for a total of up to 48 months) based in Brussels, with field visits in the five countries of implementation (Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa and Togo)A salary package that comprises the monthly gross salary, in accordance with our salary scales (Category A), expatriation allowance and other benefits. The exact salary will be defined according to relevant recognised experience for the function.Apply here online with a CV and Cover Letter, at the latest by 26th February 2023. Expected start date: ASAP