EU Project Accountancy & Finance Officer

SAFE – Safe Food Advocacy Europe

Brussels, Belgium

SAFE – Safe Food Advocacy Europe was created with the aim of ensuring that consumer’s health and concerns remain at the core of the EU’s food legislation. SAFE is currently the only Brussels-based NGO specialised in the protection and representation of EU consumers in the food sector.

SAFE strives to ensure safer food standards for consumers by monitoring the EU food legislation process and cooperating with EU stakeholders to draft comprehensive food regulations. SAFE notably supports the development of policies and awareness-raising actions which jointly address health, environment, food safety and sustainability, all-the-while being involved in several EU-funded projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the food sector, increasing sustainability and promoting healthier food environments for consumers.

Missions:

• Strengthening the voice of civil society in the EU debate over food regulation, thereby reinforcing participatory democracy in the EU;
• Protecting consumers by advocating for better regulation in food and health policy, by advocating for safer food standards, sounder food production methods and more fit-for-purpose food donation rules;
• Increasing public awareness of food safety issues, by organising training activities allowing citizens to make informed consumption choices (e.g. children-destined workshops on sugar overconsumption and food labelling) or by striving to improve the transparency of information available on food products;
• Helping fight climate change and protect the environment by raising awareness on the interconnection that exists between food and the environment and promoting sustainable consumption habits and agricultural practices.

SAFE is honoured to count amongst its members a wide array of high-level stakeholders, ranging from consumer organisations, vegan and vegetarian associations, to research centers and universities. SAFE currently has over 30 members located in over 19 European countries.

About the Role

The EU Project Accountancy and Finance Officer will be part of a small but dynamic and international team, having the chance to play a key role in a growing organisation located in the center of Brussels and help bolster SAFE’s reputation in the context of EU Institutions and Trade Associations.

Reporting to the Secretary General and Deputy Director, the officer is going to perform the following duties:

• Participation in periodic financial control and reporting in EU-funded projects;
• Conducting drafting activities for EU grants;
• Assistance in grants/contracts management;
• Preparing outgoing invoices and coordinating membership fees invoices;
• Validation of financial documents and proceeding payments;
• Participation in preparation of annual accounts;
• Conduct fundraising activities;
• Assisting in other operations tasks when necessary.

About the Requirements

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Finance, EU Project Cordination/Management, Accounting, Management, or any related field of study;
• Five years of experience in EU project financial management, good knowledge of the rules related to the major EU funding programmes (Horizon Europe, LIFE, Erasmus+, etc.);
• Experience in drafting financial forms for any application to an EU grant/tender/programme;
• Good knowledge of accounting legislation and EU accounting standards;
• Good knowledge of payroll practices in HR;
• Sharp organisational skills and high-level of accuracy;
• Excellent analytical/numerical skills and can-do attitude;
• Solid IT competences (especiallyMS Excel, Word, Office365 and GoogleDocs);
• Ability to handle deadlines;
• Legal eligibility to work in the EU is a must;
• Be an independent, proactive, problem solver and team player person;
• Excellent knowledge of English and French (both C1/C2 level) with strong communication skills.

About the Offer

• Become part of an organisation that has a real impact on European consumer standards and food quality;
• Join a collaborative and dynamic team of passionate, multicultural professionals;
• Indeterminate employee contract with competitive salary and benefits.

About the Applications

Interested candidates are asked to submit their application consisting of cover letter and CV to Sergey Golyshin at [email protected] and Beren Kiraz at [email protected].

The starting date is as soon as possible, with early applications to be encouraged and to be assessed on a rolling basis until the vacancy is filled.