ICA – International Co-operative Alliance

Finance Manager

ICA – International Co-operative Alliance

Brussels, Belgium

CONTEXT

The International Cooperative Alliance AISBL (ICA) is an independent, non-governmental organisation established in 1895 to unite, represent and serve co-operatives worldwide. It provides a global voice and forum for knowledge, expertise and coordinated action for and about cooperatives. The ICA’s members are international and national cooperative organisations across 100 countries from all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, industry, services, banking, retail, fisheries, health, housing, and insurance. Through its membership, the International Cooperative Alliance gives a voice to one billion of the world’s citizens. More information is available at: www.ica.coop.

Against the background of cooperative enterprises enabling people around the world to become protagonists of their own social and economic development, the programme ‘People-centred businesses for sustainable, democratic, and inclusive development’ will work on promoting the cooperative business model in global and local development policies, and strengthening cooperative organisations as viable actors in development processes in their own rights.

PRINCIPAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Finance Manager will be responsible for ensuring a timely and comprehensive financial reporting under the specific Financial Framework Partnership Agreement in line with EU funding rules governing the programme.

Main roles include ensuring the bookkeeping and the general accounting, processing all invoices and reimbursements accurately and in a timely manner, conducting periodic financial analysis, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations and eligibility rules.

S/he will monitor overall programme spending and update on an on-going basis the Financial Monitoring Tool. S/he will manage pre-financing payments and keep the financial books up-to-date. The Finance Manager supports the preparation of the Interim and Annual financial report for the external auditor and the EU Institutions. The Finance Manager provides support and directly reports to the Director of Finance and Administration.

The Finance Manager provides also support to the Finance colleagues based in the regional offices; s/he will ensure the consistent bookkeeping practices, identify and resolve reporting issues, accounting discrepancies and other finance related issues.

Key responsibilities are:

• Review all expenses occurring within the EU Partnership;
• Handle the bookkeeping and the general accountancy, the preparation and execution of journal entries, expense accruals, expense reports, reimbursements, invoicing, and settle payments;
• Manage the preparation of balance sheets, income statements, expense reports, etc. in compliance with the EU partnership contract;
• Ensure data integrity in all financial reporting and file all the financial supportive accounting documents;
• Ensure that financial claims are made, followed-up and received in accordance with EU procedures;
• Assist regional offices in the preparation of Semester, Interim, and Final financial reports;
• Assist in internal and external audits;
• Participate in staff training sessions;
• Support the Director of Finance and Administration regarding other tasks related to the EU program.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Essential:

• A professional or a bachelor degree (finalist) in Accounting – A1/A2 (or equivalent) diploma and knowledge of Belgian bookkeeping legislation as well as GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles);
• Fluent in English (which is the office language);
• Knowledge on accountancy and bookkeeping software (Winbooks);
• Ability to strictly meet deadlines and deliver results in a fast-paced environment;
• Attentive to details and able to prioritize work;
• Good IT and communication skills;
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural team;
• Demonstrate commitment to the cooperative values and principles.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of other languages, particularly Spanish and/or French;
• Knowledge or/and experience in financial reporting international projects, in particular projects funded by the European Commission.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The starting date is September 2024.

Location: Avenue Milcamps 105 – Brussels (ICA Global Office).

The contract is open-ended and full-time under Belgian Law.

We offer:

• A salary between EUR 3000 – 3500 gross per month, depending on experience;
• Meal vouchers and Ecocheques;
• Complementary medical insurance;
• 30 paid holidays a year.

Candidates need to have, at the time of application, the legal right to work in Belgium. We regret that we are not able to apply for work-permits on their behalf.

APPLICATIONS

The candidates are asked to apply by submitting their applications with a detailed CV to the following email address Recruitment@ica.coop.

Please mention in the email subject your name followed by ‘Finance Manager’.

Deadline for applications is the 5 July 2024 (23:59 CEST).

Please note that due to the large number of applications and our limited capacity, we regret that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. No telephone inquiries, please.

Interviews will take place at our offices.

International Cooperative Alliance AISBL
Avenue Milcamps 105
1030 Brussels – Belgium
www.ica.coop