Office Services Assistant/Receptionist

Office Services Assistant/Receptionist

Part-time Fixed-term Contract

COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology

Brussels, Belgium

Reference of this publication: OSA2025

COST

COST – European CO-operation in Science and Technology – provides networking opportunities for researchers and innovators to strengthen Europe’s capacity to address scientific, technological and societal challenges. There are three strategic priorities: promoting and spreading excellence, fostering interdisciplinary research for breakthrough science, and empowering and retaining young researchers and innovators. COST implements its mission by funding bottom-up, excellence-driven, open and inclusive networks for peaceful purposes in all areas of science and technology.

The COST Association is an international non-profit association based in Brussels with a membership of 43 European countries. It draws its funding from the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, through Specific Grant Agreements signed under the umbrella of a Framework Partnership Agreement with the European Commission.

Position Responsibilities

The Office Services Assistant/Receptionist primary responsibility is to welcome visitors and to provide support to any guest coming to the COST Association.

The Office Services Assistant/Receptionist will ensure a smooth running of the office in general and of the meetings organisation in particular.

The Office Services Assistant/Receptionist reports directly to the Head of Human Resources & Office Services.

This position will involve:

• Presenting a professional, welcoming first contact to all clients, board members, staff, … by phone, by e-mail and in person;
• In charge of the reservation and validation of meeting rooms, including set-up, logistics, catering and display material to welcome the COST visitors in a timely manner;
• Ensuring the smooth-running of the switchboard and managing the Association general e-mail address, replying directly to requests or transferring the message effectively to the most appropriate person;
• Observing the flow of persons entering and leaving the building to ensure maximum security, asking them to sign the visitor list when having individual meetings;
• Providing clear and accurate information regarding COST;
• Providing administrative support to the Head of Human Resources and Office Services, in the procurement process and supervise office contracts (services), including catering, restaurants, hotels, travel agents, etc.;
• Processing the corporate invoices including the filing;
• Responsible for incoming and outgoing mail, shipping and receiving;
• Keeping office equipment maintained and arrange for necessary repairs;
• Responsible for coordinating supplies and maintenance of storage areas including the basement;
• In charge of the reservation and validation of hotels and restaurants when needed;
• Ensuring the regular update of internal listings, including entry and parking badges, telephone lists, tick off lists, …;
• Manage online and paper filing systems;
• Helping organising staff events;
• Acting as a contact point for the staff regarding all office service facilities;
• Fulfilling other responsibilities and tasks in the interest of the organisation, as mandated by the Head of Human Resources and Office Services or by the COST Association Director.

Working hours/Time schedules

For this contract, the working hours are 20 hours per week – 4 hours per day.

Working in 2 “shifts”: between 8.00 and 12.00 or between 14.00 and 18.00 (changing every week).

Profile and Competencies

Candidates should demonstrate the following competencies:

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in administration with a minimum of 3 years of experience as a receptionist or in a customer service unit;
• Proven successful experience as receptionist and office-management;
• High standard of spoken and written English, good standard of spoken and written French or Dutch, knowledge of other European languages appreciated;
• Experience in academic or not-for-profit environment.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES:

• Good knowledge of office services facilities organisation;
• Good, practical working knowledge of MS Office systems (especially MS Word, Access, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint);
• Good verbal and listening communication skills.

OTHER COMPETENCIES:

• Service-oriented attitude with strong sense of purpose and drive to make a meaningful contribution to the COST mission;
• Commitment to deliver on tasks allocated and respond in a timely manner to deadlines;
• Organized with the ability to prioritize and multi-task and work under pressure;
• Reliable with patience and professionalism;
• Team-orientated work ethic;
• Customer focus;
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing workloads;
• Action-oriented, responsible, and self-managed, creative and willing to take initiatives and continuous improvement minded;
• Good inter-personal and communication skills within a multi-national context, including diplomacy, discretion, and confidentiality;
• Positive and constructive attitude in an evolving environment.

The COST Association offers

• A part-time fixed-term contract under the Belgian law;
• Start date: as soon as possible – End date: 31/10/2026;
• A European working environment located in Brussels;
• Unless a national of the ‘EU and EEE’, candidates must be eligible to work in Belgium;
• Working hours 20 hours per week – 4 hours per day;
• Gross monthly salary as from 1173 to 1466,66 EUR – depends on the candidate’s experience – Salary based on Belgian law (social security and taxes);
• Meal vouchers 8 EUR net per worked day – contribution employee EUR 1,09 net per day (vouchers not granted for absences like holidays and sicknesses);
• Transport costs reimbursed according to the legal prescriptions;
• Joint Committee (commission paritaire) 337 – private sector;
• Company closed from 24/12 until 02/01 included – salary paid but no meal vouchers granted;
• Group insurance and hospitalization insurance – fully paid by the employer;
• The employee is entitled to annual leave:
  • Legal holidays in proportion to his working regime (prorata temporis) – (20 legal holidays per year for a full time granted if the employee has worked a full year in Belgium the previous year – based on Belgian law) – calculated pro-rata for a part-time based on the number of working hours);
  • 2,5 days extra-legal holidays per trimester are granted;
  • For staff members not entitled to legal holidays, possibility to take unpaid leave (maximum 5 days per year) and European holidays.

Electronic applications – motivation letter with possible start date mentioned + CV in English (2 pages maximum) and at least 2 recent reference letters signed in English by the 1^st round of interviews should be addressed to Barbara Bottiau and sent to job@cost.eu, mentioning the reference code OSA2025 in the subject line.

On the CV, the complete months and years of experience have to be mentioned (example: from 01/05/2014 until 24/09/2020).

Please note that the COST HR Team will only contact the candidates who are invited to the interview.
No individual feedback will automatically be given to unsuccessful candidates.

The 1^st round of interviews will take place in the premises of the COST Association on 22/07/2025.

Successful candidates will be invited to the second round which will take place on 25/07/2025.

Address where the interviews will take place:
COST Association – avenue du Boulevard/Bolwerklaan 21 – 1210 Brussels – (Near the Brussels North trainstation).

For more information, please visit our website: www.cost.eu.

Deadline for application: 13/07/2025 included

All personal data provided by applicants will be dealt with in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC). Details about how we handle your data for recruitment purposes are to be found here.