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Job vacancy

Operations Coordinator

Closing date: 2 October 2023

Salary: ELN Grade B1 to B4 (£34,391.83 to £38,131.17)

Location: Applications are open to candidates who can base themselves in the UK or Germany. The position is remote but with options for regular co-working with colleagues and for in-person team gatherings roughly every 8 weeks.

Contract type: Full-time; 37.5-hours per week (opportunities for flexible working considered).

Contact: charissef@europeanleadershipnetwork.org

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Who we are:

The European Leadership Network (ELN) is an independent, non-partisan think tank with a network over 450 past, present and future European leaders working to provide practical, real-world solutions to political and security challenges. Through its research, publications, events, practical policy advocacy, media reach and pan-European networks, the ELN works to build better security for wider Europe. It concentrates on what it judges to be the gravest risks to Europe’s security and the risks where it assesses that it can make the greatest difference.

 

Purpose of Role:

The Operations Coordinator is a central and critical role for our small and growing team under the line management of the Senior HR and Operations Manager.  It helps to ensure the effective and efficient running of our organisation. The post holder supports the organisation’s governance, grant monitoring,  financial management, and work with external suppliers and partners to help us operate in a way that is compliant and in line with good practice. The successful candidate will have very strong attention to detail, be highly organised, able consistently to operate at pace, proactive and confident in dealing with colleagues at all levels,  and will have a good knowledge base around finances, operations and organisational development.

The key accountabilities of the post holder will be to:

  • Help ensure that the organisation and our various corporate systems, processes and structures operate smoothly and efficiently, providing proactive support.
  • Be a proficient user of Xero accounting software and have a good working knowledge of financial management, including, but not limited to, using Xero to keep up-to-date  the payment of bills, chasing unpaid invoices, monitoring accounts and cashflow forecasting, creating and managing budgets and assisting with financial reporting to various funders.
  • Support and be on top of the ELN’s fundraising planning, funding applications, and grants commitments, monitoring and reporting. This will include consistent and accurate reviews of commitments and upcoming deadlines, communicating with appropriate members of staff to ensure information relating to grants and fundraising is kept up to date, and supporting the wider team in creating budgets, tracking expenditure and financial reporting.
  • Ensure that the Senior Management Team are well supported in oversight of our legal and financial obligations and our back office operations.
  • Check that there is a supportive, safe working environment, adapted for flexible, remote and overseas working as required, keeping this under review.

 

Job description:

Please note that these responsibilities indicate the range of activities that the post holder may be responsible for, rather than an expectation that any one person would cover all these activities at once.

Projects and Delivery

  • Monitor cash flow, spending,  and payment of invoices to external suppliers using Xero accounting software, working closely with our Events Coordinator on expenditure for events .
  • Work with our accountants to manage monthly payroll and staff expenses, participate in quarterly and annual account meetings, and contribute to the accuracy of accounts management by regularly communicating with accountants.
  • Create budgets for grant applications and derive cash flow projections from applications made and funding awarded, creating accurate reports to present to the Senior Management Team and flagging any relevant information relating to our finances.
  • Support and update the Senior Management Team on monitoring the details and overseeing the timely delivery of all aspects of grant commitments, taking the lead on financial reporting for completed grants.

 

Governance and Risk

  • Support and update the Senior Management Team to ensure that we are meeting grant commitments and deadlines.
  • Help to ensure compliance with relevant legislation and procedures concerning HR, financial and governance requirements – including company (and charity) law, employment law, sanctions, GDPR, etc.
  • Contribute to the implementation of a Health and Safety policy and safe systems of working that are legally compliant and in line with good practice.

 

People and Office Management

  • Provide administrative and general office support to contribute to the smooth running of the ELN.
  • Undertake general office administration, such as supporting staff with general enquiries, purchasing furniture and office supplies, and undertaking any other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the role.
  • Ensure effective oversight of external services and contracts (e.g. co-working spaces, services, insurance policies, bank accounts) and that our Companies House information is accurate and up-to-date.
  • Maintain relationships with external consultants and suppliers that provide support in the delivery of HR and Operations, e.g. accountants, lawyers etc.
  • Help ensure that data protection laws and health and safety policies are adhered to.
  • Provide advice and support to managers in workforce planning and assisting the Senior HR and Operations Officer in addressing HR concerns.
  • Work with colleagues across the ELN to build and nurture an open and positive work environment. 

 

Strategy and Development

  • Work alongside the Senior HR and Operations Manager in developing and implementing strategies and operational plans for the effective management of HR, finance, governance, and general office management.
  • Support the Senior Management Team in fundraising, such as by monitoring and reporting on  the organisation’s fundraising pipeline and providing support to future meetings of the ELN’s Senior Fundraising Group.

Depending on the needs of the organisation and the progress made by the successful candidate,  other tasks and areas of work that in time may fall within this role include to:

  • Provide advice and support to managers in workforce planning and in assisting the Senior HR and Operations Manager in addressing HR concerns.
  • Work with the Events Coordinator and other members of the team on arranging events.
  • Work with the Senior Fundraising Group to research potential sources of funding.
  • Contribute to a positive and inclusiveworking  culture across the organisation by helping the Senior HR and Operations Manager implement a solid overarching HP policy framework aligned to ELN’s aims and values.
  • Work with colleagues across the ELN to build and nurture an open and positive work environment.
  • Undertake any other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the post.

 

Applicant requirements:

Essential:

  • Proficient in using Xero accounting software for managing bills and invoices, monitoring cashlow,  tracking of numerous budgets, and the generation of relevant, timely financial reporting.
  • Track record of delivering solid and accurate administrative work, with excellent attention to detail.
  • Good knowledge of the principles and requirements of effective financial management and accounting.
  • Good understanding of effective corporate governance and compliance.
  • Previous experience in an office administrator/office manager role, including the ability to manage a range of internal and external relationships on behalf of an organisation.
  • Be administratively self-supporting, well-organised and able to multi-task. The applicant must have the ability to work on their own initiative,  prioritise workload, be responsive and be able consistently to operate well in a fast-paced working environment
  • Basic understanding of legal trends, issues and developments in employment, health and safety and governance.
  • Experience using MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook).
  • Experience of working to tight deadlines and under pressure.

Desirable:

  • Educated to undergraduate level or equivalent experience.
  • Qualification relevant to the role, for example finance, HR, business administration etc.
  • Experience in managing projects or programmes of work.
  • Experience of working in the NGO or charitable sectors
  • Experience in working or volunteering within an international context.