Senior Finance Officer - Belgium

The Organization and Role

About Access Now

Access Now is a growing international human rights organization dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world, including issues of privacy, security, freedom of expression, and transparency. Our policy, advocacy, technology, and operations teams have staff presences in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East/North Africa (MENA), North America, and South/Southeast Asia, to provide global support to our mission.

About this role

The Senior Finance Officer - Belgium manages all aspects of the financial operations of our Belgium-registered entity in Brussels. The Senior Financial Officer works closely with local legal representatives and with our global Operations team - and specifically, the global Finance Director, the Grants & Contracts Manager, the Controller, and a Financial Analyst. Whilst the scope of responsibilities is varied and entails a high level of ownership and autonomy around local financial management matters, it connects closely into various organisation-wide finance functions and workflows to ensure strong collaboration and consistency across the global organization. The Senior Finance Officer - Belgium reports through the global Finance Director, with a dotted line to the Operations legal representative of the Belgian entity.

What you will do

• Manage local bookkeeping (reconciling expenses; collecting documentation; coding to relevant expense accounts and internally defined cost centers); execute financial year end closure and support the consolidation of global financial accounts in coordination with the global Finance team
• Manage banking and invoicing; A/R and A/P; financial planning and analysis
• Lead development of local budgets in coordination with the global Finance team and programmatic leads, and in alignment with global budgetary frameworks. Once set, review, monitor and manage local annual and quarterly programmatic and operational budgets. (This includes an annual collaborative EU Operational Budget.)
• Manage organizational local audit processes and support global organization-wide audits
• Produce financial reporting for internal and external purposes, related to budgets, expenses, grant allocations, A/R and A/P etc
• Administer grants related to the Belgian entity from a financial perspective, including managing grant allocations and controls, producing budget proposals, and reporting.
• Collaborate closely with the Grants & Contracts Manager, and development and programmatic teams
• Develop, update, and maintain financial processes, policies, controls, and various trackers in Google Suite
• Maintain an accurate filing and records for all financial documents
• Monitor and enforce compliance with local tax and financial obligations
• Advise management on decisions related to the entity’s operations
• Liaise with external Belgian accountants as needed, in particular for statutory reporting and controls

Skills, education, and mindset you will bring

As a top candidate, you should be excited by Access Now’s mission, and eager to work for a human rights organisation. You are an enthusiastic, detail-oriented and organised individual with a strong team spirit, who can work efficiently and effectively in a global, fast paced, multicultural organisation. You are great at problem-solving and bringing solutions, creativity and positivity to your work. You have broad experience in finances in Belgium, in particular bookkeeping and financial reporting. Specific skills and experience sought:

• Proven experience in financial management of budget and actuals, and financial analysis and reporting
• At least 4 years of experience in bookkeeping, statutory reporting and knowledge of Belgian accounting standards
• Adept at meeting and prioritizing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced and constantly developing environment
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to work autonomously and proactively
• Acute attention to detail and desire to probe further into data
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Respect for and desire to work with a dynamic, international team of diverse and wonderful people.
• Experience with non profit finance management (desired)
• Experience with US GAAP (desired)
• Fluency in English and strong command of French
• Appropriate education and work preparation for the role, with bachelor or master degree equivalent in finance, accounting, or a similar field

The Details

Location

This is a full-time position, based out of our office in Brussels, Belgium. The successful candidate must possess the right to work in Belgium. At this time most Access Now Team Members in Brussels are working through hybrid office arrangements, combining remote at-home work with use of our established office space.

Remuneration

Access Now offers competitive compensation and benefits packages that align competitively with locations and regions around the world. Initial placement within the salary range for this role is anticipated at or around 4,554 EUR gross monthly. In Belgium, benefits include employer-paid supplemental health care premiums, and an employer-sponsored private pension program. Regardless of location, all Team Members benefit from a strong global culture aligned around:

• Work-life balance...including a generous paid time-off program between 36 and 40 days annually

• Professional development and growth opportunities

• Extensive workplace flexibility

• Organizational resilience and support for all team members, including paid family leave and employee assistance programs

• Connection to a diverse, global team of passionate, principled professionals

• Opportunities to recharge (including one month of paid refresher leave after 4 years)

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents by 31 March 2023:

• Résumé/CV (removing all personally identifying information such as age, gender, marital status, address, and photo)
• Thoughtful cover letter outlining your suitability for our role, with particular attention to your experience aligning to the core functions

Our hiring teams review applications submitted through our Career Openings page; email submissions are not accepted. Please note that if you are applying via a link in a 3rd party system (examples: Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Snaphunt, Zip Recruiter), be sure that you are going through the application link in BambooHR so that you are properly uploading a distinct Cover Letter and a separate CV/Resume.

In order for us to communicate with you on the status of your application, please add apps.bamboohr.com to your contacts list, and check spam or junk folders so that you do not miss updates from us.

We are a global human rights organization committed to inclusivity and equity, and seek the most talented team members who bring their true selves, with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We are interested in receiving applications from people who consider themselves as under-represented in their talent communities. As an equal opportunity employer, we value and encourage diversity and consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status. Our commitment applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.

Published 2023-02-17