Financial & Compliance Assistant, Strategic Democracy Initiatives

Description

Starting Date: November 1, 2026  

Duration of Assignment: November 1, 2026 – October 31, 2027 (12 months, for the length of the project)  

Part- time arrangement: 40% of involvement, 2 days a week with a possibility of remote work  

Background  

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) Brussels Office is implementing multi-stakeholder grant programs focused on Ukraine’s recovery, governance, civil society resilience, and EU accession trajectory. GMF is seeking a dedicated part time Financial & Compliance Assistant to ensure strict administrative compliance, precise financial accounting, and transparent reporting under international donor standards.

The Financial & Compliance Assistant will take primary operational responsibility for personnel documentation, salary cost calculations, timesheets, voucher verification, procurement compliance, and co-implementor financial tracking across all project activities.

Requirements

 Objectives and Tasks 

• Personnel & Payroll Documentation: 
• Collect, process, and reconcile monthly pay slips, contracts, and leave/sick-day records for the project staff members across all reporting periods.
• Prepare, calculate, and verify monthly Salary Cost Calculations, establishing accurate net working days, hourly rates, gross salaries, and employer contributions.
• Complete, cross-check, and maintain monthly Timesheets for all project members, aligning logged daily working hours with proportional time allocations and obtaining required signatures.  
• Financial Reporting & Voucher Reconciliation: 
• Collect, audit, and organize all financial supporting documentation (invoices, travel receipts, boarding passes, per-diem sheets, hotel bills, and honorarium contracts).
• Maintain chronological voucher logs, cross-referencing internal accounting numbers, and verifying applicable exchange rates (bank exchange rates and official InforEuro rates). 
• Support the Grants team in completing financial reporting templates.  
• Disbursement Requests & Cost Forecasting: 
• Prepare activity-based cost forecasts and schedule updates by budget line for submission with formal requests for disbursement.
• Monitor budget line expenditure thresholds, certifying project-related costs and flagging budget shifts.?  
• Co-implementor Coordination: 
• Serve as the administrative point of contact for the co-implementor of the project regarding financial rules, activity alignment, voucher requests, and timesheet submissions.
• Review co-implementor`s financial inputs, timesheets, and activity plans prior to fund transfers. 
• Participation in weekly coordination calls with partners and donor organization. 
• Procurement Compliance & Asset Tracking: 
• Prepare procurement documentation for contract awards, ensuring collection and evaluation of the comparative offers. 
• Maintain low-value procurement memos for purchases and manage the project inventory list for equipment related to the project.
• Audit Preparation & Ad-Hoc Compliance: 
• Prepare, organize, and archive complete financial, personnel, and activity audit files for intermediary and final audits. 
• Handle ad-hoc evidence and clarification requests from the donor within required timelines, participating in weekly coordination meetings with the Grants team.

Key Expertise and Experience Required 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field is required, with a Master's degree being a strong asset. Equivalent professional experience in grant administration will also be considered.  
• Visa/work permit requirements:? Please note that applicants must be authorized to work in the EU, by being an EU citizen or holding a valid Belgian working permit at the start and for a full duration of the contract.  
• Grant & Financial Experience: 1–3 years of professional experience in project financial assistance, bookkeeping, administrative support, or grant management within an international NGO, think tank, foundation, or international organization. Ideally experienced with EU and/or German donors.  
• Donor Knowledge: Familiarity with institutional donor reporting requirements, specifically EU and/or German grant financial administration - is a strong advantage.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (formulas, cell linking, cross-table auditing, and handling financial templates), Microsoft Dynamics 365 and general MS Office applications.  
• Accuracy & Analytical Skills: Exceptional attention to detail, strong mathematical accuracy, and the ability to reconcile complex timesheets, pay slips, exchange rates, and procurement files independently.  
• Language Proficiency: Fluent written and spoken English (main working language). Working proficiency in Ukrainian and/or German is a strong asset but not required.
• Organizational Skills: Proven ability to manage strict multi-period reporting deadlines, prioritize administrative workflows, and work constructively in a collaborative team environment.

Key Expertise and Experience Required 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field is required, with a Master's degree being a strong asset. Equivalent professional experience in grant administration will also be considered.  
• Visa/work permit requirements:? Please note that applicants must be authorized to work in the EU, by being an EU citizen or holding a valid Belgian working permit at the start and for a full duration of the contract.  
• Grant & Financial Experience: 1–3 years of professional experience in project financial assistance, bookkeeping, administrative support, or grant management within an international NGO, think tank, foundation, or international organization. Ideally experienced with EU and/or German donors.  
• Donor Knowledge: Familiarity with institutional donor reporting requirements, specifically EU and/or German grant financial administration - is a strong advantage.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (formulas, cell linking, cross-table auditing, and handling financial templates), Microsoft Dynamics 365 and general MS Office applications.  
• Accuracy & Analytical Skills: Exceptional attention to detail, strong mathematical accuracy, and the ability to reconcile complex timesheets, pay slips, exchange rates, and procurement files independently.
• Language Proficiency: Fluent written and spoken English (main working language). Working proficiency in Ukrainian and/or German is a strong asset but not required.
• Organizational Skills: Proven ability to manage strict multi-period reporting deadlines, prioritize administrative workflows, and work constructively in a collaborative team environment.

Monthly salary expectations: 

• For 40% working time arrangement, salary range of 13,120- 19,680 EUR gross, depending on the candidate’s relevant experience and qualifications.  

 Employment arrangement: It is a part-time employment opportunity, also open to freelancers.

  GMF is an equal opportunity employer.