Trainee Office Manager

LIFE – Low Impact Fishers of Europe

Location: Brussels, Belgium

LIFE is seeking an enthusiastic trainee for its European office in Brussels.

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) is a European umbrella organisation, established to represent the interests of the small-scale, low impact commercial fishers who fish in the coastal waters of Europe. Its mission is to achieve conditions in which fishing is performed in a sustainable manner and small-scale, low impact fishermen and women in Europe can maximise their social and economic viability. More information can be found on our website www.lifeplatform.eu.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. ADMINISTRATION/SECRETARIAL

(a) Manage the day to day operation of the LIFE’s Brussels office;

(b) Track and manage incoming and outgoing correspondence and circulate appropriately;

(c) Act as a first point of contact for telephone calls;

(e) Make necessary travel arrangements; arrange trains, flights, hotel and venues bookings as required;

(g) In liaison with the Finance Manager process orders and invoices, maintain records of expenditure and monitor budgets;

(h) Manage and monitor the annual organisation planning and reporting timetable;

(i) Maintain filing systems and records for all documents – including managing HR files and contacts with Belgian social security services.

2. MEETINGS and EVENTS

(a) Organise meetings by preparing and circulating agendas & documentation, in particular, for LIFE Board meetings and Annual General Assembly;

(b) Take responsibility for meeting logistics, interpretation and equipment;

(c) Take minutes of meetings as required, arrange translations of all papers as necessary and; track action points.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Listed below are the requirements needed to undertake this job. Selection of candidates will be based on the extent to which these requirements are met.

Administration/Secretarial

• Proven experience in a related role;
• Experience of working with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment;
• Experience of and familiarity with Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint) packages and video conferencing systems;
• Experience of administering meetings, including minute taking;
• Experience working with a similar organisation.

Logistics

• Ability to organize conferences, meetings (travel, accommodation, venue, catering, etc).

Communication

• A high standard of written and oral communication skills;
• Fluency in English and French (both written and verbal);
• Fluent in at least one Northern or Eastern Mediterranean language.

Personal Qualities

• A high degree of motivation and professionalism;
• Excellent inter-personal skills;
• Respect for confidentiality at all times;
• Ability to develop effective working relationships at all levels;
• Ability to work unsupervised and with a high level of initiative;
• Proactive, creative and flexible in finding solutions to problems;
• Ability to remain calm and deliver to tight deadlines under pressure;
• Takes in information and learns new skills quickly.

Flexibility and reliability

• Willingness to work unsocial hours if required;
• Willingness to travel within Europe if required.

Based in Brussels, eligible to work under Belgian law and immediately available.

This is initially a 6 month contract under Belgian “Convention d’Immersion Professionelle” with a monthly remuneration of € 781,30. If you are interested, please send a CV + Cover letter in English to recruitment@lifeplatform.eu. Deadline for applications is Friday 3/11, interviews will take place in Brussels mid-November with a view to start as soon as possible after that. Due to the high number of applications, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Read more and apply here.