Secretary General

Secretary General - Eurochild

 The deadline for applications is Sunday 16^th July 2023.

Location:                           Brussels, Belgium
Reporting to:                   President & Management Board
Manages:                          Executive Team
Annual salary:                 €104,000 Euros
Contract type:                 Permanent
Working hours:               Full-time
Candidate level:              CEO

Background

Established in 2004, Eurochild is a network of almost 200 members in 41 countries comprised of organisations and individuals working with and for children in Europe. We are striving for a society where all children and young people grow up happy, healthy, confident, and respected as individuals in their own right. We aim to bring about positive changes in the lives of children, in particular those affected by poverty and disadvantage.

We reach our goal by influencing policies, building civil society capacity, facilitating mutual learning, and exchanging practice and research. We are committed to child participation and to actively involve children in different aspects of our work. Eurochild works closely with the European Union, as protecting children’s rights is among the EU’s aims and values.

Purpose of role

Eurochild is seeking an energetic and visionary Secretary General to coordinate and provide strategic support to our dynamic member-led network. The Secretary General we are seeking is someone who is passionate about advancing the rights of children, who will use her or his skills and knowledge to help us achieve our network's goals and support the collaborative efforts of our diverse membership.

The Secretary General will be responsible for leadership and management of the network under the strategic guidance of the Management Board and President and will oversee governance and legal compliance, including effective financial management. In addition, the Secretary General will oversee HR policies of the Secretariat, including talent management and will be responsible for income generation, membership & partnership development whilst ensuring that the overarching day-to-day operations are aligned with Eurochild’s strategic vision.


Working relationships

• Regular liaison with the Eurochild President.
• Reports to, and takes guidance from, Eurochild’s Management Board.
• Line management responsibilities for Executive Team consisting of three Directors.

Primary responsibilities
The job holder will have the following key responsibilities:

Strategic, organisational and team leadership

• Develop, implement, and monitor business plans that translate Eurochild’s strategic vision into allocation of HR and financial resources, impact measures, and fundraising targets.
• Provide effective supervision of Eurochild employees and support for their learning and professional development including the development and implementation of systems and processes to support productive teamwork and to ensure staff well-being, motivation, and productivity.
• Lead and manage the effective implementation of Eurochild’s strategic and business plan and associated monitoring and evaluation.
• Conduct regular reviews of Secretariat structure, roles, and responsibilities to ensure alignment with purpose and impact. Provide opportunities for review and evaluation.
• Delegate and oversee responsibilities across Eurochild’s Executive Team to ensure smooth functioning of the team and alignment of vision and values to deliver organisational goals.
• Be the interlocutor between the Board and staff to foster a healthy and productive working environment.

External relations & reputation

• Build and strengthen Eurochild’s reputation, representing the network externally through media, external partnerships, and in political dialogue. 
• Develop thought leadership around specific topics relevant to strengthen Eurochild’s impact.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including membership, government bodies, funding partners, donors, corporates, and other NGOs.
• Identify grant, sponsorship and fundraising opportunities and develop associated proposals and applications; maintain excellent working relationships with donors and ensure appropriate, accurate and timely reporting/communication.
• Oversee impact assessment and external communications.

Governance & internal operations & HR management

• Oversee risk management; compliance with all regulatory, accountability and contractual obligations; review and implementation of Eurochild’s governing rules and code of ethics.
• Support the Eurochild President to chair and lead the Management Board.
• Oversee optimisation of internal procedures, tools, and infrastructure to maximise efficiency in relation to membership, grants management, internal communications, work organisation, planning and reporting.
• Oversee HR policies and management, including recruitment, on-boarding, mentoring, performance monitoring and career progression.

Fundraising & financial management

• Oversee budget planning, financial management for the organisation and specific grants.
• Oversee the development & implementation and help deliver Eurochild’s fundraising strategy.

Profile
The following offers an aspirational view of our ideal candidate profile; however, we encourage applications from candidates with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups.  

Experience

• Strong track record of successful organizational leadership in a management position, ideally with working experience in a membership organisation.
• Deep understanding and experience of children´s right with demonstrated sector expertise and thought leadership.
• Demonstrated experience of setting objectives, developing strategies, budgeting, developing policies and procedures, and organizing functions as necessary to accomplish the activities.
• Consolidated experience across the fundraising cycle from identification, through to proposal writing and reporting.
• Experience of leading donor relations with knowledge of the Eurochild´s funding ecosystem.
• Demonstrated experience of credibly and effectively managing teams through change.  
• Experience of working with EU Institutions government bodies, funding partners, donors, corporates, and other NGOs.
• Proven experience of working to raise the visibility and grow an organisation through successful marketing, effective communication, and partnership building.

Skills and knowledge

• Strategic vision to guide and achieve long-term goals with the ability to take the initiative, work independently and seek out new opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills that include the ability to inspire and motivate staff, to foster a healthy organizational culture that encourages teamwork and collaboration and be effective at conflict management.
• Ability to recognise problems, identify pertinent issues and propose effective solutions.
• In-depth knowledge of the management process, effective leadership, and organizational skills.
• A strong and confident leader that is an accomplished networker and advocate.  
• Excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and prioritization skills with ability to work on multiple projects to deliver to agreed timelines whilst remaining calm under pressure and resilient to change.
• A good facilitator and chair.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Empathic listener and confident, articulate, and persuasive speaker, able to communicate with diverse audiences.

Personal traits and values

• Integrity and confidentiality.
• Honesty and discretion.
• Collaboration and teamwork.
• Confidence and empathy.
• A demonstrated commitment to the values of Eurochild.

Qualifications and Languages

• English essential (level, C2).
• French (level, B2/C1) desired.