Biodiversa+ is recruiting a full-time Coordinating Operational Manager.
Position
You will be part of the operational team, which plays a central role in implementing the partnership. The team currently consists of collaborators based in Belgium, Finland, France, Spain, and Sweden. Your position will be based at the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB) in Paris. Travel within Europe is expected. Applicants must be eligible to work in France; work permit support is not provided.
Main responsibilities and tasks
You will oversee the overall management of Biodiversa+, in close cooperation with the two other Operational Managers (hosted at FRB and at the French National Research Agency) and the three Co-chairs (from Germany, Sweden, and The Netherlands). Each Operational Manager has a specific area of responsibility within the overall management of the Partnership: ‘Team Development’, ‘Governance’, and ‘Administrative and Financial Matters/Coordination’, respectively. They also oversee different work packages.
You will have the following major responsibilities:
- Financial management:
- Managing, monitoring and adapting the budget of the Partnership, preparing and updating monitoring documents, drafting budget documents (e.g., budget amendment requests), conducting budget negotiations with partners, while ensuring that the decisions taken by the governance bodies and the rules of Horizon Europe are followed.
- Overseeing the work of the administrative and financial officers and executive assistant in providing technical support to the various partners to help them fulfil their administrative and financial obligations; answering partners’ questions related to administrative and budgetary issues.
- Acting as the official representative towards the European Commission.
- Following FRB invoices to ensure sound financial management together with the administrative and financial officer.
- Performing other financial tasks as required.
- Administrative and ethical management:
- Leading the administrative management of the Partnership, including monitoring and updating the membership list and key contracts (including the consortium agreement and grant agreement).
- Overseeing and ensuring timely reporting of finances and activities (collection and consolidation of reporting data) to the European Commission.
- Contributing to the preparation and submission of amendments to the European Commission, as required, as well as preparing the periodic reportings.
- Writing and submitting ethical deliverables and ensuring GDPR compliance of Biodiversa+, with the support of the ANR contact point for all data protection officers.
- Checking and leading the submission of milestones and deliverables on the EC portal.
- Supervise OT staff based at FRB.
- Management and coordination in collaboration with the Chairs Team
- Supervising the officers of the Operational Team under relevant work packages, including the administrative and financial officers and executive assistant
- Ensuring that the Operational Team is informed about administrative and financial procedures and at ease with such procedures.
- Establishing strong links with the Chairs Team and the two other Operational Managers is essential.
- Supporting the Chairs team in the overall strategy of Biodiversa+, which includes the financial strategy of the partnership.
- Contributing and attending the governance meetings of the partnership, i.e. Executive Board, General Assembly, Steering Committee, Chairs Team meetings, and where relevant, Advisory Board and Enlarged Stakeholder Board meetings.
- Attending and representing the partnership in events and meetings when needed.
You will be the official contact person towards the EC and project officers for the partnership based at REA (European Research Executive Agency) regarding the management of the project. In addition, you will be one of the official contact points between Biodiversa+ and the FRB. Therefore, you will be encouraged to participate in weekly FRB executive committee meetings and regular meetings with the FRB’s Head of European and International Cooperation Department to ensure smooth and strategic collaboration between the two entities.
You will be supervised by the Biodiversa+ Chairs Team and will benefit from professional development opportunities together with the two other Operational Managers.
Candidate profile
- Education and experience
- Master’s degree in social or political sciences / natural sciences / European project management.
- Applicants’ work experience should correspond to one of the following:
- Minimum 2 years of professional experience in financial and administrative management of European projects in the field of environment, biodiversity, and/or science-policy interfacing, or
- Minimum 4 years of experience in a similar activity, including at least 2 years of experience in financial project management and team management, preferably in an international/European context.
- Skills and personal qualities
- Fluency in French and English, both written and spoken (position based in Paris with daily interactions across Europe)
- Excellent communication skills, ability to synthesise and analyse, attention to detail.
- Demonstrable project management experience (organization and planning, administrative and financial coordination) is essential.
- Strong experience in budget management is essential. Mastery of administrative and financial monitoring and reporting tools (at least good command of Excel, Word and PowerPoint) is essential.
- Knowledge of the functioning of the European Commission and its instruments, as well Horizon Europe funding programmes is essential.
- Experience of drafting and follow-up of agreements with various stakeholders is appreciated.
- Legal knowledge (especially about GDPR) is a plus.
- Strong team management skills, capacity to ensure team cohesion and engagement.
- Organisational skills and self-managing (ability to define priorities for oneself and others).
- Team-spirit and ability to work in a multicultural and multi-actor context.
- Capacity to evolve in a complex governance system and respect the governance framework.
- Multi-tasking.
- Strategic, solution-oriented thinking.
- Flexibility and goal-orientation.
The offer
- Location:
Biodiversa+ Secretariat
Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité
195 rue Saint Jacques, 75005 Paris, France - Contract: CDI (permanent contract), full time
- Salary: From €3,753 gross/month, negotiable according to FRB salary grid and experience
- Benefits: 50% public transport reimbursement, luncheon vouchers, hybrid work (up to 3 days/week)
- Start date: As soon as possible
For more information on this vacancy and its requirements, please read the full job description.
How to apply
Submit your CV and cover letter in English to Anna Sandor. Applications will be considered on an ongoing basis until 7 September 2025.
Application requirements:
- Send a single PDF file: cover letter first (including your earliest availability and salary expectations), followed by the CV
- Name the file: LASTNAME_Firstname_COM2025
- Use the email subject line: Application for Biodiversa+ Coordinating Operational Manager Admin&Finance
