Finance project manager

EBRAINS is a European digital research infrastructure for brain research developed by the EC-funded Human Brain Project. Its ambition is to be an enabler of brain science in Europe, offering state-of-the art resources of data, models, tools and computing platforms to the scientific community.

EBRAINS is currently entering a new phase, further developing its service offering, gaining maturity and robustness, improving its user experience, and broadening the community of neuroscientists and developers who benefit from its resources and services. In 2021, EBRAINS was added to the ESFRI Roadmap for Research Infrastructures and now also aims to expand collaborations with other EU research infrastructures.

The EBRAINS AISBL is a non-profit association and coordinates the operation of the EBRAINS European research infrastructure on behalf of its members.

This fixed term and hybrid position reports to Head of Project Team and Institutional Relations and is based in the EBRAINS office in Brussels, Belgium.

Finance project manager F/M (this position is based in Belgium)

Activities:

•        Prepare financial reporting instructions for the whole consortium of partners (this applies when EBRAINS is the coordinator of the project) and coordinate the financial reporting processes of all the EC projects in the portfolio of EBRAINS and in line with the project’s timelines

•        Analyze the use of the budget by the partners of the consortium and write the financial sections of the reports (interim and periodic reports).

•        Manage the distribution of EU funding to the partners of the consortium by calculating payments, preparing payment documentation, processing partners’ payment requests and Monitor budget transfer requests within the project consortium on an ongoing basis and prepare budget transfer letters for submission to the European Commission.

•        Train the partners of the consortium in financial reporting and act as the main contact for the tool(s) of reporting, the use of the tool(s) of reporting (presently EMDESK), and other administrative processes through workshops and info sessions

•        Provide administrative support to the partners of the consortium and maintain efficient communication with them

•        Liaise with the European Commission officers on administrative matters, especially financial matters and payments

•        Contribute to the improvement and implementation of projects coordination workflows and procedures, best practices, and IT tools

•        Support the Project team with:

– Coordination of activities

– Report on project activities to project leadership and European Commission

– Organize and facilitate key meetings essential to coordination of the project

– Support Project Manager with elements of periodic technical reporting and continuous financial monitoring

– Preparation and editing of documents related to Grant Agreement and Consortium Agreement amendments

– Support the projects proposals

Profile:

·         Master’s degree in a field relevant to the position

·         4-8 years of experience in management, administration and financial administration of European projects, preferably for an academic institution or a non-profit organization and in the science fields

·         In-depth knowledge of EU funding rules and financial regulations, in particular the Horizon Europe framework (including cost eligibility rules, funding rates, time-recording, and audit requirements).

·         Strong project accounting and budget management skills, including the ability to create and maintain multi-annual budgets, monitor budget consumption, and manage reallocations between cost categories and beneficiaries.

·         Experience with financial reporting to the European Commission (e.g. preparation and submission of periodic financial statements and supporting documentation through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal).

·         Capacity to autonomously ensure compliance with internal EBRAINS policies, grant agreements, consortium agreements, and applicable national/EU financial regulations.

·         Ability to analyse complex financial data and provide accurate forecasts, variance analyses, and risk assessments to management and project coordinators.

·         Excellent coordination and communication skills to liaise effectively with project partners, auditors, funding authorities, and internal teams (scientific coordination, legal, administration, HR, etc.).

·         Strong documentation and audit-readiness mindset, ensuring all financial records, justifications, and supporting evidence are complete, accurate, and retrievable.

·         High level of autonomy, proactivity, and problem-solving attitude, able to organise and prioritise work effectively under tight deadlines and across multiple projects.

·         Advanced IT literacy, especially Excel and financial management tools, as well as familiarity with the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and collaborative document platforms (SharePoint, Teams, etc.).

·         Proven writing skills and track record of drafting content for different communications channels

·         Interest in science and technology topics

·         Familiarity with academic research and/or the science and technology sector of advantage

·         Good command of MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Adobe Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Premier), EMDESK and other reporting tools

·         Preferably knowledge of European platforms and research funding landscape

·         Strategic mindset with a hands-on approach, ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven, international environment

·         Communicative, well-organized and pro-active

Why work at the EBRAINS AISBL?
Understanding the human brain is one of the greatest challenges facing 21st century science. Joining the EBRAINS AISBL will put you at the center of an effort to gain profound insights into the structure and functioning of the brain, develop new treatments for brain diseases and build revolutionary new computing technologies, based on a dedicated research infrastructure, EBRAINS. The EBRAINS AISBL team plays a central role in the EBRAINS research infrastructure in Europe and worldwide. You will find yourself inspired by the exciting things that people in the project are building and make a meaningful contribution to understanding the brain.

We strive to find the right people and to keep our skills and insights sharp. We are a young, dynamic, interdisciplinary and international team. We focus on delivering high value to the scientific community and are involved in everything from community engagement to integrating scientific workflows with some of the world’s largest supercomputers. Work in the team involves open feedback, with opportunities for additional training to improve our skills.

Join us and make an important contribution to the success of one of the most exciting projects of the 21st Century!

Start date: as soon as possible.

Deadline for application: 02.10.2025 17:00 (Brussels time)

Activity rate: 100%

Duration of contract: 31 December 2026

Applicants should submit a motivation letter and a detailed CV in a single PDF format only, with file name “Surname_position applied” electronically to jobs@ebrains.eu. Please use the position title in the “subject” field. Applications that do not comply with this request will not be considered.