Project Administrator Association Européenne des Conservatoires Brussels, Belgium

The Association Européenne des Conservatoires (AEC) is a European cultural and educational network with 280 member institutions for professional music training in 55 countries. 

The AEC is currently looking to recruit a new member of staff for the position of Project Administrator:

Duration of Post and Workload: 1 year (renewable); 4 days/week

Responsibilities and tasks:
➢ Administration of the ERASMUS Network for Music ‘Polifonia’ (under the supervision of the ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager) – 3 days/week
➢ Administration of the various projects AEC is involved in as partner (under the supervision of the AEC General Manager) – 1 day/week

Organisation of project activities

• Booking venues for project meetings; coordinating travel, hotel and catering arrangements; setting agendas for meetings in consultation with Chairs; taking notes at meetings; producing reports and monitoring the completion of action points.
• Taking specific responsibility for certain activities (in the case of the ‘Polifonia’ project, the Project Administrator will be assigned to the Workpackage on Entrepreneurship) by taking part in these activities, ensuring that the work progresses appropriately and is reported upon in a timely manner, overseeing the production and, where appropriate, publication of project outcomes and liaising regularly with the ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager and AEC General Manager over this progress.

Financial administration

In liaison with the AEC ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager and AEC General Manager, maintaining a clear overview of the project budgets and keeping them up-to-date:

• Handling reimbursement forms and invoices and preparing payments
• Keeping systematic track of all invoices/receipts received and payments made
• Keeping up-to-date records and explanatory notes in a state that facilitates clear communication of the financial situation at any stage to internal colleagues, to the project partners and to the funding providers
• Assisting the ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager with the production of quarterly reclaims to the Royal Conservatory of the Hague
• Ensuring that all payments being made are considered ‘eligible’ by EU regulations

Communication

Reinforcing good two-way communication:

• with all project partners and their representatives (in the case of the ‘Polifonia’ project, with the individuals forming working groups and, where appropriate, with their institutions, as well as with Chairs of these working Groups)
• with internal colleagues

Reporting and Auditing

Assisting the ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager and the AEC General Manager with the completion and submission of the various reports on the projects by:

• Preparing and laying out the necessary budgetary information
• Composing and/or assembling the necessary textual information
• Ensuring that all data that may be required for auditing purposes are retained and collated in such a way that they are readily accessible, both for the auditors and for AEC Office colleagues

Project Dissemination and Evaluation

Assisting the ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager and the AEC General Manager with dissemination and exploitation of the projects by:

• Collecting information for, and contributing to the drafting of, project newsletters; preparing distribution for the latter on a regular basis and preparing other dissemination activities
• Updating regularly the projects’ website/webpages and delegating website-related tasks to interns were appropriate 
• Keeping track of the dissemination activities of other project partners

Briefing and Support

• Ensuring that the ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager and the AEC General Manager are well briefed
• Reporting issues requiring resolution at a higher level in a timely manner

Representation

• Always presenting a positive image of the AEC in all dealings associated with AEC events
• Making speeches, broadcasting information, etc., when required, at meetings and events

Other

• As with all members of the AEC Office Team, providing general support to Office colleagues at times of exceptional pressure, within the constraints of own workload
• Undertaking any tasks and responsibilities as reasonably required by the AEC ‘Polifonia’ Project Manager and the AEC General Manager including, where appropriate, delegated requirements emanating from the AEC CEO, Council, the membership and the organisation

➢ERASMUS Network for Music ‘Polifonia’ Website: http://www.polifonia-tn.org

Person Specification

Essential Qualities:

• Excellent organisational skills, underpinned by some prior experience of undertaking financial and general administration
• Ability to work independently, balancing a number of tasks and their respective deadlines within the overall portfolio of responsibilities
• Strong numeracy skills and good understanding of the basic principles of managing budgets, cash flows, etc.
• Report-writing skills; ability to structure material coherently and to present it clearly and attractively in written form
• Supervisory and mentoring skills, especially in relation to student interns
• Competence and experience in all standard computer software programmes
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Good communication skills: email, telephone, written, face-to-face
• Good team skills, allied to a willingness to contribute and a readiness to assist others
• Good inter-cultural skills and understanding
• Ability and readiness to be an effective ambassador for the AEC, where required

Desirable Qualities:

• Experience, or at least a sympathetic understanding of, the opportunities and challenges facing music academies across Europe
• Understanding of the contribution of higher music education to the ‘cultural capital’ of Europe
• The ability to communicate in at least one European language other than English
• A confident and outgoing manner

DEADLINE
The closing date for applications is Midday on Monday 21st January 2013. Motivation letter and Curriculum Vitae should be sent only by Email to the following address: hannahhebert@aec-music.eu

INTERVIEWS will be held on the 4th, 5th and 6th of February 2013 at the AEC offices in Brussels, Belgium. The successful applicant will be expected to commence as soon as possible thereafter.

MORE INFORMATION 
Further information about this position can be obtained from Hannah Hebert (hannahhebert@aec-music.eu). In urgent cases you can call +31 6 39 01 12 52 from the 7th January 2013.

We are looking forward to receiving your applications!