Do you have experience in F&A and are passionate about supporting an organisation across many levels?
Are you able to interact and coordinate with several teams and bodies?
Are you keen to make a difference and support an international organisation that works closely with Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) around the world to protect their right to defend human rights?
If yes, this call for a Senior Accountant – F&A Coordinator (maternity cover) might be for you!
Please feel free to apply or forward this call to someone you know who may fit the profile.
We’ll be pleased to hear from you and explore your fit!
| Job Title: Senior Accountant (Finance & Admin Coordinator Maternity Cover) Location: Global Team – Brussels Duration: Maternity leave cover 7 months fix-term full time contract Starting date: End of November 2025 Line manager: Head of Finance & Admin |
About PI
Protection International (PI) is an international NGO that contributes to the improvement of the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs) throughout the world. PI provides tools to develop Human Rights Defenders’ capacities to manage their own security as their struggle against impunity and work in favour of human rights and democracy in their respective countries or regions. PI seeks to contribute to a situation where HRDs are recognised as legitimate actors for social change and to an environment where they can exercise their right to defend universally accepted human rights.
Protection International has its global office in Brussels, but primarily works where protection of HRDs are needed. PI has long-term presence in several countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Under its Global Strategic Framework 2024-2028, PI is gradually transforming into a network of Hubs, establishing regional offices that work in a flexible manner across several countries.
General Objective
The Senior Accountant’s (SA) role is a crucial post within the Finance and Admin Unit and supports the Head of Finance and Administration (HoFA), and the Management Team in ensuring strategic finance, financial accountability and accuracy to safeguard highest standards for our stability, sustainability, and resilience. S/he will be responsible for ensuring the strategic and sustainable financial infrastructure of the organization by managing core accounting functions, leading the annual institutional audit, and overseeing the monthly payroll.
Your primary objective will be to safeguard our stability and resilience by maintaining financial accuracy, upholding our procedures, and providing key support to the HoFA and the Management Team. This role is vital to our mission of promoting and protecting human rights defenders, as a robust financial foundation is essential to our reputation and our ability to deliver on our commitments.
Duties & Responsibilities
Financial Management & Accounting
- Lead all General Ledger Functions: Take full ownership of the general ledger, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of all accounts. This includes performing monthly and annual account closing procedures, preparing and posting journal entries, and executing bank and other balance sheet reconciliations.
- Oversee Accounts Payable and Receivable: Administer and monitor all procurement and payment processes. This involves reviewing expense authorization forms (EAFs), verifying supporting documentation, ensuring proper budgetary allocation, and coordinating online payments with management.
- Uphold Financial Controls: Act as a guardian of internal financial controls and procedures, ensuring strict adherence to all policies. You will also review and control the financial encoding and reconciliation work performed by finance officers across our offices.
Audit, Payroll & Compliance
- Manage the Annual Institutional Audit: Lead the entire audit process, from planning to final reporting. This includes preparing and providing all required financial reports, schedules, and working papers to our external auditors. You will be the primary liaison, ensuring all queries are addressed and the audit is completed efficiently.
- Administer Monthly Payroll: Take complete responsibility for the monthly payroll cycle, working directly with our social secretariat (SD Worx) and other relevant institutions (Actiris, ONEM). Ensure full compliance with all Belgian social security obligations and labour legislation.
- Ensure Regulatory Compliance: Guarantee that all financial activities and reporting are in full compliance with relevant Belgian legislation (e.g., ASBL law and VAT rules) and the specific financial rules and reporting requirements of our various donors.
Strategic Support & Supervision
- Provide Financial Analysis: Offer regular, sharp analysis of the organization’s financial health, including forecasting and trending. Your input will be crucial for the Head of Finance & Administration and the Management Team in making strategic decisions and identifying financial risks.
- Supervise Day-to-Day Operations: Support the Head of Finance & Administration in supervising the work of finance officers. This includes reviewing their monthly financial reports and accounts to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Job Requirements
Financial Management & Accounting
Education
- Relevant university degree (Accounting, finance or related field).
- Post-graduate degree in office and staff management aspects or related subject (preferred).
- Specialist knowledge and professional qualification in finance or equivalent.
- Relevant professional training courses (Human Rights Defenders, humanitarian and development sector, management, etc.) (preferred).
Experience
- Minimum of 5 years work experience with an international organisation, international non-governmental organisation, NGO and/or government development agency.
- Demonstrable experience in effectively assessing, implementing and complying with Belgian Aisbl laws, including where needed GDPR and VAT rules.
- Experience and good track record in developing financial management and financial control systems.
- Preparation for, conduct of and/or support to financial audit of accounts.
- Experience working (and also living) in countries in the development or human rights field (preferred).
Skills & Knowledge
- Demonstrable knowledge and acumen on Belgian Aisbl laws, including where needed GDPR and VAT rules.
- Highly organised and efficient to manage large portfolios, time management, and files.
- Enthusiastic, self-starter who is able to work autonomously, under pressure, in decentralized teams, and think outside the box.
- Strategic thinker with great leadership and team management skills in a matrixed organisational structure, making sure all unit colleagues and the rest of colleagues collaborate.
- Effective speaker and communicator to deliver key messages and financial results to decision-makers and to staff, making sure data is well analysed and presented in a clear manner.
- Demonstrated knowledge in Financial Management and Control Systems, including the use of accountancy tools and systems (e.g. ERP) to analyse strategic finance, positioning and organisational budgets.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office programmes i.e., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, ERP, etc., and the ability to use various commercially available accounting and financial software/systems.
- Proven experience of managing EU Contracts and Grants. Additional in-depth knowledge of Contracts and Grants of other EU member states (preferred).
Applicants must have the right to work in Belgium.
Languages
- Fluently spoken and written French.
- Good command of English.
- Other languages: Good knowledge of other languages where PI has offices and/or has operations a plus.
What we offer
- The possibility to gain first-hand experience and knowledge on strategies to support human rights defenders and grassroots movements globally – and to contribute to these strategies.
- An open, friendly and multicultural work environment.
- Respect for autonomy, room for creativity, innovation, and learning.
- A people focused and collaborative way of working both within the unit the post sits under and with other teams.
- Maternity leave cover 7 -months fix-term full time contract
- Depending on experience, a monthly gross salary between €3,000 and €4,500 Euros plus benefits: “pécule de vacances” (national holidays + 20 days of annual leaves + 8 days extra leaves + 2 weeks offered at the end of the year), health and hospitalisation insurance, lunch vouchers, reimbursement of home-work public transport.
Application process
If you meet the above skills requirements and are interested in applying for this position, please:
- Send your CV (without picture) and cover letter, in English, by 22nd September 2025 recruitment@protectioninternational.org , mentioning “F&A Coord” in the subject line.
- Include your name in the file name of your application documents, e.g. Mary_ Smith_CV.docx.
- Interviews will take place between the weeks of September 29 and October 6 (estimated dates).
Later in the process, professional references will be requested. The position is subject to background checks, and the final candidate will be required to understand and sign the Protection International Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position might remain posted until a qualified candidate is selected. We thank all candidates for their interest and we will aim to send feedback as much as we can, however, with the high volume of responses and our internal capacities, we may only be able to contact short-listed candidates.
For further information about the role, please contact recruitment@protectioninternational.org.
Protection International is an equal opportunity employer. The organization shall not discriminate and will proactively apply affirmative action principles against discrimination in advertisements, recruitment and other conditions of our search for candidates, preventing discrimination against any candidate on the basis of race, colour, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
Adhering to Protection International means to comply with our Code of Conduct & Ethics, Anti-Corruption Policy, Security Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Child Safeguarding Policy, Policy for Protection from Harassment, Abuse, Exploitation & Discrimination.
Protection International’s values are:
- Solidarity / Collaboration: We are committed to stand with W/HRDs and their struggle to strive for worldwide solidarity that goes beyond borders and identities.
- Grassroots ethos: We are committed to identify the needs of W/HRDs and their communities, to adapt to their realities (cultural, historical, economic, etc.), to value their work and to support their initiatives.
- Commitment to human rights: We believe that the respect of human rights will contribute to a more just global society, where everybody has the right to defend human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination based on their identity, nor fear of threats and attacks.
- Participatory decision-making: We promote the respect and participation of everyone in the decision-making process, and value collaborative decision-making processes. We are committed to horizontal and active listening – recognising the value in diversity of skills and ideas.
- Accountability and integrity: We are committed to share with others (both internally and externally), what we do, as an exercise of transparency that reflects a reliable and credible organisation, fostering trust amongst our partners. We maintain a zero tolerance policy on corruption.
- Creativity / learning: We are committed to reflecting on our individual and collective practices; learning from our mistakes; being open to new ideas and ways of working; sharing internally in order to learn; innovating and improving our level of understanding; and putting into practice and sharing externally in order to contribute to the work of others.
Additional Information: Further information about Protection International is available on www.protectioninternational.org.
Download the terms of reference below: