Purpose

The Senior Officer is responsible for providing project and all administrative, operational, organization and financial reporting related support services (further in the text ‘support services’) to facilitate the activities of Advice for Small Businesses (ASB). The Senior Officer will assist ASB local team(s) in managing advisory assignments with clients, consultants and stakeholders and will provide all the necessary analysis/reports on portfolio of projects and other team(s) activities. The Senior Officer must ensure comprehensive and accurate system records of projects and their status, as well as non-project activities, and maintain databases of clients and consultants. The Senior Officer must also ensure that the financial resources of the ASB programme locally and/or where relevant, regionally are managed in accordance with agreed parameters and procedures, liaising closely with the HQ SME F&D Finance and Administration team on related matters. The role will also deal extensively with clients on general financial matters related to advisory projects for SMEs.

Background

ASB helps small and medium-sized businesses to grow and become genuine catalysts for their local economies by providing access to local and international experts. Some clients will benefit from investment, but ASB also strives to create healthier, more innovative and successful businesses. Through its work to

improve the quality and availability of local consultancy services, ASB aims to leave behind a network of trained, experienced local consultants, and a thriving community of small and medium-sized businesses willing to pay for advice.

Activities are delivered through two complementary products: Local Advisory (LA), focused on narrowly-defined projects such as strategy and quality management, carried out by local consultants, and the International Advisory (IA), which draws on the industry expertise of international advisers over a longer period to strengthen the overall management and operations of client businesses. ASB also delivers a number of Market Development Activities (MDA) and Sector Development Activities (SDA). ASB closely works with the Banking team provides with direct, co-financing and indirect financing to SMEs.

Each ASB project is funded by donors, including around 20 countries, the European Union and the EBRD itself. ASB clients also make contributions to the cost, ensuring their full commitment. ASB rigorously monitors and evaluates the impact of its work. Active projects with clients are monitored at regular intervals, and one year after every project, ASB returns to the client to measure impact.

The primary objective of the Senior Officer is to facilitate the effective management of the ASB project and MDA and SDA flow, in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures set by ASB and its donors. The Senior Officer must ensure comprehensive and accurate system records of projects, non-project activities, and support services and their status, and maintain databases of clients and consultants. The Senior Officer must also ensure that the financial resources of the ASB programme locally and/or where relevant regionally are managed in accordance with agreed parameters and procedures, liaising closely with the SME F&D Finance and Administration team on related matters. In addition, the Senior Officer will also liaise extensively with clients on matters related to payments and contracts. The Senior Officer will also provide all the necessary analysis/reports on portfolio of projects and other team(s) activities.

Facts / Scales

• No formal line management responsibility.
• No formal budget responsibility.
• ASB disburses in excess of EUR 25 million in donor and client funds (this figure is growing rapidly), and completes in excess of 2,000 projects, each year in about 30 countries, and the volume and complexity of ASB operations is increasing.
• The Senior Officer will contribute to the analysis, monitoring and assessment of impact of ASB activities in the relevant country of operation and/or group of countries/region (where relevant). Highlights of the global ASB portfolio include:
  • 2,000 new projects signed with individual enterprises each year
  • 300 market development activities each year
  • a database of more than 10,000 local consultants and 3,000 international advisers qualified by ASB to work on projects.

• In addition, the Senior Officer will support the financial and administrative arrangements required for:
  • Companies within projects.
  • Assisting in organisation of visibility or market or sector development activities for local SMEs, consultants and donors.
  • Preparation of Monthly Financial Reports and other reports as needed.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Support client- and consultant-facing aspects of new business development, in order to ensure a viable pipeline for ASB activities in the country and/or group of countries/region (where relevant).
• Demonstrate an ability to support an ASB project independently through the stages of the project cycle (conception, implementation, completion and evaluation) in order to a core contribution to the volume and quality of ASB business.
• Maintain the ASB client and consultant databases to ensure accurate record-keeping and donor reporting.
• Perform analysis/reports of portfolio of projects and other ASB activities, at request of the management, to ensure management is provided with quality and timely information.
• Subject to necessary approvals of the concept, to demonstrate an ability to organise visibility and market or sector development activities independently, to help ASB in its mission to support local companies and consultants.
• Prepare and submit for review accurate and timely Monthly Financial Reports (MFRs), as part of the process by which spending by local ASB offices is reflected in core EBRD systems.
• Keep adequate and well-organised documentation in support of all local payments, and facilitate VAT recovery according to local mechanisms, in line with EBRD’s duties for prudent management of donor funds.
• Receive and review invoices from consultants, and coordinate their timely submission so that service providers are paid on time and on completion of agreed deliverables.
• Provide support to RO(s) finance administration (petty cash, VAT, etc) when necessary.
• Provide support to EBRD satellite offices administration, where relevant.

Conduct other ad hoc financial and administrative tasks as defined by management to ensure team’s objectives are met.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

Education/Professional qualifications

Relevant degree or higher diploma

Knowledge and Experience

• Relevant experience in an administrative capacity, preferably gained from a large commercial. organisation, financial institution or donor organisation.
• Relevant experience in terms of finance or accounting.
• Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the EBRD mandate.

Technical Skills

• Demonstrable skills related to quantitative and numerical record-keeping and basic analysis.
• Experience of working with Excel spreadsheets, analyse financial statements and design financial models is preferable.
• Experience with the SAP accounting system preferable, as well as the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Ability to operate sensitively in a multicultural environment and build effective working relations with internal and external stakeholders clients and colleagues, especially ASB colleagues in 25 countries and other EBRD departments.
• Ability to work well within a team.
• Ability to work to and meet tight deadlines.
• Business / financial analytical skills, with the ability to interpret accounts, understanding of local accounting principles and practice of company financial analysis.

Fluency in English, both written and verbal.

Challenges

Maintaining excellent relationships across a diverse range of internal (across 30 countries) and external interactions (numerous donor organisations and consultants).

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people’s lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in.

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital transformation at the heart of what we do.

Diversity is one of the Bank’s core values which are at the heart of everything it does. A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities. As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.