Administrative and Financial Grant Officer / African-European Museum Partnerships (M/W)

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Mission Description

The African-European Museum Partnerships is a new initiative aiming to strengthen EU-Africa and intra-Africa partnerships between museums in Africa and Europe. Within this framework, funded by the European Union, co-financed by France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, and implemented by Expertise France and Goethe Institut, the Administrative and Financial Grant Officer will ensure the sound administrative, contractual and financial management of grants awarded under the project.

The post holder will support the management of grants across Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe within complex institutional settings involving multi-country and multi-actor consortia. In this context, s/he will ensure rigorous administrative and financial coordination, compliance with donor regulations and internal procedures, and the proper monitoring of grant implementation from contracting to closure.

The Administrative and Financial Grant Officer will report to the Project Manager and work in close collaboration with the project team, composed of a Project Manager, a Deputy Project Manager, a Head of Components 1 and 2, and a Technical Grant Officer, as well as with the Expertise France Country Support Office in Ethiopia, in particular the finance, procurement and logistics teams.

Key Responsibilities

1. Grant Management and Contracting

• Support the preparation and launch of calls for proposals in coordination with the Technical Grant Officer and the relevant technical teams.
• Conduct the administrative and financial assessment of proposals in line with donor requirements, eligibility rules and internal procedures.
• Prepare grant agreements and ensure compliance with donor rules and procedures and institutional rules.
• Support the administrative set-up and contractual follow-up of grant beneficiaries from award to closure.
• Ensure proper contracting, filing, traceability and archiving of all grant-related documents throughout the grant cycle.

2. Financial and Administrative Monitoring

• Monitor grant implementation, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations.
• Review financial and, where relevant, narrative reports submitted by beneficiaries from an administrative and financial compliance perspective.
• Verify eligibility of expenditures and ensure proper use of funds.
• Monitor budget consumption, forecasts, and payment schedules.
• Develop tools to be implemented with project beneficiaries to ensure grant implementation.
• Prepare disbursement requests and ensure timely payments in coordination with finance teams.

3. Compliance, Risk Management and Audit Support

• Ensure full alignment of grant management processes with donor regulations, contractual requirements and Expertise France internal procedures.
• Contribute to internal controls and risk mitigation mechanisms.
• Support preparation for audits, verifications, and external evaluations.
• Identify compliance risks, documentation gaps and financial management issues, and propose corrective actions where needed.
• Ensure proper documentation, traceability and archiving of expenditures and grant management records.

4. Coordination and Capacity Support

• Provide guidance and clarification to beneficiaries on administrative and financial procedures, when needed.
• Develop and update practical tools, templates and monitoring instruments to support beneficiaries in the sound financial and administrative implementation of grants.
• Organize and deliver training and guidance sessions for beneficiaries on grant management procedures, financial reporting requirements and compliance obligations.
• Participate in the coordination of technical experts, finance teams and HQ.
• Contribute to capitalization and lessons learned related to grant management.

5. Liaison with Country Support Office

• Coordinate with the Expertise France Country Support Office on all grant-related contractual, procurement and administrative processes, ensuring compliance with internal procedures and timely processing of documentation.
• Prepare disbursement requests and ensure timely payments in coordination with the Country Support Office finance team.
• Act as focal point for grant-related financial follow-up with the Country Support Office, including payment processing, financial documentation and expenditure verification.
• Follow up on administrative and financial processes requiring Country Support Office validation or processing.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of grant management workflows between the project and Country Support Office teams.

Project and Context Description

The African-European Museum Partnerships is the result of a process that started in 2022 in Berlin among a group of African and European museum directors. In April 2023, 60 African and European museum directors from 28 African and 12 European countries gathered at an international forum in Dakar. Via the Dakar Declaration, the signatories expressed their shared ambition to strengthen partnerships between museums in Africa and Europe.

The initiative has three pillars — exhibitions, collections, and empowerment — and aims to achieve the following two results:

• Strengthen EU-Africa and intra-Africa cultural cooperation and promote intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity across the continent.
• Protect and promote African cultural heritage to become a vector for social cohesion, stability, cultural tourism, jobs and sustainable growth.

The initiative has a budget of EUR 19.9M, financed by the European Commission and including additional contributions by EU Member States Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Implementing partners are the Goethe Institute (GI) and Expertise France (EF).

Italy has joined the African-European Museum Partnerships through a parallel project entitled "Strengthening African-Italian Museum Partnerships," concentrating on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Uganda, with an additional budget of EUR 4M implemented by the Italian cooperation agency (AICS).

About Expertise France

Expertise France is the public agency for the design and implementation of international technical cooperation projects. The agency works closely with French public institutions, as well as with the European Union, to meet the needs of partner countries in the main areas of public action: democratic, economic and financial governance; peace, stability and security; climate, biodiversity and sustainable development; and health and human development.

Required Profile

• University Master's degree (MA/MBA) in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Development Studies, Public Administration, or another relevant field.
• At least 5 years in administrative, financial, budgetary and accounting management.
• Ability to develop practical tools and templates for grant administration and beneficiary support.
• Strong understanding of Sub-Saharan African contexts, including cultural and institutional environments.
• Proven experience working on internationally funded programmes, particularly EU-funded projects and grant-based mechanisms.
• Good command of grant management rules and donor compliance principles, including selection procedures, contracting, and financial monitoring.
• Good knowledge of internal control, audit preparation and risk management processes.
• Strong command of Excel and financial monitoring tools.
• Excellent knowledge of either English or French; a working knowledge of the other would be an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team and with diverse partners.

Employment Conditions

• Status: Open to national status/local contract — fixed term.
• Duration: One-year renewable fixed-term contract.
• Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Start Date: September 2026.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit via the application interface:

• A cover letter.
• An updated CV (max. 3 pages) highlighting relevant experience.
• Contact details for at least two professional references.

Application Deadline: July 3, 2026 at 14:55

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