Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions is hiring a Secretary General

Applications accepted on a rolling basis. First cut-off date on 17th of July. Apply by submitting this form via email to [email protected]

Position: Secretary General

Reports to: Board / Statutory Meetings

Direct reports: Head of Departments / Governance Team

Location: Brussels, Mundo Trone, Rue de l’Industrie 10, 1000

Salary: Starting salary of 3250 EUR gross (for someone fulfilling minimum requirement) complying with HR regulations

Expected starting date: As soon as possible – September 2025

Benefits:

• 13th Salary

• Lunch vouchers (8 EUR)

• Transport Reimbursement

• Hospitalisation and Dental Insurance

• Eco-cheques once a year

• 1 week of closure in the winter, 1 in the summer

Work schedule: Full time (37.5 hours per week)

OKR management: Is responsible for overall management

Budgetary responsibility: Oversees overall organisational budget (+- 700.000 EUR)

About the role

The OBESSU Secretary General is the bridge between the Board and the Secretariat, the legal representative of the organisation and an advisor to the Board and other OBESSU Structures. As such, the tasks and roles of the Secretary General should be seen in the light of strategic development and management.

The Secretary General is in charge of:

• General Management and relations to OBESSU Structures

  • Advising the Board on strategic matters

  • Supervising on the implementation of key strategic documents including the Development Strategy, the Work Plan and the Implementation Plan

  • Coordinating the organisation of OBESSU Statutory meeting at all levels, including through extensive material preparation

  • Facilitating the communication between OBESSU Bodies

  • Reporting to OBESSU Statutory bodies for accountability

  • Uphold and monitor the Safeguarding Policy and the Code of Conduct of OBESSU

• Human resource management

  • Leading the Secretariat team, allocate responsibilities and secure quality of deliverables

  • Being in charge of implementing Strategic Human Resource actions for well-being, retention and learning and development, in cooperation with the Head of Projects and Operations

  • Carrying out Staff evaluation processes, in cooperation with the Head of Projects and Operations

  • Bringing the voice of the OBESSU Staff to the Board and vice-versa

• Fundraising and financial sustainability

  • Contributing to project planning and implementation with particular regards to operating funding in coordination with the projects team

  • Exploring new fundraising possibilities for funding diversification, in cooperation with the Head of Projects and Operations

  • Drafting project applications and funding requests when required

• Administration & Finances

  • Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory procedures and processes of the organisation are followed

  • Maintaining balance sheets and budgets in cooperation with the External Financial Manager

  • Supporting in the organisation of internal and external auditing processes

  • Supporting project managers and relevant people with financial reporting

• External Affairs

  • Represent OBESSU at events where the Board is incapacitated to attend

  • Advocate for OBESSU’s position in relevant fora and in coordination with the External Affairs Manager in accordance with the priorities and the positions of OBESSU

The following tasks can be allocated to the Secretary General depending on competences, knowledge, skills and interest:

• Coordination of the European Apprentices Network

• Liaison with the Global Students Forum

Profile of applicants for Secretary General at OBESSU

Essential

• Finished secondary education or vocational training

• Work experience of minimum 5 years (traineeships and volunteering involving management experiences are counted as work experience)

• Experience working directly with young people

• Experience managing small teams

• Experience working with volunteers and managing volunteers

• Experience working with administration and ensuring compliance to regulatory frameworks

• Experience in project management and reporting

• Good familiarity with European and Global institutions

• Deep knowledge of funding schemes related to education, training, and youth in Europe

• Works proficiently with Office (or equivalent) and Google Suits

• Works independently but can also manage and work in team

• Is able to delegate

• Is able to find creative solutions

• Is able to follow strategic directions by the Board

• Is able to work on several different projects and topics at the same time

• Handles complex situations and heavy workload and is able to communicate their mental health needs

• Is curious and eager to learn

• Understands the power of youth-led organising and is aware of power dynamics

• Is open to feedback

• Is able to represent OBESSU’s standpoints without including their personal view

Desirable

• Higher education in a relevant field or further education qualifications or diplomas

• Background in a student or youth organisation or in the NGO sector

• Experience in Human Resource Management

• Fundraising experience

• Experience working with an international NGO

• Knowledge about working rights in Belgium

• Knowledge on EU policy in Education and Training

• Knowledge on Non-formal education and youth work

• Mentoring skills

• Is interested in Learning and Development

About the selection processes

We welcome applications on a rolling basis with a cut-off date on the 17th of July, after which we will assess whether to continue accepting applications.

The selection process is designed as follows:

At OBESSU, we take inclusion and diversity as a priority. We know that we can only achieve our mission if we do so with the support of a diverse, courageous and dynamic team. We are aware of our limits, and those imposed by our funding and national legislation, however we strive to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. We lead with feminist principles and believe that diversity can only be fostered in an intersectional way. We are aware that hiring processes always include bias and, for this reason, we try to follow a process that can limit bias. We also believe in a competence-based approach, therefore we only check CVs and experience after we have run the check on the merit of the answers in the application. We actively seek to build a team that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, identities, and experiences. We encourage applications from candidates of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, ages, abilities, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. If you’re passionate about the work we’re doing but don’t meet every qualification listed, we still encourage you to apply — your unique perspective and lived experience may be exactly what we need.

Safeguarding and Code of Conduct

OBESSU is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students, young people, and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers, and contractors to share this commitment and uphold the highest standards of safeguarding practice. Any role involving direct contact with minors or vulnerable individuals will require additional safeguarding training and adherence to our safeguarding policies and procedures, and to our code of conduct. We take our duty of care seriously and strive to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all.