Director of Administration (M/F/D)

For its Directorate of Administration, at the Headquarters in Bologna, Italy, CTAO is opening the position of:

Director of Administration (M/F/D)

As a member of the Directorate, reporting directly to the Director General, the Director of Administration supports the development of the multi-site organization and ensures that the capabilities of CTAO's financial and human resources match the project needs. 

Your responsibilities:

• Leading and guiding the Administration Directorate;
• Manage, plan, control, and continuously optimize the administrative processes in the areas of Human Resources, Finances, Procurement and logistics, IT services, and the general administrative infrastructure for the sites at Bologna, La Palma (Spain), Paranal (Chile), Zeuthen (Germany) and (for the time being) Heidelberg (Germany);
• Ensure compliance with all legal and funding-related requirements in the designated areas of responsibility;
• Contribute to the development of overall policy and strategic planning as a member of the CTAO senior management;
• Prepare progress reports for the CTAO Director General, Council and its advisory bodies, especially the Administrative and Finance Committee, as required;
• Management, coordination and follow-up of activities associated with high-level committees and working groups.

Your skills:

• University degree in Business Administration, Economics, Law or related discipline;
• Several years of management and administration experience in an international research or scientific environment gained at either a public, private, or commercial institution;
• Experience working with international research organizations, funding bodies and ministries;
• Proven track record working or managing Human Resources, Finance, Controlling, and Procurement groups;
• A documented background in the cost-effective management of complex structures and a demonstrated deep knowledge of the legal framework, administrative rules, funding regulations, procedures, and best practice of research institutions;
• Experience in formulating policies, and in their implementation and tracking;
• Ability to think strategically, to take effective decisions, and provide leadership;
• Capacity to set and control objectives of the different organizational units, and to focus on priorities and evaluate procedural duties;
• Ability to build strong and effective links both within and outside the organization demonstrated by experience in dealing with various stakeholders of an international research infrastructure, such as government ministries and administration, research organizations and industrial suppliers and service providers;
• Value driven personality, who demonstrates a strong commitment to our Diversity, Equality and Inclusion approach;
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English, knowledge of Italian, German and Spanish will be an asset.

You will be reporting to: CTAO Managing Director

Your duty station: Bologna, Italy. Travel to CTAO sites, locations of in-kind contributor teams in Europe may be required.

What we offer: The CTAO offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary and benefits package. The contract is for a fixed term of five years and is subject to successful completion of the probation period. After this 5-year fixed term contract, the contract might be converted into an open-term contract.

At the time of the launch of this job offer, Italy offers attractive tax benefits for individuals relocating their residence to work and live in the country. Nonetheless, as a governmental initiative, the CTAO cannot guarantee that this tax relief will remain.

How to apply:

Send your CV and cover letter in English to ctao-recruitment@cta-observatory.org, indicating the position “Director of Administration” and the names of two referees with contact details.

For more information on the advertised position please contact the Director General, Stuart McMuldroch: stuart.mcmuldroch@cta-observatory.org.

CTAO is an equal opportunity employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, gender or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or family situation.

Closing date: December 31^st, 2023

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