Financial Auditor

The position of GYA Financial Auditor is a new development, it grew out of the now defunct GYA Finance Review Committee.
The GYA regularly receives funds from its public core-funders in Germany and different other national or international project funders. Each of the funders attach specific spending rules to their grants and the GYA Office makes sure that the money is spent accordingly and the reporting to the funders is done.
In addition to this reporting, a proper GYA-internal financial oversight also needs to be conducted.
The GYA Auditor will not be involved in GYA financial decision-making, but will then check on the GYA’s money allocation and management, and will provide relevant overview and information to the membership.

As the GYA is not a legal entity, only the Managing Director (MD) is presently in the position to sign contracts according to the rules of the GYA’s host academy. This state of affairs is not covered by the GYA constitution. Therefore, by overseeing more closely the financial management done by the MD, the Auditor will also help to build trust among the membership that funds are managed in the best interest of the entire GYA and bridge the gap between constitution and present practice.

Tasks for this role:

Monitor the budget decisions and the decision procedures of the EC and MD
Provide financial transparency, i.e. an overview to the membership over the years, for which activities the relatively regulation-free money from the core funding is allocated
recommend measures to improve the decision-making and the transparency thereof
recommend financial co-decision-making rules for large projects, and on how working groups and the EC/MD can make effective co-decisions, in particular on additional external funding
produce an annual report to the membership on the above (in time for each AGM)

Who can join?

members and alumni; prior experience in budget management or review (e.g. at an university institute or in a larger international project, or a company) would be preferable; should have time to explore the existing GYA structures and review the documents annually.
Ideally, should want to hold this position for two years minimum, preferably three years, and introduce a new treasurer to the job in the last year of office.
Members of the EC and the GYA Fundraising Committee are not eligible.

The EC 2019/20 suggested a trial period for this new position for three years until the AGM 2023. In case of positive experience, the position should then be permanently included in the GYA Constitution.

Committee calls

The position will be filled through election (or re-confirmation of a continuing auditor) by the membership at the AGM each year. An auditor-elect will also be elected at the AGMs (as relevant). For the initial period, the EC 2021/22 will select the Auditor for this period, to be re-confirmed by the membership at the 2022 AGM.