Budget Coordination Officer (Additional Revenue)

The European Defence Agency (EDA) was established on 12 July 2004, and is governed by Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1835 defining the statute, seat and operational rules of the European Defence Agency. The Agency has its headquarters in Brussels.

The main task of EDA is to support the Council and the Member States in their effort to improve the Union's defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) as it currently stands and as it develops in the future.

The Agency is structured into four directorates. The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) and three operational directorates: Industry, Synergies and Enablers (ISE); Capability, Armament & Planning (CAP); Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI).

The Agency is an “outward-facing” organisation, constantly interacting with its shareholders, the participating Member States, as well as with a wide range of stakeholders. It works in an integrated way, with multi-disciplinary teams representing all of the Agency’s functional areas, to realise its objectives. Its business processes are flexible and oriented towards achieving results. Staff at all levels need to demonstrate the corresponding qualities of commitment, flexibility, innovation, and team-working; to work effectively with shareholders and stakeholder groups, formal and informal; and to operate without the need for detailed direction.

The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) provides critical business support to EDA operations by delivering high-quality corporate services under seven dedicated organizational elements, namely: Human Resources; Procurement and Contract Management; Finance; IT and Information Management, Security, Legal and Infrastructure. Additionally, the Record Manager is responsible for the effective management of information produced and/or received by the organisation.

CSD processes are geared towards efficient and optimal use of resources, leveraging good practice and technological solutions while ensuring sound financial management, transparency and accountability; outward focus and commitment to continuous improvement are the hallmarks of CSD.

We are looking for a dynamic hands-on finance professional with a sound track record in budget planning, monitoring and reporting who balances compliance with service focus, has profound expert knowledge in the field of EU grants and experience in supporting the coordination of tasks of a small team of dedicated finance colleagues. Working closely with the Head of Finance, the successful candidate will act as a budget coordination officer on day-to-day financial operations to the team and staff members within the budget domain of EU grants, decentralised management of EU grants and any other additional revenue. Autonomy, hands-on mentality and solution-orientation are a must.

Under the supervision of the Head of Finance Unit, the jobholder will be responsible for the day-to-day coordination, the execution of administrative and financial tasks related to the preparation and implementation of grant agreements, contribution agreements and other additional revenue arrangements managed by the Agency, as well as the establishment of policies, procedures & work instructions and providing professional advice to the Agency in the assigned budget domain of “Additional revenue”.

In particular, the main duties, related to the budget domain concerned, are:

• budget planning, monitoring, closing and reporting:
  • organize and prepare the set-up of the Agency’s budget plans, including budget nomenclature management and budget inscription;
    
  • follow-up the implementation of budget plans, ensuring frequent alignment with budget holders and project officers responsible;
    
  • prepare & initiate proposals for budget transfers, following internal alignment with budget holders and project officers responsible;
    
  • oversee and ensure compliance of financial operations;
    
  • coordinate and perform the budgetary closing process, including preparing and executing the carry forward exercise;
    
  • prepare formal and management reports related to budget planning, implementation and closing, as well as prepare ad hoc reports on specific budget or financial topics;
    
  • day-to-day coordination of tasks of colleagues in the finance team assigned to the budget domain, including proactive support and guidance;
    
  • prepare & manage all financial aspects related to the establishment and implementation of grant & contribution agreements, as well as specific contributions from member states;
    
  • support the planning, monitoring and internal/external reporting on financial aspects related to grant & contribution agreements, as well as specific contributions;
    
  • collaborate with and support the Accounting officer in the establishment of the Annual Accounts.
• day-to-day coordination, financial verification and initiation of transactions, including active monitoring of transaction processing:
  • monitor & steer the day-to-day coordination of financial transactions, ensuring timeliness and compliance;
    
  • verify financial transactions (commitments, payments, recovery orders, de-commitments, etc.) in the Agency’s systems ensuring that transactions are financially and procedurally correct;
    
  • when needed, initiate financial transactions (commitments, payments, recovery orders, de-commitments, etc.);
    
  • review & assess the financial part of progress & final grant reports and ensure appropriate follow-on actions in the Agency’s systems;
    
  • ensure proper document management related to financial transactions and reports concerned;
    
  • provide expert advice and day-to-day support on financial matters to colleagues.
• proactively contribute to the continuous improvement of the internal control environment relevant to the budget domain:
  • prepare any support material (e.g. specifications, policies, processes, procedures, work instructions, training material, risk assessments) contributing to introducing continuous improvements;
    
  • organisation & follow-up of audits, such as establishing/maintaining an ex-post verification strategy & methodology, the follow-up of recommendations and files in the context of ex-post verifications, internal audits, external audits or ex-post audits.
• proactively support the Head of Unit in the coordination of tasks to be performed by the Finance unit as well as activities that require the involvement of the entire Agency;
• take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.

Duties may evolve according to the development of the EDA’s structure and activities, and the decisions of EDA management.

To be considered eligible to take part in this selection procedure, on the closing date for the submission of applications candidates must satisfy all the eligibility criteria as specified below:

• be a national of a Member State participating in the Agency;
• be entitled to their full rights as citizens;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws concerning military service;
• produce the appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of their duties (extract from the “judicial record” or certificate of good conduct will be requested prior to recruitment);
• be physically fit to perform their duties;
• have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1 oral and written) of one of the languages of the participating Member States and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2 oral and written) of another of these languages to the extent necessary to discharge their duties;
• have no personal interest (financial, family relationship, or other) which could be in conflict with disinterested discharge of their duties within the Agency;
• hold, or be in a position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (national or EU PSC at SECRET UE/EU SECRET level). Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC) means a certificate issued by a competent authority establishing that an individual is security cleared and holds a valid national or EU PSC, and which shows the level of EUCI to which that individual may be granted access (SECRET UE/EU SECRET), the date of validity of the relevant PSC and the date of expiry of the certificate itself. Note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSCC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate;
• have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years or be a graduate of a national or international Defence College; or where justified in the interests of the service, professional training of an equivalent level.

Only diplomas that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration. In the latter case, the authority authorised to conclude contracts of employment reserves the right to request proof of such equivalence.

For diplomas awarded in non-EU countries, a NARIC recognition is required: https://www.enic-naric.net/

Qualifications/diplomas awarded until 31/12/2020 in the United Kingdom are accepted without further recognition. For diplomas awarded after this date (from 01/01/2021), a NARIC recognition is required.

For native English speakers, your ability to communicate in another EU language will be tested during the selection process. To assess your foreign language levels, see: https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference-language-skills

A. Essential

Only applications meeting all essential selection criteria will be assessed.

(1) Professional

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications:

• a University degree (or equivalent academic level degree) in finance, business administration, or other domain relevant to this post;
  
• at least 4 years of relevant professional experience (acquired after the award of the minimum qualification required as a condition of eligibility) preferably in the last 8 years, having the aforementioned duties as principal tasks;
  
• excellent knowledge and solid work experience in applying EU financial regulations and in processing financial transactions related to EU grants and decentralised management of EU grants;
  
• proven hands-on work experience in organising and executing budget planning and budgetary year-end closing processes & reporting, preferably in an international public sector environment;
  
• proven hands-on work experience in organising and follow-up of audits;
  
• excellent day-to-day coordination skills, demonstrated through relevant work experience in the field concerned;
  
• a very good command of spoken and written English.

(2) Personal

All staff must be able to fit into the Agency's way of working (see para. 2). Other attributes important for this post include:

• ability to coordinate tasks in a small team;
  
• excellent customer service and organisational skills;
  
• excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
  
• strong sense of duty and responsibility;
  
• ability to work effectively in a multinational and multicultural environment;
  
• ability to determine priorities and strong orientation to results;
  
• strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
  
• accuracy and dependability;
  
• ability to adapt to a quickly changing working environment;
  
• genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• professional experience in a similar role in the domain of EU grants and/or EU decentralized management;
  
• very good knowledge of, and experience in, the use of EU Financial systems, namely ABAC/SUMMA & Compass;
  
• documented training in accountancy or finance.

Selected candidates will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the Agency’s interest and to make a declaration in relation to interests that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.

EDA, whose staff are governed by its own Staff Regulations, offers specific conditions of employment with regards to contract duration and pension arrangements.

CONTRACT DURATION

The Budget Coordination Officer (Additional Revenue)will be appointed by the Chief Executive. Recruitment will be as a member of the contractual staff of the Agency for a 4-year period. Renewal is possible only once for an additional period of 4 years, within the limits set out in the EDA Staff Regulations and subject to budget availability. The successful candidate will be recruited as Temporary Agent, grade AD7. In line with EDA's Staff Regulations, the Agency does not offer inter-Agency mobility.

FINANCIAL ENTITLEMENTS

The pay for this position consists of a basic salary of 7.646,86€ supplemented with various allowances including, as applicable, expatriation or family allowances. Successful candidates are graded on entry into service according to the length of their professional experience. Salaries are exempted from national tax, instead an Agency tax at source is paid.

PENSION ARRANGEMENTS SPECIFIC TO EDA

Prospective staff members considering a career at the European Defence Agency (EDA) should be aware that EDA has its own pension provisions and is not part of the EU institutions' pension scheme (PSEUI).

In addition, EDA staff have several flexible options regarding their pension contributions at the end of their contract, under certain conditions, such as:

• transfer to a public pension scheme;
• transfer to a private pension scheme;
• direct payment as a severance grant.

For further information on working conditions please refer to: https://eda.europa.eu/jobs/what-we-offer

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

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Budget Coordination Officer (Additional Revenue) at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2026, and may be extended by decision of the Chief Executive. During the validity of the reserve list, successful candidates may be offered a post in EDA according to their competences in relation to the specific requirements of the vacant post. Inclusion on the reserve list does not imply any entitlement of employment in the Agency.

Candidates must submit their application electronically solely via the EDA website. Applications by any other means (hard copy or ordinary e-mail) will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight. Candidates are reminded that the on-line application system will not accept applications after midnight (Brussels time, GMT+1) on the date of the deadline. Please note that once you have created your EDA profile, any correspondence regarding your application must be sent or received via your EDA profile. For any prior enquiry, please refer to the FAQ (Frequently asked questions) section, or send an e-mail to recruitment@eda.europa.eu.

When applying, candidates from Ministries of Defence or other governmental entities are encouraged to inform their national administration.

A selection panel will be appointed. Please note that the selection panel's internal proceedings are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is forbidden. Each application will be screened based on the requirements of the job profile stated in the vacancy notice. The most suitable applicants will be called for an interview and a written test. Candidates may also be requested to take part in an assessment centre, participating in a number of individual and group activities related to the competences required for the post.

EDA will not accept any phase of the selection & recruitment process prepared or assisted, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. EDA reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI tools may be rejected without further consideration at EDA’s sole discretion, and EDA reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

If recruited, candidates will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements made in their application. They should not send any supporting or supplementary information until asked to do so by the Agency. Candidates are advised that part of the recruitment process includes medical analyses and physical check-up with the Agency’s Medical Adviser.

Staff members employed at EDA require a Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC). The process to obtain a PSCC can be initiated only by EDA on behalf of the staff member. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance certificate before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the contract.

Please note that EDA will not return applications to candidates. The personal information EDA requests from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) N° 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) 45/2001 and Decision No. 1247/2002/EC.

The purpose of processing personal data which candidates submit is to manage applications in view of possible pre-selection and recruitment at EDA. More information on personal data protection in relation to selection and recruitment can be found on the EDA website: http://www.eda.europa.eu/jobs/dataprotection