The EACEA (“the Agency”) is a European Commission Executive Agency established by the Commission's Implementing Decision 2013/776/EU. It operates by delegation of powers from the Commission[1] and its statute is governed by Regulation (EC) No. 58/2003[2]. The Agency's parent Directorates-General within the Commission are DG for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, DG for Communications Networks, Contents and Technology, DG for Migration and Home Affairs and DG for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.

The Agency is responsible for the implementation of certain EU programmes in the fields of education, audio-visual and culture, such as Erasmus+, The Creative Europe Programme, Europe for Citizens, EU Aid Volunteers, actions in the field of higher education and youth falling under external cooperation instruments and their predecessors. The Agency's current mandate runs until 31 December 2024[3].

The Agency was established to enhance programme management and provide beneficiaries with a better service, in line with the principles of administrative governance adopted by the Commission.

As a legal entity, the Agency establishes an annual work plan and an annual activity report and has an operational budget of more than 600 Mio EUR per year.

In order to attain its objectives, the Agency has an internal structure consisting of 13 Units with a total of 457 staff members in 2018.

The Agency's working languages are English and French.

For further information on the Agency, please refer to our website: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu

Description of the job

The selected candidate will be appointed as Deputy Accounting Officer of EACEA. He/she will support the Accounting Officer of EACEA whose tasks are defined by the Financial Regulation. The position provides a good overview on the accounting and financial processes that are linked to the administrative budget of the Agency. It offers a variety of contacts with other units as well as external contacts, like for example the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors or the network of the EU Agencies Accounting Officers. The job will offer the opportunity to take over other tasks linked to accounting or related areas.

The Deputy Accounting Officer shall support the Accounting Officer in view of the following tasks:

• • ensuring proper implementation of payments, collection of revenue and recovery of amounts established as being receivable,
• • preparing and presenting the Agency's annual accounts in line with the Financial Regulation,
• • keeping the Agency's accounts in line with the Financial Regulation, including the follow up/reconciliation of bank accounts and HB accounts,
• • laying down the Agency's accounting procedures and chart of accounts,
• • laying down and validating the Agency's accounting system,
• • assisting in the treasury management,
• • liaising with the European Court of Auditors in view of the year-end audit (collection of requested documents for the audit, answering of questions, preparation of written replies),
• • liaising with the European Commission (DG Budget) whose Accounting Officer adopts the accounting rules to be applied by the Agency, and who is also responsible for the establishment of the consolidated annual EU accounts.

Qualifications and Experience Required

A. Eligibility criteria

Candidates will be considered eligible for this inter-agency selection temporary agent 2(f) grade AST on the basis of the following formal criteria to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:

1. To be a temporary agent 2(f) who, on the closing date for applications and on the day of filling the vacant post, is employed within his/her current agency in a grade and function group corresponding to the published function group and grade (AST1/AST   6).

This implies that the candidate possesses the minimum qualifications required by Article 5(3) of the Staff Regulations, applicable by analogy to the temporary staff pursuant to Article 10(1) of the CEOS (see point 5 in the annexed eligibility and selection criteria grid), and that the candidate is in compliance with the conditions referred to in Article 12(2):

• he/she is a national of one of the Member States of the Union and enjoys his/her full rights as a citizen;
• he/she has fulfilled any obligations imposed on him/her by the laws concerning military service;
• he/she produces the appropriate character references as to his/her suitability for the performance of the duties;
• he/she is physically fit to perform his/her duties;
• he/she produces evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and of a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of his/her duties;

2. To have at least 2 years’ service within his/her current agency before moving;

3. To have successfully completed the probationary period provided for in Article 14 of the CEOS, in the relevant function group.

B. Specific conditions

All eligible candidates will be assessed along the following evaluation specific conditions:

Essential qualifications and experience

• • Knowledge of  accrual based accounting, evidenced by a diploma or certificate
• • Professional experience in the domain of accrual based accounting (minimum  4 years)
• • Proven experience in using ABAC systems of the Commission / EU Agencies (minimum 2 years)
• • Good command of the English (B2 minimum)  and /or French language (B2 minimum)                     

Advantageous qualifications and experience

• • Professional experience in the position of a (Deputy) Accounting Officer of an EU Agency
• • Knowledge of the accounting software SAP

Following the analysis of the applications by the Selection Board, the Agency will invite the most suitable candidates (a maximum of 20) for an interview.

Appointment and conditions of employment

EACEA and the selected temporary agent 2(f) shall conclude an employment contract ensuring continuation of the person’s employment and career in the category of temporary staff 2(f). That contract signed with EACEA shall be concluded without interruption of the contract finalised with the agency of origin (‘the preceding contract’) and shall fulfil the following requirements, in particular:

• • the same grade and the same seniority in the grade as the preceding contract;
• • the same step and the same seniority in the step as the preceding contract.

The ending date of the contract to be signed with EACEA and that of the preceding contract shall be the same. If the contract with the agency of origin was for an indefinite period, the member of temporary staff 2(f) shall also be engaged by EACEA for an indefinite period.

In the event that the preceding contract comes to its natural end on the day of the move, the duration of the contract concluded in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be the same as that EACEA would have set in case of a renewal of contract of one of its own temporary agents 2(f).

The selected temporary agent 2(f) shall take up duty in EACEA in principle three months after the job offer, unless it is otherwise agreed between the two agencies and the staff member concerned.

Please note that temporary agents shall be required to demonstrate before their first promotion the ability to work in a third official language of the EU.

Note also that, with respect to the accumulation of pension rights at EACEA, the employment will be considered as a new contract where pension rights are accumulated at a rate of 1.8% for each year of service completed. Your pensionable age will be 66.

Legal basis and remuneration

The payment of staff members consists of a basic salary supplemented with specific allowances, including expatriation or family allowances. The provisions guiding the calculation of these allowances can be consulted in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants available at the following address: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

The rights and entitlements inherent to the country of employment (Belgium) will be adapted accordingly.

Equal opportunities

The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Application procedure

For applications to be valid, candidates must submit:

• • a detailed curriculum vitae, in EU CV[4] format only.
• • a letter of motivation, including his/her views on the proposed position (2 pages maximum).

Applications must only be sent by e-mail to the functional mailbox EACEA-HR-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu

Closing date: Applications must be sent no later than 18 June 2018, 12:00 (midday), CET (please check the time zones).

Supporting documents showing evidence of the provided information may be requested at a later stage. No document will be sent back to candidates.

Candidates are kindly invited to apply in English to facilitate the selection process.

Under no circumstances should candidates approach the Selection Board themselves, either directly or indirectly concerning this recruitment. The authority authorised to conclude contracts reserves itself the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards these instructions.

Selection procedure

Personal interview with a selection board in English and French to assess candidates’ ability to perform the tasks listed in the job description and in particular:

• • Candidates’ suitability to carry out the duties of a Deputy Accounting Officer
• • Candidates' knowledge in the domain of accrual based accounting
• • Candidates’  inter-personal, organisational and problem-solving skills
• • Candidates' general knowledge about EACEA and related programmes

The interview will be marked out of 100 (pass mark: 70).

The selection procedure will give origin to a reserve list. Please note that inclusion in the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment.

Information to candidates

An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to all candidates by email to confirm the reception of their application.

All candidates will be informed in due time about the processing of their application, either they are invited for the selection procedure as described above or not. These notifications will be sent by email only.

A candidate may request clarifications about the processing of his/her application by sending an email quoting the reference of the vacancy notice concerned, at the following address EACEA-HR-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu

Appeal procedure

A candidate who feels that a mistake was made in the assessment of his/her profile may ask to have it re-assessed by sending, within 15 working days of the date on the email notifying the rejection of his/her application, a request for review, quoting the number of the selection procedure concerned to the Chair of the Selection Board at the following address: EACEA-HR-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu

The selection board will reconsider the application and notify the candidate of its decision within 15 working days of receipt of the letter.

Data protection

The purpose of processing of the data submitted by candidates is to manage the applications in view of a possible pre-selection and recruitment at the EACEA. The personal information requested from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EC) N°45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data.

Eligibility Grid

Eligibility Grid (pdf)