ECA/2026/1 - Director (one post) - Chamber V

WHO WE ARE

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) was established in 1975 as the European Union’s external auditor. One of the EU’s seven institutions, it is based in Luxembourg and employs around 1 000 audit, support and administrative staff of all EU nationalities^[1].

The ECA operates as a collegiate body of 27 Members, one from each EU Member State. Our auditors check that the EU keeps good accounts and correctly applies its financial rules, and that its policies and programmes achieve their intended objectives and deliver value for money.

Through our work, we contribute to improving the governance, accountability, transparency and sound financial management of EU action. We warn of risks, provide assurance, identify shortcomings and successes and offer guidance to EU policymakers and legislators. We present our observations and recommendations to the European Parliament, the Council of the EU, and national governments and parliaments, as well as the general public.

The ECA is divided into ten audit and administrative directorates functioning with flexible task-based teams. The audit directorates deal with different policy areas to which staff are assigned according to the priorities stemming from the work programme.

Chamber V coordinates the ECA's annual statement of assurance on EU budget revenue (both own resources and other financing) and expenditure. It also audits the legality and regularity of spending from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the main component of the NextGenerationEU recovery plan, and provides guidance for other compliance and financial audits.

WHAT WE ARE OFFERING

This vacancy notice is being issued on the basis of Article 29(1) and (2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union[2].

The successful candidate will be recruited at grade AD 14. The basic monthly salary at that grade is currently EUR 18 695,13. Under the Staff Regulations, certain benefits may be added to the basic salary, which is subject to EU tax and exempt from national tax.

The main responsibilities related to this post will include:

–        providing overall strategic orientation for the Chamber V directorate in accordance with the ECA’s internal rules, strategic objectives and annual work programme;

–        overseeing management of the directorate’s staff and financial resources;

–        contributing to preparation and implementation of the ECA’s annual work programmes, and reporting on the audits carried out under the directorate’s remit;

–        overseeing the design and implementation of knowledge management for the areas under the directorate’s responsibility;

–        exercising audit supervision and control in accordance with the ECA’s quality requirements and auditing practices and standards;

–        proposing guidance and instructions for the ECA’s statement of assurance work and annual report;

–    contributing to cross-cutting tasks across the ECA.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

I.           ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The advertised position is open to candidates who, by the application deadline, meet the following eligibility criteria.

1.    General requirements

In accordance with Article 28 of the Staff Regulations, candidates must, on the date of their application:

–        be a national of an EU Member State;

–        enjoy their full rights as citizens;

–        have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the recruitment laws concerning military service; and

–        satisfy the character requirements for the duties involved.

2.         Qualifications

In accordance with Article 5 of the Staff Regulations:

(i)         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

(ii)        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 (this professional experience may not be counted towards the post-qualification professional experience required below).

3.         Knowledge of languages

–        Excellent command (mother tongue or minimum level C2 in understanding, speaking and writing) of one official EU language, and satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2 in understanding, speaking and writing) of another EU language.

–        As English and French are the ECA’s official working languages, a sound knowledge of one of these languages (minimum level C1 in understanding, speaking and writing) and a good knowledge of the other language (minimum level B2 in the same categories) are required.

–        If the candidate’s mother tongue is English or French, a sound knowledge of the other working language (minimum level C1 in understanding, speaking and writing) is required.

To assess your foreign language skills, see: https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference

In your CV, please indicate your language skills on the basis of this assessment model.

4.         Professional experience

At least 18 years of proven professional experience gained after obtaining the above-mentioned qualification, including at least 10 years in audit.

Of these 18 years, at least four years must have been spent in a managerial post with responsibility for both human and budgetary resources[3] (in the EU context: at least head of unit or the equivalent).

5.         Age limit

Candidates must not have reached the regular retirement age, which is defined for officials of the European Union as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 (see Article 52(a) of the Staff Regulations).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates must be able to demonstrate:

1.    Sound knowledge of audit standards and methodology in the fields of financial, performance and compliance audit, including the ECA’s statement of assurance audit approach.

2.    Sound knowledge of EU public finances and public-sector auditing.

3.    Strategic management skills – the ability to design and successfully implement strategy and shape the directorate’s future objectives.

4.    Experience in managing human and financial resources, including the efficient and effective planning and allocation of resources.

5.    Excellent capacity to lead and motivate multilingual and multicultural teams.

6.    Communication skills – the capacity to communicate clearly both orally and in writing, to speak in public, to convince and to negotiate.

7.    Excellent interpersonal skills.

8.    Knowledge of the Financial Regulation[4] of the European Union will be considered an asset.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

I.    ELIGIBILITY AND PRESELECTION

The selection committee[5] will be composed of four Members and the Secretary-General of the ECA.

The committee will first determine whether applicants meet all the eligibility criteria set out above.

It will then assess and compare the professional and managerial experience of all eligible candidates on the basis of the information provided in their applications, also taking into consideration the specific selection criteria numbered 1 to 4, 6 and 8.

II.    ASSESSMENT CENTRE AND INTERVIEW(S)

The four[6] candidates who obtain the highest mark in the comparative assessment will be invited to a mandatory assessment centre (AC), and an interview with the selection committee in Luxembourg. All necessary information about the organisation of the AC and interview will be given to the shortlisted candidates in the invitation letter(s).

The AC will focus on the shortlisted candidates’ strategic management, communication and interpersonal skills in the light of the selection criteria set out above. The AC will result in a report which will be made available to the selection committee prior to the interview stage.

The interview will focus on each candidate’s motivation, and will assess how well their profile matches the selection criteria.

If necessary, the selection committee may decide to organise additional interviews with the four shortlisted candidates, and may also ask the candidates to provide reference letters and/or annual performance appraisal reports.

III.   APPOINTMENT

After completing its assessment, the selection committee will submit to the college of Members a reasoned report identifying the candidate(s) it considers best qualified for the post.

In their joint capacity as Appointing Authority, the Members may then adopt a decision on the appointment of a candidate.

APPLICATIONS

The deadline for applications is 12.00 (midday) Luxembourg time on 20 January 2026.

Applications must be drafted in English or French and submitted only via the online form provided at the bottom of the vacancy notice (EN or FR) available on the ECA’s Job Opportunities page (under ‘Open positions’): https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/JobOpportunities.aspx.

Applications must comprise the following documents, drafted in EN or FR:

–              a cover letter (max. four pages);

–              an up-to-date CV (max. seven pages), preferably in the Europass format (see https://europa.eu/europass/).

Any application received after the deadline, or which is not submitted using the online form will be rejected.

By submitting their applications, candidates declare that the information provided in the cover letter and CV complies with the eligibility requirements. If, at any stage of the selection process, the selection committee identifies false or incomplete declarations, the application will be rejected and the candidate will be disqualified.

The selection committee will evaluate applications solely on the basis of the information given in the required documents. At any stage of the procedure, the committee may ask candidates to provide supporting evidence for statements made in their applications. At any stage it may follow up the information provided. If any candidate fails to provide such evidence when it is requested, their application will be rejected, and they will be disqualified.

To ensure that your application is completed on time, we strongly advise you not to wait until the last few hours to apply. Experience has shown that the system may become overloaded as the deadline approaches.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

In line with its Diversity and Inclusion policy and Article 1d of the Staff Regulations, the ECA embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We accept applications without discrimination on any grounds, and we take steps to ensure that recruitment is evenly balanced between women and men, as required by Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

If you require any special arrangements for a specific disability in order to take part in this selection procedure, please send an email in good time to ECA-Selection@eca.europa.eu.

DATA PROTECTION

The ECA is committed to ensuring that candidates’ personal data are processed in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council [7].

For more information, see our specific privacy statement on recruitment at the following address: https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/Specific_Privacy_Statement_vacancies/Specific_Privacy_Statement_vacancies_EN.PDF

REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION — COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS — COMPLAINTS TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

If, at any stage in the selection procedure, you consider that a decision taken in your regard is wrong, the following options are available:

I.       REQUEST FOR THE SELECTION COMMITTEE TO RECONSIDER ITS DECISION  

You may submit a written reasoned request for reconsideration of a decision taken by the selection committee. This request must be sent, within 10 calendar days of notification of the decision, to ECA-Recours@eca.europa.eu. Where the last day of this period is a public holiday, Saturday or Sunday, the period shall end with the expiry of the last hour of the following working day.

II.         COMPLAINTS

Under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations, you may submit a written complaint against the ECA’s decision to reject your application, within three months of being notified thereof, to the following address:

The Secretary-General
European Court of Auditors
12, rue Alcide De Gasperi
L-1615 Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG

III.      JUDICIAL APPEALS

Under Article 91 of the Staff Regulations, you may appeal against a decision to reject your complaint, insofar as it adversely affects you, to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The action must be brought by a lawyer within three months of notification of the decision to reject the complaint.

IV.       COMPLAINTS TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

If you believe that the handling of your application has involved maladministration by the ECA, you may lodge a complaint with the European Ombudsman, having first contacted the ECA with the aim of settling the dispute. You must submit your complaint in writing within two years of discovering the relevant facts. An online complaints form is available on the European Ombudsman’s website. Applying to the European Ombudsman will not suspend the appeal deadlines given above.