ECA/2026/10 - Budget Officer (1 post) - Human Resources, Finance and General Services (SG1) - Professional training

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 1000 audit, support and administrative staff of all EU nationalities.

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, indicate 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.

We are a modern and dynamic organisation striving for and promoting excellence, professionalism, transparency and integrity. We define ourselves as a diverse, flexible and equitable institution which offers every individual the opportunity to maximise their talent. Through individual and collective involvement in the ECA’s activities and our ambitious training programme, our aim is to make the ECA an intellectually stimulating workplace, and a learning-based organisation that relies on institutional knowledge and motivated and well-trained people to serve the EU and its citizens.

We are an EU institution on a human scale: this facilitates integration, allows for easier interaction, and encourages teamwork. We offer flexible working hours and opportunities for teleworking, including from outside the place of residence[1]. We value diversity and inclusion, promote equal opportunities, and ensure a respectful working environment based on open communication, dialogue and mutual trust. Staff engagement, well-being and greening are important pillars of our internal policies.

The Professional Training team is responsible for ECA staff’s learning and development. It provides a wide range of training activities, such as: internal courses, workshops and conferences, knowledge-sharing activities, participation in external training, cooperation with external bodies in the field of training (Supreme Audit Institutions, universities, training institutes), support for staff who are members of professional organisations, provision of training for external partners, participation in public procurement procedures.

In the years to come, life-long learning, connecting individuals and strengthening the links between our staff and expert communities outside the Court will be crucial parts of the ECA’s training policy. To ensure knowledge sharing and development, the Professional Training team analyses existing and future needs and provides adequate and timely training tools, enabling staff to better perform their duties. It follows developments in our rapidly changing environment and makes sure staff can benefit from training in any policy field, including the most specialised ones.

 
[1]    Currently, staff are allowed to telework up to 10 days per month. Of these, 5 days per month and a maximum of 30 days per year can be from outside the place of residence.

WHAT WE ARE OFFERING

This vacancy notice is being issued on the basis of Article 29(1)(a), (b) and (c) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.

The advertised position is therefore open ONLY to AST officials of the European Court of Auditors, AST officials of other EU institutions and successful candidates in an EU AST competition[2].

We are seeking to recruit one (1) budget officer in the Professional Training team.

Under the authority of the Principal Manager, the budget officer will:

-      act as initiating and verifying agent in SAP and manage the financial workflows for the training activities organised by the Professional Training unit (budgetary commitments and validation of expenditure);

-      check financial offers from external training providers, prepare and send purchase orders, issue VAT exemption certificates, check the delivery of services and process invoices;

-      assist in the preparation, monitoring and closure of the budget;

-      manage framework contracts for the delivery of training services and monitor their implementation;

-      analyse requests for external training, handle course registration and fee reimbursement; 

-      monitor the financial implementation of cooperation agreements with academia and external training providers;

-      liaise with service providers ensuring the smooth delivery of training.

 
[2]    Organised by EPSO or by one of the EU institutions.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The advertised position is open to applicants who, on the deadline for applications, meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Staff Regulations, as well as the following criteria:

1.     Knowledge of languages

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) is required. A good knowledge of the other language (minimum level B1 in the same categories) will be considered an asset.

Please indicate in your CV the language level according to the following assessment model: https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference

2.     Experience and skills

During the selection process, applicants will need to demonstrate:

2.1 Field-related skills and knowledge

—          relevant professional experience in similar duties;

—          familiarity with the Financial Regulation;

—          sound knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint);

—          good command of SAP (or a similar accounting system).

2.2 General competencies

—          critical thinking, analysing and problem-solving;

—          self-management;

—          working together;

—          communication.

APPLICATIONS

The deadline for applications is 12:00 (midday) Luxembourg time on 6 May 2026.

Applications must be submitted only via the online form provided for the advertised position, and must comprise the following documents in English or French:

—          a cover letter (max. one page);

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

—          (only for EU officials not at the ECA) a document confirming your function group, grade and status as an official.

Successful candidates in an EU AST open competition must quote the relevant reference number in their CV or cover letter.

Applications received after the deadline or not submitted using the online form provided for this purpose will be rejected.

The selection committee will evaluate applications based solely on the information given in these documents. It may ask candidates to provide supporting evidence for statements made in their applications. If candidates fail to provide such evidence when it is requested, their applications will be rejected.

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.

Applicants who are not included in the staff categories mentioned under the section “WHAT WE ARE OFFERING”, but whose profiles match with the language, experience and skills requirements, may express their interest in this position by sending a cover letter and a CV, within the same deadline and respecting the same format as described above, to ECA-Selection@eca.europa.eu. The ECA reserves the right to draw on these applicants if the post is not filled by an official or a successful candidate from an EU competition reserve list[3].

 
[3]    If the ECA were to draw on these applicants, the subsequent selection would be for a temporary post, grade AST 1, step 1.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMODATIONS

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. We also take measures to reconcile working life with family life.

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 applicants’ personal data are processed in compliance with Regulation (EU) 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) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC.

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