ECA/2023/18 - Accounting assistant (one post)

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 900 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 can make a difference by helping the EU to make a better use of its money. We contribute to improving the EU’s financial management and promote accountability and transparency. 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 our 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 teleworking, including from outside the place of residence. 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.

As part of the Directorate for Human Resources, Finance and General Services, the Budgetary and Accounting department offers a high-quality professional budgetary and accounting management service. Its mission is:

- to ensure that the ECA has the budget it needs, while ensuring sound financial management in the context of the current legislative framework;

- to supervise and facilitate budget implementation and treasury management;

-  to present reliable annual accounts.

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[1].

We are seeking to recruit an Accounting assistant in the Budget and Accounting department.

Under the authority of the principal manager – the ECA’s Accounting Officer, the assistant will be required to:

—          Execute various financial operations (prepare vendors, missions and salary payments, create vendors, checks in SAP, etc.);

—          liaise with other institutions and carry-out regular reconciliations of the interinstitutional liaison accounts; recover amounts established as receivable and control debit note received from other institutions; 

—          help to prepare the budget, the annual accounts and the regular budgetary reports;

—          manage the archives of the service;

—          carry out some ex-post controls to improve the ECA’s internal controls;

—          assist the Accounting Officer with various and ad hoc tasks.

[1]     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) and a good knowledge of the other language (minimum level B1 in the same categories) are required.

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:

 —          relevant professional experience of similar duties, showing a high level of efficiency;

—          sound knowledge of the EU Financial Regulation and of EU general administrative and budgetary procedures;

—          discretion, tact and diplomacy;

—          ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;

—          very good organisational and prioritisation skills;

—          ability to fit into a team, but when required the ability to work independently and under pressure;

—          a proactive and problem-solving approach.

3.           Assets

In addition to the above, a good command of SAP software will be considered an asset.

APPLICATIONS

The deadline for applications is 12:00 (midday) CET on 29 September 2023.

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;

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

-      (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 competition must quote the relevant reference number in their CV or cover letter.

Any application received after the deadline or which is not submitted using the online form 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.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

In line with ECA’s 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 handicap or 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

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:

Request for the selection board to reconsider its decision

You may submit a written reasoned request for reconsideration of a decision taken by the selection board. 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, Sunday or Saturday, the period shall end with the expiry of the last hour of the following working day.

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

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.

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.