JOB DESCRIPTION

MAKE A DIFFERENCE – JOIN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Do you want to help shape the future of the European Union? Make the planet greener,
promote a fairer society, or support businesses and innovation across the EU? Then come and
work for the European Commission where you can really make a difference!

Commission staff are a diverse group of people, who are motivated to help make Europe – and
the world – a better place. They come from the 27 Member States of the European Union.
Different nationalities, backgrounds, languages and cultures make the Commission a vibrant and
inclusive place to work.

WE OFFER GREAT JOBS AND GREAT WORKING CONDITIONS:

•

Interesting and challenging jobs with plenty of opportunities for training and acquiring
new skills and competencies throughout your whole career

• Opportunities to move between different policy areas throughout your career
• A package of flexible working conditions including the possibility of teleworking – we

care about your work-life balance

• A competitive financial package, including comprehensive healthcare, accident and

pension schemes

• A multilingual, multicultural workplace where personal and career development are

strongly promoted

• Multilingual schools for your children

We recruit from a wide range of backgrounds and actively promote diversity and
inclusion:

We do not only recruit political scientists and lawyers but are also looking for all kinds of
profiles, including scientists, linguists, IT experts, data analysts and economists, as well as drivers
and engineers.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to fostering a rich, diverse and inclusive working
environment. We aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly
welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We actively seek to create a workplace where
each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full
potential.

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates, we strongly
encourage applicants from Member States which are currently underrepresented in the European
Commission workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden1. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the
merits of all applicants and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member
State.

For more information ec.europa.eu/work-with-us

STAFF RECRUITED ON CONTRACTS

In addition to permanent officials, the European Commission offers non-permanent positions.
There are two categories of non-permanent staff:

•

temporary agents are recruited to fill vacant positions for a set amount of time or
to perform highly specialised tasks.

• contract agents may provide additional capacity in specialised fields where an
insufficient number of officials is available or carry out a number of administrative or
manual tasks. They are generally recruited for fixed-term contracts (maximum 6 years in
any EU Institution), but in some cases they can be offered contracts for an indefinite
duration (in offices, agencies, delegations or representations).

For more information on different staff categories

1 Please note that the list of underrepresented Member States may be subject to future amendment based on potential
data changes over time.

(Selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711)

External Auditor – Policy officer in
charge of relations with Parliament,
Council and ECA
Directorates-General for Regional and Urban Policy and
Employment, Social Affairs and
Inclusion
(DGs REGIO and EMPL)
of the European Commission
Joint Audit Directorate for Cohesion (REGIO.EMPL.DAC)

Selection reference: REGIO/COM/2025/1711
Domain*: REGIONAL POLICY – AUDIT, CONTROL and INSPECTION – EXTERNAL AUDIT
Where: Unit DAC 7 – Coordination, Relations with ECA and OLAF, Brussels
Staff category and Function Group: Temporary agent 2b – Administrator
Grade range: AD5-7
Publication deadline: 27/08/2025 – 12.00 (Brussels time)

WE ARE

The Joint Audit Directorate for Cohesion (Direction d’audit de la Cohésion – DAC) provides assurance
and audit results to both Directors-General – of DG EMPL and DG REGIO – for all funds under
Cohesion policy as well as indirect and direct management. The DAC (in place since July 2021) is
entrusted to test the effectiveness of management and control systems, ensure the respect of
applicable rules for all programmes. These are key factors that will contribute to the success and
good reputation of the Funds.

Unit DAC.7 is a single audit coordination unit for both DGs. The core mission is the methodological
support on audit matters to the operational audit units of the DAC and the Member States’ audit
authorities. Moreover, it includes the high-level reporting on audit activities of the DAC (including
the contribution on audit assurance to the Annual Activity Reports of the two DGs), the relations
with the European Court of Auditors on assurance and performance, including the discharge
process. The unit also deals with matters of anti-fraud and relations with OLAF and EPPO.

(Selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711)

WE PROPOSE

The policy officer is responsible for relations with the Court of Auditors and discharge bodies within
a team of 8 staff members.
The new colleague will, together with the team:
-Co-ordinate the work linked to each ECA performance audit which will be assigned to him/her
inside the ECA team, in close cooperation with the team members.
-Ensure the quality review of Commission’s replies provided on ECA findings in response to draft
clearing letters and special reports.
-Participate in adversarial meetings with the ECA in view of the release of the related ECA special
report, in cooperation with DG BUDG.
-Where necessary, attend the presentation of the special reports before CONT and/or Council.
-Co-ordinate the work linked to the ECA Statement of Assurance, in close cooperation with audit
units in the DAC.
-Contribute to the preparation of the Directors’ General and Commissioners’ briefings.
-Contribute to the Commission’s replies to be provided to written parliamentary questions
introduced in the context of the discharge process.
-Contribute to the presentation of the ECA Annual report before CONT (EP) and COMBUD (Council).
-Contribute to the Commission’s comments on the different opinions provided by both Council and
EP committees as well as on the draft discharge report and its amendments provided by CONT in
view of granting discharge to the Commission;
-Update regularly the RAD database managed by DG BUDG and aiming at following all
recommendations issued by the ECA and discharge bodies, for the audits under his/her
responsibility.
-Provide all input needed on any monitoring activities requested at the level of the Directorate or
the DGs on topics related to his/her files, preparation of the AAR or discussion of draft special
reports to the DG EMPL Coordination and DG REGIO Board
of Directors meetings.

WE LOOK FOR
We are looking for a proactive and motivated colleague with a positive, open mindset, eager to
learn, adaptable to change, and ready to grow within a dynamic and collaborative team. The ideal
candidate will be comfortable navigating between routine tasks and strategic challenges, managing
shifting priorities, and contributing with flexibility and resilience – especially during peak periods.
Strong planning and organisational skills are essential, as is the willingness to support others and
step up when the workload intensifies.

The candidate should demonstrate a solid understanding of Cohesion policy, with experience in
policy, audits or programme implementation considered a strong asset. Candidates should also
have sharp attention to detail, coupled with the ability to distinguish what truly matters. A strong
ability to communicate complex issues clearly and simply is essential, as are excellent drafting
skills. The candidate must be capable of organising and prioritising their work autonomously, with a
strong sense of responsibility and reliability.

The working language is English, good knowledge of French is definitely an asset.

(Selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711)

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:
1. your CV
Please send these documents by the publication deadline to [email protected]
indicating the selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711 in the subject.

2. completed application form.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.

(Selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711)

ANNEX

1. Selection

 Am I eligible to apply?

You must meet the following eligibility criteria when you validate your application:

Our rules provide that you can only be recruited as a temporary agent at the European Commission if you:

General criteria:

• Are a citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service
• Are physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post
• Produce the appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties.

Qualifications:
In order to be recruited for this position, you must have at least a level of education which
corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma.

Only qualifications issued or recognised as equivalent by EU Member State authorities (e.g. by the
Ministry of Education) will be accepted. Furthermore, before recruitment, you will be required to
provide the documents that corroborate the eligibility criteria (diplomas, certificates and other
supporting documents).

Languages:
•

have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1) of one of the 24 official languages of the
EU2

• AND a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2) of a second official language of the EU,

to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

 What about the selection steps?

The post was published internally within the Commission, inter-institutionally, and brought to the
attention of competition laureates.

2 The official languages of the European Union are: BG (Bulgarian), CS (Czech), DA (Danish), DE (German), EL
(Greek), EN (English), ES (Spanish), ET (Estonian), FI (Finnish), FR (French), GA (Irish), HR (Croatian), HU
(Hungarian), IT (Italian), LT (Lithuanian), LV (Latvian), MT (Maltese), NL (Dutch), PL (Polish), PT (Portuguese), RO
(Romanian), SK (Slovak), SL (Slovenian), SV (Swedish).

(Selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711)

In accordance with Article 29 of the Staff Regulations, applications from Commission officials,
officials from other Institutions, and laureates of competitions have priority3. If these candidates do
not best fit the requirements for the position, the Commission can recruit a temporary agent.

A selection panel will choose a limited number of candidates for interview, based on the CV and
application form that they submitted. Due to the large volume of applications, we may receive,
only candidates selected for the next step of the selection phase will be notified.

For operational reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in
the interest of the candidates and of the institution, the selection procedure will be carried out in
English and possibly in another language.

2. Recruitment

The candidate selected for recruitment will be requested to supply documentary evidence in
support of the statements made in their application.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a mandatory pre-recruitment medical check-
up, carried out by the Commission.

 Type of contract and working conditions

The place of employment will be Brussels.

In case the successful candidate is not an official or a competition laureate, they will be recruited
as a temporary agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants,
in function groups AD.

3 Officials from the Commission or other Institutions are invited to use the standard channels (Sysper or inter-
institutional vacancy portal).

(Selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711)

 Grade

The recruitment grade, as well as the step in that grade, will be determined in accordance with
Commission Decision C(2025)4716 on policies for the engagement and use of temporary agents
and with Commission Decision C(2013)8970 laying down the criteria applicable to classification in
step on engagement.

The recruitment grade will be calculated based on the qualifications and the number of years of professional
experience, according to Art. 13 of the Commission Decision C(2025)4716. Higher grades may be granted
exceptionally.

The duration of the 1st contract will be of 1 to 4 years. The contract might then be extended
only once for a maximum of 2 years and in the interest of service, in accordance with Commission
Decision C(2025)4716 on policies for the engagement and use of temporary agents.

All new staff have to successfully complete a 9-month probationary period.

The pay of staff members consists of a basic salary supplemented with specific allowances,
including, where applicable, expatriation and family allowances. The provisions guiding the
calculation of these allowances can be consulted in the Conditions of Employment of Other
Servants. As a member of staff of the European institutions, your pay is subject to a tax raised by
those institutions.

The European Commission applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in
accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations.

Should you need further information on working conditions, please refer to Working conditions and
benefits of EU Careers.

For information related to Data Protection, please see the Specific Privacy Statement under “7.
Information to data subjects on their rights”, to find your rights and how to exercise them in
addition to the privacy statement, which summarises the processing of your data.

(Selection reference REGIO/COM/2025/1711)