We are

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organizations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy. 

The EU Delegation to Ukraine works in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the Ukrainian government in areas that are part of the EU’s remit.

We offer

The post of a Budget Officer (Local Agent Group I) in the Delegation’s Finance, Contracts and Audit Section reporting to the Head of Finance, Contracts and Audit.

The Finance, Contracts and Audit team in the Delegation is to comprise around 20 staff in total.

There are occasional atypical working hours. Under this post, the recruited person will be attributed functions depending on the needs of the Delegation, and on the changes of these needs. The successful candidate will serve under the supervision and responsibility of the Head of Finance, Contracts and Audit, ensuring that the contractual (creation and management of legal commitments) and financial (budgetary commitments and de-commitments, payments, recoveries) management of projects and programs of development aid and of financial and technical cooperation with third countries is carried out in line with the overall instructions given by HQ.

The following main tasks and duties are currently required: 

PROCUREMENT and CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

• To coordinate the planning of procurement activities with operational counterparts 
• To advise operational colleagues on and to contribute to the preparation of contract forecasts, procurement notices, tender dossiers, tender clarifications, etc. 
• To act as secretary of evaluation committees in calls for tenders/proposals (preparation of short-list reports, short-list notices, evaluation reports, contract award notices, etc.) 
• To ensure the compliance with EC procurement procedures 
• To ensure day-to-day management of a clearly defined contract portfolio in support of and coordination with operational counterparts 
• To provide advice on contractual issues 
• To contribute to the preparation of contracts, financing decisions, financing agreements, and addenda 
• To ensure the compliance of contracts, financing decisions, financing agreements, and addenda with applicable rules 
• To act as financial initiating agent in financial circuits related to contracts 

AUDIT, CONTROL and INSPECTION

• To contribute to the preparation of audit plans 
• To draft terms of reference for audits 
• To tender and contract audits under the audit framework contract 
• To co-ordinate audit missions 
• To ensure follow-up of audit reports 

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• To liaise with beneficiary country and international organisations on aspects concerning the implementation of cooperation programmes/projects 
• To maintain good and effective contacts with representatives of the diplomatic missions of EU Member States and with representatives of the principal international donors 

BUDGET, FINANCE, CONTRACTS and ACCOUNTING

• To prepare financial reports and statistics 
• To provide advice on sound financial management 
• To ensure proper management of documents related to EU assistance programmes 
• To use IT systems as required 
• To provide training on financial and budgetary issues 
• To act as financial initiating agent in financial circuits related to payments, recovery orders, etc 
• Carry out other tasks as assigned by the Head of Section

The Employment Contract will be signed until 31/12/2027. The base salary will depend on relevant and verified employment experience, typically starting from 3911 USD (gross). There is a competitive benefits package, subject to certain conditions, including personal leave days and public holidays, health insurances and a retirement savings plan. 

The expected start date will be March-April 2025.

Minimum requirements / eligibility criteria (necessary for the application to be considered)

• University education with at least master’s degree;
• Job-Related experience: at least 5 years of relevant experience after obtaining the minimum required diploma;
• Working knowledge  of English – C1 (Listening, Reading, Spoken interaction, Spoken production, Writing); Ukrainian – C1 (Listening, Reading, Spoken interaction, Spoken production, Writing);
• Knowledge of IT tools: MS Office, Access and exploitation of database;
• Right to residence and work in Ukraine;
• Medical fitness to carry out the tasks assigned.

Assets / selection criteria (basis for awarding points to select the best applicant) 

• MA in Administration, Economics, Law or other related field;
• Experience in dealing with assessment of public procurement file;
• Knowledge of internal Commission procedures;
• Understanding of EC accounting applications

Personal skills:

Communication skills: 

• Capacity to communicate clearly and concisely and to present contractual matters in a simple way
• Excellent drafting skills

Interpersonal skills: 

• Ability to listen and understand, to consult and to share information and ideas
• Ability to work in a team in a multi-cultural environment
• Ability to discuss and negotiate with administrations and other entities from both private and public sector

Intellectual skills:

• Very strong analytical skills
• Ability to apply contractual rules to diverse real-life situations and find practical solutions 
• Ability to report on complex issues

Management skills/Organisational skills: 

• Proven organisational skills and the ability to prioritise multiple tasks
• Ability to meet tight deadlines

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Strong commitment to quality, speed and accuracy in ensuring a smooth and correct implementation of contractual procedures
• Strong sense of responsibility
• Flexibility to work under pressure and to respond quickly to new demands
• Sense for delivering good service (result-oriented)
• Able to both work independently (self-motivated) and as a member of a team
• Proven problem-solving abilities
   

How to apply

Please submit in English your application, consisting of a cover letter, Europass format CV https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/ and a declaration on honor regarding the work rights and medical fitness (no template, free format) via the Email: [email protected] (Reference: Budget Officer Job) no later than 07/02/2025. Only complete applications received on time via [email protected] will be considered. 

The successful candidate will be subject to a medical check.
 

The process

After the deadline for applications, the eligible applications will be admitted to the Selection by the Committee set up for this purpose. 

Depending on the number of applications received, successive phases of Selection may include shortlisting of candidates based assessment of the information provided in the cover letter, CV; practical testing and interviews.

Only candidates admitted to each successive selection phase will be contacted individually. The Delegation will use the same means of publication as for this job advertisement to inform the remaining candidates once the recruitment procedure has been completed and that a candidate has (or has not) been recruited.

The Delegation will not supply additional information or discuss the selection procedure. During the selection process, please do not contact the members of the Selection Committee, but address your questions and comments to [email protected] 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: 

The European Union is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EU is committed to promoting gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States. We aim at a service which is truly representative of society, where each staff member feels respected, is able to give their best and can develop their full potential.