External Vacancy Notice - CA FGIV - Financial Adviser

(Réf. HaDEA- EXT/IV/2026/12 FA)
Type of post and selection : External - Contract Agent (CA)
Function group : FG IV
Place of employment : Brussels, Belgium
Closing date for applications (Brussels time) : 12/10/2026 12:00
Number of candidates on reserve list : 15

About us

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) was established by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/173 of 12 February 2021. Located in Brussels, the Agency comprises 3 departments and 10 units. Our colleagues are international experts and specialists in matters related to health, food, digital, industry, space, communication and finance. 

We currently manage the following programmes on behalf of the European Commission: 

  • EU4Health programme;
  • Horizon Europe: Pillar II, Cluster 1: Health;
  • Single Market Programme: Food safety: health for humans, animals and plants along the food chain and better training for safer food;
  • Digital Europe Programme;
  • Connecting Europe Facility: Digital;
  • Horizon Europe: Pillar II, Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space.

The Agency reports to six Directorates-General of the European Commission – Health and Food Safety (SANTE), Research and Innovation (RTD), Communication Networks, Content and Technologies (CNECT), Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW) and Health Emergency Preparedness and Response  (HERA) – which remain responsible for programming and evaluation. 

For more information on HaDEA, please visit https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/index_en.    

Why join us?

Working in the Agency will put you at the heart of the European Commission’s ambition to build a healthier, more digital, resilient and better prepared Europe.

The Agency has a workplace culture of staff empowerment and engagement. A culture of listening to staff, working collaboratively with respect and trust on a common vision of purpose and success. Staff engagement as a top priority, opportunities to provide meaningful feedback and share ideas, teamwork, open communication and room for innovation are common markers of HaDEA’s culture.

The staff of HaDEA is committed to the seven values defined through a participatory process: client orientation, excellence, fairness, integrity, transparency, trust and work-life balance.  

HaDEA is a workplace in which employees feel proud to belong. The Agency facilitates a working environment where staff are encouraged to keep their skills up to date and develop additional competencies. Several wellbeing initiatives in the areas of physical, mental and organisational health are aimed at supporting staff to improve their resilience to cope with the demands of a world in constant change.

HaDEA has an on-boarding programme to support staff arrivals to the Agency. The People sector (HR), the respective teams, line managers and buddies (experienced colleagues assigned to support new staff) will help newcomers to easily integrate and settle in. We look forward to welcoming you to HaDEA.

 

Job description

Overall purpose

The mission of HaDEA Unit C.1 - Operational Finance is to support the operational units and external stakeholders through the financial management of actions implemented by HaDEA throughout their lifecycle. We ensure optimal allocation of versatile resources while bringing innovation and sharing expertise so that, together, we enable HaDEA to successfully fulfil its mandate.

We are a large unit, organised in four programme-specific sectors with cross-unit teams, with a current 2026 allocation of 96 staff members. 

Unit C.1 and its sectors have an excellent team spirit and are eager to welcome colleagues that seek challenging, yet very rewarding work environment. We are looking for enthusiastic, service-oriented, experienced, talented colleagues with specialised skills in financial management of complex grant and procurement actions, with particular emphasis on budget, accounting, reporting and audit implementation.

 

Functions and duties

BUDGET, FINANCE, CONTRACTS and ACCOUNTING

  • To report on and to ensure monitoring of commitments, expenditure and recoveries, and to monitor accounting data quality exercises through corporate IT tools (SUMMA/eGrants/other local systems), where relevant.
  • To lead assignments linked to the financial/legal procedures and note drafting, process and team organisation and monitoring, audit implementation, budget reporting, accounting, data mining and reporting.
  • To provide advice and support to both hierarchy and staff, as well as training at the Sector, Unit and Agency level.
  • To ensure that the relevant financial transactions (commitments, invoices and payments, recovery orders, forecast of revenue, de-commitments or guarantee fund interventions, where relevant), including documentation and data, are financially correct and in conformity with the grant agreement or contract and the applicable regulatory framework.
  • To verify project expenditure as reported in cost statements and provide reasonable assurance that claimed costs comply with the contractual requirements.
  • To give visa as a Financial Initiator/Financial Verificator in SUMMA, where relevant, and/or as a Support Officer/FVA in eGrants/eProcurement/eExpert workflows.
  • To participate in and coordinate accounting quality checks and exercises, including contribution to the preparation of the "cut off" procedure.
  • To analyse financial capacity of applicants/tenderers and provide advice on financial capacity assessment, where applicable.
  • To contribute to the collection of the necessary information for audit and control by the Agency, Commission’s services or the European Court of Auditors.
  • To ensure implementation of the audit findings and analyse financial aspects of control and audit reports of the Agency, Commission services, the European Court of Auditors and Member States (where applicable).
  • To prepare and/or verify recovery, enforced recovery and waiver files.
  • To regularly review legal instruments and methodology in the financial domain. To prepare financial procedures and to keep them up to date.
  • To ensure collaboration with colleagues and services in order to develop and implement harmonised procedures, norms and methods to process and access financial information and documents.
  • To provide advice and technical support to staff, as well as to external stakeholders, at the different steps of the lifecycle of an action (selection, GAP / contract preparation, amendment and closing of grant agreements, commitments, payments, ex-post audit implementation, recoveries) in order to solve specific financial issues as well as to ensure financial viability.
  • To participate in the periodic monitoring and approval of internal procedures/good practices.
  • To provide ‘on the spot’ training to staff responsible for financial initiation.
  • To coordinate other horizontal tasks (such as reporting, audit liaison, budget correspondent, internal control, anti-fraud, pre-litigation support functions, as well as other specific tasks or team coordination tasks).
  • To produce reports on financial, budget or grant management issues using corporate tools.
  • To extract and provide information, data or statistics on financial/contractual aspects of the actions managed by the granting authority.
  • To reply to information requests from the hierarchy and other services.
  • To contribute to reports or replies to information requests from other departments within the Agency, Commission’s services, authorities of the Member States and the general public on budget, finance and contractual matters.

Professional qualifications and other requirements

A. Eligibility criteria[1]

Candidates will be considered eligible for selection based on the following criteria to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:

  1. Have successfully passed an EPSO CAST tests for contract agents valid for Executive Agencies[2] in the function group of the present call for expression of interest;

    Candidates without a valid EPSO CAST at the time of submitting their application can still apply for this call for expression of interest if they have completed and validated[3] the online application form of the Call for Expressions of Interest in function group IV launched by EPSO[4]. These candidates, if pre-selected, will be invited by EPSO to sit a series of computer-based multiple-choice question (MCQ) tests during the testing window corresponding to the present call for expression of interest[5]. Only candidates who have successfully passed these tests will be considered eligible for this selection.
  2. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma[6];

  3. Thorough knowledge (level C1 in all dimensions as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFRL[7]) of one of the languages of the European Union and a satisfactory knowledge (level B2 in all dimensions as per the CEFRL) of another EU language to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

  4. Be a national of a member state of the European Union.  

  5. Be entitled to full rights as a citizen.

  6. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service.

  7. Meet the appropriate character requirements as to the candidate’s suitability for the performance of the duties involved in this Vacancy notice.

  8. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post[8].

Please note that only candidates that comply with all the eligibility criteria will be considered for further steps of the selection procedure.

B. Selection criteria

Essential

1.      After obtaining qualifications mentioned in section 3.A.2, candidates must have acquired at least 2 years of professional experience relevant to the tasks described in section 2. Job Description[9], in particular financial, contractual and/or legal management of grant and/or tender programmes (publicly or privately funded). 

2.      Very good oral and written command of English with spoken and written skills equivalent to level C1 or higher level for working purposes (very good, excellent, fluent, advanced, proficient, native, or similar).

Advantageous

1.      Demonstrated professional experience in rules and procedures linked to the lifecycle of EU-managed actions, from Work Programme publication to review of the call document, preparation of grant agreements, procurement contracts or equivalent instruments.

2.      Demonstrated professional experience in the field of financial management, including managing legal aspects of grant and procurement actions.

3.      Demonstrated professional experience in the field of accounting or budget forecasting and monitoring.

4.      Demonstrated professional experience gained in audit or ex-post controls.

5.      Demonstrated professional experience gained in coordinating tasks within a team.

6.      University education attested by a diploma or a post-graduate diploma in finance, business administration, economics, accounting or law.

Interpersonal competencies (some of the following will tested during the interview)

  • Motivation, teamwork aptitude and capacity to work autonomously;
  • Ability to work under pressure and manage responsibilities within tight deadlines;
  • Analytical skills with the capacity to understand complex situations and find solutions;
  • Good communication and negotiation skills required to work efficiently with internal and external stakeholders;
  • Ability to contribute to decisions about both technical and strategic matters.

 

Candidates must explicitly describe and substantiate, in the dedicated parts of the application form, how they meet the above-mentioned selection criteria (essential and advantageous). In their motivation, candidates should explain their interest in the position in the HaDEA Agency and highlight what they can offer. The Selection Committee may take the motivation into account as part of its overall assessment (point 4.B). 

[1] Articles 82(2) and (3) of the CEOS and Decision of HaDEA Steering Committee of 26/2/2021 on the application by analogy of Commission Decision C(2017)6760 final of 16 October 2017 on the engagement of contract staff.  
[2] Please consult the EPSO CAST reserve lists acceptable for our Agency: https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/working-hadea_en.  Please note that candidates who are on a valid EPSO CAST list published in 2010 (CAST2010) are eligible on the condition they have successfully passed the complementary tests (DB3), as an Annex to the selection procedure CAST2010. The candidates concerned are invited to consult the letter they received from EPSO for further information.    
[3] Candidates are fully responsible for the creation, validation and regular update of their EPSO CAST profile in the function group of the present call (please refer to Contract Staff (CAST Permanent) | EU Careers (europa.eu). Otherwise, candidates’ details are not or not any more visible to the recruiting services and they cannot be invited to sit a series of computer-based multiple-choice question (MCQ) tests. Candidate’s application in the EPSO CAST database must be active during the whole duration of the procedure.
[4] Contract Staff (CAST Permanent) | EU Careers (europa.eu)
[5] Please note that information regarding the MCQ tests, including invitations, will be exclusively sent via the candidates’ EPSO account. The organisation of the EPSO CAST Testing is managed entirely by EPSO and HaDEA has no influence on any aspect of it. Therefore, candidates are reminded of their responsibility to consult their EPSO account and to follow EPSO instructions. Failing to do so will result in exclusion from the selection procedure as HaDEA will not be able to send a candidate for another testing window and without a positive result to the test, applications cannot be considered further.
[6] For FGIV: where justified in the interest of the service, professional training of an equivalent level. Only study titles that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are subject to the equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration. EXAMPLES OF MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS PER MEMBER STATE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM AND PER GRADE | Careers with the European Union (europa.eu)
[7] Please consult the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
[8] Before the appointment, a successful candidate shall be medically examined by one of the institutions’ medical officers in order that the Agency may be satisfied that the candidate fulfils the requirement of Article 82(d) of the CEOS.
[9] Professional experience is counted only from the time you obtained the diploma and qualifications for being eligible (see point A(2) here above). At a later stage, you will be asked to provide supporting documents confirming the length and the level of your professional experience.  

Selection procedure

A. Eligibility check

First, the HaDEA People Sector, on behalf of the Selection Committee, will check the submitted applications against the eligibility criteria (point 3.A). Only eligible applications will be assessed further.

B. Assessment of eligible applications

The Selection Committee will analyse the answers provided in the Application Form of eligible candidates submitted via IT selection tool (see point 6. below) with reference to:

  • The selection criteria ("Professional qualifications and other requirements" - point 3.B, under points "Essential" and "Advantageous");
  • The motivation expressed in the application;
  • The overall assessment of the quality and suitability of the application based on the requirements of the post. 

Submitted applications that do not meet one or more of the essential selection criteria (see point 3.B “Selection criteria” / “Essential”) or applications which do not include all requested answers to questions in the Application form will not be evaluated further. 

Upon completion of the assessment, the Selection Committee will establish a shortlist of pre-selected candidates matching best the needs of the Agency for the functions and duties mentioned in this Call, who will be invited to the next phase of the selection procedure.

C. Invitation to computer-based tests

Shortlisted candidates having applied to the Call for Expressions of Interest in function group IV in the EPSO CAST Permanent will be invited by EPSO to sit a series of computer-based multiple choice question (MCQ) tests during the testing window corresponding to the present call for expression of interest. Only candidates who have successfully passed these tests[1] will be considered further.

Shortlisted candidates who have a valid EPSO CAST already will not have to sit the EPSO CAST tests again and will be directly invited to the next phase, i.e. the interview. 

D. Interview

Shortlisted candidates, who have successfully passed the EPSO CAST in the function group of this call, will be invited for an interview[2] (duration: 30 minutes, language of the interview: English).

The interview will assess skills and competences related to the job description and selection criteria under point 3.B of this call for expression of interest. Candidates scoring less than 60% of the total score of the interview will not be considered further.

E. Reserve list

It is estimated that 15 candidates with the highest marks achieved and reaching at least 60% of total score during the interview will be proposed to the Authority Empowered to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AECE) of the Agency for inclusion on the reserve list. 

The reserve list will be valid until 31 December 2027 and may be used for other positions with similar duties in the same function group. The validity of the reserve list may be extended by decision of the AECE.

The resulting reserve list of successful candidates may be made available to other Executive Agencies that could be interested in the profile and may therefore contact the candidates placed on the reserve list. This would involve sharing personal data included in the Application (and/or CV). Please note that you can object to this processing by sending an email to HADEA-TALENT-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu.

Candidates should note that their inclusion on the reserve list does not imply any entitlement to employment in the Agency.

A second round of interviews may be organized before the offer of an employment. 

[1] See Contract Staff (CAST Permanent) | EU Careers (europa.eu)
[2] In exceptional cases, in relation to the EPSO CAST testing schedule and the timing of the testing window corresponding to the present call for expression of interest, shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview before they sit the EPSO CAST test OR before the results of the EPSO CAST test are communicated by EPSO. 

 

Selection committee

A Selection Committee will be appointed for this selection procedure and will be composed of at least four members, including a member designated by the Staff Committee to represent the staff.

The names of the Selection Committee members will be communicated to candidates upon notification of the outcome of the assessment of eligible applications (see point 4. “Selection Procedure”, “Assessment of eligible applications”).

However, under no circumstances should candidates approach the Selection Committee members, either directly or indirectly, concerning this selection procedure. Candidates doing so will be immediately disqualified from the selection process. 

Application procedure

To apply for this position, candidates must submit an online application via the IT selection tool GESTMAX (candidates must first create an account or sign in to their active account).

Candidates must provide answers to all the questions related to this specific selection procedure (in a limited number of characters) in the online Application. These specific questions are based on the selection criteria provided in the Vacancy notice and answers will be assessed by the Selection Committee. By submitting the application, the candidate declares that replies to all questions as correct and true. If at any stage of the process it is established that any of the information provided is incorrect, the candidate will be disqualified.

There is no obligation to submit applications in English, however documents sent in English will greatly facilitate the work of the Selection Committee. 

The Selection Committee will only assess answers provided to the questions within the application specifically indicated and related to this selection procedure. The sections constituting your electronic CV will be used at the interview stage for reference only. Should there be any discrepancy between the information provided in the replies to the questions and the sections in the electronic CV (example: professional experience), only the information in the replies to the question will be taken into consideration during the application assessment. 

After a correct submission of an application, candidates will receive an automated acknowledgement of receipt to the email account indicated in their application. 

The Agency strongly advises not to wait until the last few days before the deadline for applying, since heavy internet traffic or connection difficulties could lead to problems. Under no circumstance will late applications be accepted.

It is the sole responsibility of each applicant to complete ALL relevant fields of the online application (in particular questions linked to this specific selection procedure, which form an essential basis for the assessment of candidates) and to submit it before the deadline for submission. Any information or documentation provided after the deadline will not be taken into account.

A candidate will be disqualified if:

  • the candidate does not submit the online application (via Gestmax) by the deadline;
  • at any stage in the procedure it is established that information the candidate provided is incorrect or false, or that the candidate made declarations unsupported by the appropriate documents.
  • the candidate failed to inform the HaDEA People Sector of the Agency of a possible conflict of interest with a Selection Committee member;
  • the candidate attempted to contact, or contacted, a member of the Selection Committee either directly or indirectly concerning this recruitment procedure;
  • the candidate failed to sit the EPSO CAST test (if applicable) and/or attend the interview.

Candidates are also required to inform the HaDEA People Sector (HADEA-TALENT-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu) in case there are any relatives (of the candidate) working currently or applying at HaDEA.

Candidates are invited to indicate in their communication with the HaDEA People Sector any special arrangements that may be required if invited to attend an on-line interview.

Equal opportunities

The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without discrimination on the ground of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Appointment and conditions of employment

The selected candidate(s) will need to have a valid EPSO CAST in the right Function group in order to be hired (see point 3.A).

Any offer of employment shall be made by the AECE on the basis of the reserve list. A contract offer will be made as a contract staff member, in function group IV, in accordance with Article 3a of the CEOS and the Decision of HaDEA Steering Committee of 26/2/2021 on the application by analogy of Commission Decision C(2017)6760 of 16 October 2017 on the engagement of contract staff.  The contract will be concluded for an initial duration of one year, with the possibility of renewal for another year. If the contract is renewed again, it shall be concluded for an indefinite period.

The basic monthly salary[10] for Contract Agent FGIV (in grade 14, step 1) is EUR [HZ1]  5 034,18. In addition to the basic salary, staff members may be entitled to various allowances, in particular household allowance, expatriation allowance (4 or 16% of the basic salary), dependent child allowance and education allowance. The salary is subject to a Union tax deducted at source and staff members are exempt from national taxation. 

The classification in grade will be done in accordance with the above-mentioned Decision and will depend on the assessment of the qualification and professional experience of the selected candidate. At the request of HaDEA, the selected candidates will have to evidence with supporting documents the information contained in their application.

For successful candidates in Function Group IV under the terms of Article 3b, a reassessment of their grade will be done at recruitment and might impact their current grading (that might turn into an upgrade, a downgrade or keeping their current grade). In order to manage realistic expectations in this sense, it is strongly recommended to refer to Article 5 of the above-mentioned Decision for classification in the function group at entry into service.

The place of employment will be Brussels, Belgium where the Agency has its premises.

For further information on working conditions of contract staff, see the Agency’s website or the website of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO).

[1] EUR-Lex - 52025XC06564 - EN - EUR-Lex

Request for review

The candidate can request a review of any decision taken by the Selection Committee that established the results and/or determines whether a candidate can proceed to the next phase of the selection procedure or is excluded. 

Requests for review can only be based on: 

-        a material irregularity in the selection procedure process; and/or

-        non-compliance, by the Selection Committee, with the Staff regulations, the Vacancy notice and/or case law.

This request must be made within 10 working days of the date of the e-mail notifying the candidate of the outcome of the selection procedure[1]. The request should quote the reference number of the selection procedure concerned, the name of the candidate and the phrase “request for review” in the subject of the e-mail. The request should be addressed to the Chairperson of the Selection Committee and sent to the following address: HADEA-TALENT-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu. The candidate should clearly indicate the decision that the candidate wishes to contest and on which grounds.

During the review, the Selection Committee can only take into consideration information contained on the candidate’s Application form at the deadline for submission. Any additional information or documentation provided after that deadline will not be considered. The Selection Committee will acknowledge receipt of the request submitted, assess the request and notify the candidate of its decision within 15 working days of receipt of the request. 

It should be noted that candidates are not allowed to challenge the validity of the Selection Committee’s assessment of the quality of their performance during an interview and/or written test, or of the relevance of their qualifications and professional experience. This assessment is a value judgement made by the Selection Committee and their disagreement with the Selection Committee’s evaluation of their performance during an interview and/or written test, or the relevance of their qualifications and professional experience, does prove that an error was made. Requests for review submitted on this basis will not lead to a positive outcome.

[1] Should the candidate ask further information to the Selection Committee on the candidate’s results, in view of assessing the pertinence of, or substantiate, the request for review, the delay will be suspended between the date of the request for information until the date the Selection Committee provides feedback to the candidate.  

Appeal procedure

Pursuant to Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities ("Staff Regulations"), any candidate may submit to the to the AECE (i.e., the Director of the Agency) a complaint against a decision, or lack thereof, that adversely affects them, if they believe that the rules governing the selection procedure have been infringed.  

1.     Administrative complaints 

Administrative complaints must be lodged within three months from the date on which the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting them. The complaint should quote the reference number of the selection procedure concerned, the name of the candidate and the phrase “Administrative Complaint” or “Article 90” in the subject of the email. Any such complaint should be addressed to the AECE of HaDEA and sent to the following email address: HADEA-TALENT-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu. 

The AECE cannot overturn a value judgement made by the Selection Committee. The AECE shall notify the person concerned of its reasoned decision within four months from the date on which the complaint was lodged. 

2.     Judicial appeal

Candidates may submit a judicial appeal of the act adversely affecting them pursuant to Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations. For details on how to submit a judicial appeal and how to determine the deadlines, please consult the website of the General Court at CURIA - Home - Court of Justice of the European Union (europa.eu) .

3.     European Ombudsman

Candidates can lodge a complaint to the European Ombudsman within two years of the date when they become aware of the facts on which the complaint is based. Before submitting such complaint, the candidate must first make the appropriate administrative approaches to the institutions and bodies concerned (see above). Making a complaint to the Ombudsman does not extend the deadlines for lodging administrative complaints or judicial appeal. 

Please consult the website of the European Ombudsman at Home | European Ombudsman (europa.eu) for further information on the submission of complaints to the Ombudsman.

Data protection

The purpose of processing the data submitted by candidates is to evaluate applications in view of possible recruitment at the Agency. The personal information requested by the Agency from candidates will be processed in accordance 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. In this regard, please see the Data Protection Notice.

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