Budget and Accounting Assistant (Local Agent Group II)

Delegación Union Europea en Panama; Washington; On-site; USD 90,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

401(k)

401(k) matching

Disability insurance

Vision insurance

Job summary

An international organization in Washington, DC is seeking a Budget and Accounting Assistant to manage financial transactions, ensure compliance with regulations, and assist in procurement processes. Applicants should have a high school diploma and at least 3 years of relevant experience. This full-time position offers competitive benefits including health insurance and paid time off.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years' relevant experience in budget, finance/accounting or contracts.
• Experience in financial management, initiation, and verification functions.
• Knowledge of EU procedures for External Actions is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance of financial transactions with regulations.
• Assist in the preparation and control of financial aspects in tenders.
• Manage correspondence on financial issues with internal/external actors.

Skills

Financial Transactions management

Compliance with regulations

Procurement procedures

Audit support

Document management

Education

High School/Secondary school diploma

Higher education in finance/accounting

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Budget and Accounting Assistant (Local Agent Group II)

08.09.2025 Expired

The European Union Delegation to the United States of America, Washington DC is looking for:

Budget and Accounting Assistant (Local Agent Group II) – 2 Year Contract Subject to Renewal

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 organisations. Abroad, the EU is represented through some 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy.

The EU Delegation to the United States of America in Washington, D.C. works in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a full-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the U.S. government in areas that are part of the EU’s remit.

We offer

We offer the post of a Budget and Accounting Assistant (Local Agent Group II) in the Delegation's FPI Team. The team consists of 8 people and there are occasional atypical working hours. Under this post, the successful candidate will be working directly with the Program Officers providing assistance in contracts and grants administration. They will also serve as support staff under the supervision and responsibility of the Head of FPI (Americas) Team, and will be assigned the following main tasks and duties:

BUDGET, FINANCE, CONTRACTS and ACCOUNTING - Financial Transactions

• Ensure compliance of the financial transactions with the regulatory environment (e.g. basic acts, Financial Regulation, implementing rules, internal rules, financing decisions, instructions);
• Ensure the legality, regularity and correctness of agreements, procurement contracts and grant agreements, and financial transactions by performing a standard set of checks and control procedures;
• Carry out SUMMA/CRIS transactions related to budget lines managed directly by FPI.
• Assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of data in information systems (e.g. SUMMA, CRIS, OPSYS, PPMT) before granting Financial Initiation visa;
• Implement and monitor internal control principles with respect to financial procedures;
• Assess and ensure the successful completion of the financial circuit for financial transactions in the accounting system;
• Assess and ensure the validity of bank guarantees;
• Participate as secretary in evaluation committees.

BUDGET, FINANCE, CONTRACTS and ACCOUNTING – Procurement

• Provide advice and support on the public procurement procedures as well as procedures for awarding grants and other forms of financing (agreements with UN agencies and other IOs, service contracts, etc.);
• Provide advice and comments on draft agreements/contracts;
• Initiate call for tenders and call for proposals;
• Participate as secretary of evaluation committees. Prepare signatories for the awarding and conclusion of contracts;
• Assess tender procedures and procurement files in accordance with the regulatory environment and assess and ensure the validity of bank guarantees.

BUDGET, FINANCE, CONTRACTS and ACCOUNTING - Financial Tasks

• Assist in the preparation and control of the financial aspects in the calls for tenders and calls for proposals;
• Assist with the reporting, planning, budgeting and audit actors as regards required information;
• Manage Functional Mail Boxes as assigned.

BUDGET, FINANCE, CONTRACTS and ACCOUNTING - Support to FPI contracts of the Regional Team and the associated EU Delegations

• Provide support and back up for financial initiation tasks in order to ensure business continuity.

INFORMATION and DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT - Management of financial information

• Manage correspondence on financial issues with external and internal actors within the tasks and topics assigned;
• Oversee all original contracts and corresponding databases;
• Check and ensure the correctness and authenticity of the originals of signed contracts and other original financial documents;
• Ensure the quality and consistency of financial data in the different databases and systems.

AUDIT, CONTROL and INSPECTION - Audit support and follow-up

• Participate in the risk assessment of contracts with the aim to identify cases that require an additional ex-ante control (e.g. supporting documents, on-the-spot control, external audit);
• Cooperate with the operational and audit actors so as to provide additional information needed in the scope of the performed audits;
• Provide comments on draft audit and expenditure verification reports;
• Carry out on-the-spot checks and ensure follow up.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

• To assist the Head of the FPI Regional Team and/or Head of Delegation in ensuring the liaison with institutional partners on aspects concerning FPI programmes/projects and their financial and contractual implications.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION (General)

• Presentation of EU rules and regulations related to finance and contracts.
• Providing assistance for other relevant section tasks (up to 20% of working time), as may be required, and participating in the activities of the section and Delegation as necessary.

There are occasional atypical working hours.

We offer a competitive position in an international environment working in close coordination with colleagues across the EU Delegation.

There is a competitive benefits package as follows:

• The salary range is not negotiable but determined by proof of relevant and verified employment experience, starting from $90K (3 years’ experience), $99K (10 years’ experience), $104K (15 years’ experience) etc.
• 24 personal leave days per year
• 13/14 Public Holidays
• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Short term disability insurance

This is a 2-year contract subject to renewal. The expected start date will be 1 November/1 December 2025.

Eligibility requirements

• Minimum of High School/Secondary school diploma or equivalent; higher education in finance/accounting or contracts/procurement an advantage;
• Minimum of 3 years' relevant experience in the fields of budget, finance/accounting or contracts.
• Experience in financial and contract management, financial initiation and/or verification functions;
• Relevant experience in accounting/analysis of invoices, good command of Office automation tools;
• Knowledge and experience in EU procedures for External Actions, previous experience in an EU Delegation or European Commission HQ, relevant experience working with EU-funded projects is an advantage;
• Proven capacity to focus on priorities, to multi-task and to organize work to deliver on time in a structured manner, often within tight deadlines;
• Proven ability to work in a team with good inter-personal skills. Ability to communicate clearly and to work in a multicultural environment;
• Computer literate (and knowledge of commonly used programs such as Microsoft Office Suite);
• Excellent proficiency of English (written and spoken); a command of at least one other European language, in particular Spanish, is considered an advantage.

How to apply

It is important to note that the Delegation of the European Union does not sponsor visas for Local Agents. Applicants must have a valid US work authorization at the time of application that does not require Delegation of the European Union sponsorship.

The applicant must send the following to be considered:

• A cover letter and Curriculum Vitae using the Europass template available at: https://europa.eu/europass/en . Please note that CVs in other formats will not be considered.
• For all traineeships, please indicate if these are paid or unpaid.
• The resume must also include the names and contact details of at least two referees who can attest to your professional and personal attributes in the event you are shortlisted for the post. References will only be taken up for those who are shortlisted.

Only applications that meet all of the above criteria and submitted via Indeed.com will be considered.

The process

After the deadline for applications, the applications will be reviewed by a Selection Panel set up for this purpose. The Selection Panel will prepare a short-list of candidates who are considered the most suitable for the post based on a preliminary assessment of the information provided in the cover letter and resume. The short-listed candidates will be invited to an assessment phase, which will include an interview and practical test. During this phase, the Selection Panel will assess the suitability of the candidates for the post. Those candidates who have not been short-listed will not be contacted individually; however, 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 Panel, but address your questions and comments to the Delegation’s Administration.

Job Types: Full-time, Contract

Pay: $90,000.00 - $104,000.00 per year

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Application Question(s):

• You must have an existing US work authorization (e.g. US Citizen, Permanent Resident, EAD) that does not now or will not require EU Delegation sponsorship in the future.
• Please describe in 1-2 sentences: How is your previous experience relevant to this role? Why are you a good fit for this job?

Education: High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience: Relevant budget, financial/accounting, or contracts: 3 years (Required)