Senior Specialist – Head of Team – Procurement & Contracts, Finance Unit (AD7)

Organisational setting:

The post of Senior Specialist - Head of Team – Procurement & Contracts is located in the Finance Unit, Administration Department, Capabilities Directorate.

The Finance Unit consists of 40-45 people and is responsible for financial administration, financial planning and reporting, procurement & contract administration and grant administration.

The Finance Unit is a centralised, accurate, innovative and transparent service oriented partner providing reliable and compliant support to all internal and external stakeholders equipped with dedicated and specialised resources under a unified management umbrella contributing to the overall positive image of the organisation and maximisation of the ethical usage of Europol funds.

Purpose of the post:

The Head of the Procurement & Contracts Team is responsible for developing and executing the procurement strategy and for optimising procurement processes to ensure cost efficiency, quality and the correct and compliant implementation of procurement contracts.

This role oversees all procurement operations across Europol, may negotiate contracts, and aligns procurement activities with business objectives. The Head of Team supervises, gives guidance to and coordinates the overall activities of the Procurement & Contracts Team.

Reporting lines:
The selected candidate will report to the Head of Finance Unit. 

FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

The incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:

Head of Team general people management responsibilities

• Coordinate the work of a group of individuals by effective and efficient planning, prioritisation, and scheduling of tasks and responsibilities;
• Monitor progress of work in line with key performance indicators; ensure work being produced is of high quality and meets business needs; apply corrective measures where needed;
• Define and supervise the accurate and timely execution of processes and procedures to ensure adherence to corporate policies, fundamental rights, standards and data protection regulations;
• Set clear expectations and objectives and direct work towards a common goal;
• Identify, address and propose resolutions to issues affecting the team; 
• Provide constructive feedback, guidance and support and coach team members;
• Encourage continuous learning and development of team members;
• Create an open, honest and inclusive team culture with respect for diversity, where team members are encouraged to perform at their best.

Specific responsibilities

• Support the Head of Unit in the development and implementation of the Finance strategy aligned with the organisational strategy, as well as of lean and efficient financial processes, policies and technologies, in line with the related legal framework and business needs;
• Develop and implement procurement strategies that support business goals and drive cost savings;
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, risk mitigation, and process improvement;
• Ensure alignment of procurement activities with the organisation’s overall financial and operational strategy;
• Develop and enforce procurement policies, procedures, and best practices;
• Drive procurement automation and digital transformation for efficiency improvements;
• Communicate procurement strategies and insights to senior management;
• Support the Head of Unit in the implementation of the yearly budgets, as well as of the yearly procurement plan, according to the principles of annuality and sound financial management, as well as in a compliant way;
• Support the Head of Unit by providing professional advice on financial and procurement matters, evaluation and interpretation of the legal framework in the area of expertise;
• Perform any other tasks in the area of competence as assigned by line management.

REQUIREMENTS - ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

REQUIREMENTS - ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

a. Candidates must

• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as further specified in Article 13 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

b. Candidates must have

• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more;

    OR

• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

    OR

• Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:

Duration of professional training    Additional professional experience required for equivalency
More than 6 months and up to 1 year    4 years
More than 1 year and up to 2 years        3 years
More than 2 years and up to 3 years      2 years
More than 3 years                                      1 year

•    In addition to the above at least 6 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.

REQUIREMENTS - SELECTION CRITERIA:

a.    Professional experience:
      Essential:    

• Experience in public procurement preferably five years or more, including the planning and coordinating of all procurement procedures as well as the preparation, launching and carrying out of competitive public procurement procedures;
• Experience in managing or coordinating staff, preferably in the area of contract and/or procurement;
• Experience in interpreting legal documents and providing advice on contract and procurement matters;
• Experience in dealing with financial matters in the public sector;
• Experience in working in a multicultural environment.

Desirable:

• Experience with the administration of procurement procedures in line with the general EU rules on procurement;
• Experience using financial or procurement software;
• Experience in negotiation and drafting of service level agreements.

b. Professional knowledge:
Essential:

• In-depth knowledge of financial management principles in the public sector with the ability to apply this effectively, and with a commitment to keeping up to date with recent developments;
• Knowledge of principles, best practices and processes applicable to public procurement;
• Ability to understand and apply the EU Financial Regulation (2024/2509),in particular the rules applicable to public procurement;
• Commercial acumen, in order to provide guidance in activities such as calculating the value of contracts, defining the price criteria and assessment of offers.

c. General competencies
Essential:
Communicating:

• Excellent communication skills in English, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.

Analysing & problem solving:

• Structured approach to work aimed at getting results.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.

Delivering quality and results:

• • High degree of commitment and flexibility.
• • High level of customer and service-orientation.

Prioritising & organising:

• Excellent organizational skills including the ability to plan own work load, establish clear priorities and exercise initiative.
• Ability to manage projects and familiarity with project management terminology and methodology.

Resilience:

• Strong ability to work well both independently and in a team.
• Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well as with external partners.
• Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.

Living diversity:

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with co-workers in an international and multi-disciplinary work environment.

Advising:

• Ability to synthesise various data into a coherent and relevant whole, transforming it into a valuable and correct conclusion.
• Building constructive relationships with clients, adequately identifying and managing their needs and expectations, and giving well-grounded advice.

Team supervision:

• Ability to manage a diverse team including the ability to motivate staff, effectively plan and monitor the work of other staff members and to provide guidance.

d. Additional conditions:
Fulfil the condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary Agents, on the start date of the possible contract of employment which may be offered.

COMPENSATION, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Scale: AD7

The basic monthly salary is EUR 7,646.86 (step 1) or EUR 7,968.20 (step 2).
The step in grade is determined on the basis of professional experience gained after the education required for the position and in line with applicable implementing rules.

Staff pay EU tax at source but salaries are exempt from national taxes. Compulsory deductions are made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

Subject to the applicable conditions being met, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations (EUSR)/CEOS and further specified in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, allowances such as expatriation allowance (16% of basic gross salary) or foreign residence allowance (4% of basic gross salary), household allowance, dependent child and/or education allowance may be granted.

Staff enjoy worldwide insurance coverage by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and are insured against sickness, the risk of occupational disease and accident (conditions and ceilings apply).

Europol offers flexible working arrangements, a comprehensive provision for annual leave as well as parental leave supporting a healthy work-life balance.

Indicative net salary sample calculation AD7/1:
a) Staff member (single) in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 7,795.17
b) Staff member with two dependent children in their custody in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 9,988.77

The above information is indicative and for information purposes only. It is merely meant to give an indication of your possible net salary in light of the currently applicable amounts of the related allowances and the level of taxation. It has no legal value and no rights can be derived from it.

The information is based on figures applicable as of April 2025.

Contract of employment
The successful candidate will be engaged in the type of post Administrator and function group AD, grade 7 pursuant to Article 2(f) CEOS and Annex I to the EUSR.

The initial contract will be concluded for a period of 4 years (full-time – 40 hours a week). The contract may be renewed, in principle, for a period of 2 years. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite duration.

If the successful candidate is already a member of temporary staff 2(f) in the relevant function group, he/she may be offered the opportunity of contract continuity, should the relevant conditions be fulfilled. 

Conditions of engagement
Before the employment contract is concluded by Europol, the successful candidate will have to:

• declare any conflict of interest;
• undergo a pre-employment medical examination to confirm that he/she is physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post or, alternatively, receive the confirmation from Europol that he/she fulfils the conditions laid down in the Decision of the Deputy Executive Director of the Capabilities Directorate on the pre-employment medical examination available on www.europol.europa.eu;

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Equal opportunity
Europol is an equal opportunity employer. Europol accepts applications without distinction on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, national, ethnic or social origin, religion or beliefs, family situation, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications, experience and skills.

Europol lives diversity and provides an inclusive work environment to all. Europol strives to recruit, develop and retain a diverse and talented workforce through application of equal opportunity and impartiality.

Privacy Notice
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, applies to the processing of personal data carried out in the process of selection and recruitment of staff at Europol,  following the application of this Regulation to all administrative personal data held by Europol in accordance with Article 27a of the Europol Regulation.

For additional information, please consult the applicable privacy notice available on Europol’s website, also inserted in the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES.

Statutory obligations upon leaving the service
Pursuant to Article 16 of the EUSR, EU officials and, by analogy, temporary agents continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits after leaving the service. Those staff members intending to engage in an occupational activity within two years of leaving the service shall inform their institution, so that it may take an appropriate decision in that respect. In cases where the intended activity is related to the work carried out by the staff member during the last three years of service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of the institution, the decision to be taken may include forbidding the staff member from undertaking it or giving its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.

Main dates
Publication date:                  04 July 2025
Deadline for application:    04 August 2025, 23:59 Amsterdam Time Zone
Selection procedure:           September 2025