Head of Governance

WHO WE ARE

Money laundering and the financing of terrorism are major concerns for the EU. They pose significant risks to the EU economy, to the integrity of the EU financial system and, even more importantly, to the security of its citizens.

The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Authority (AMLA) was established in June 2024 as a new European Union body to safeguard the European Union’s financial system and its citizens against money laundering and terrorist financing. It is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and will expand to over 400 staff members by the end of 2027.
AMLA’s key responsibilities include:

Directly supervising selected financial sector entities that operate on a cross border basis and present a high risk of money laundering and terrorism financing, as well as indirectly supervising other entities in the financial and non-financial sectors
Supporting and coordinating the activities of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) by, for example, facilitating the joint analyses of cross-border cases, enabling information exchange, providing capabilities, advanced data analytics and managing the FIU.net information system
Complementing EU Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) rules by developing regulatory and implementing technical standards and issuing guidelines

For more information about the Authority, please visit our website. We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to diversity and non-discrimination.

Are you interested to contribute to our mission? Then see below what it takes to accomplish the role.

YOUR ROLE

AMLA is seeking a suitable candidate for the position of Head of Governance, who, under the overall responsibility of the Chair, will lead a team supporting the Authority’s governing bodies and play a central role in ensuring effective, transparent, and accountable decision-making processes. In the initial phase of establishment of the Authority, the Unit will also provide legal/compliance support to the core policy and operational functions of AMLA.

As a member of AMLA’s middle management, the jobholder ‘s main responsibilities will be:

Horizontal Coordination: Contribute to AMLA’s strategy, internal policies, and institutional governance as a member of the middle management team. Ensure consistency and coherence in the Authority’s decision-making processes and organisational development.
Governance and Decision-Making Support: Lead the preparation, coordination, and follow-up of AMLA’s governing bodies. Ensure high-quality secretariat support, timely documentation, and compliance with internal rules and procedures governing AMLA’s boards and committees.
Institutional Development and Compliance: Oversee the development and implementation of internal governance frameworks, policies and procedures. Support the establishment and evolution of AMLA’s governance structures in line with EU best practices. In the initial phase of establishment of the authority, the tasks of the unit will also include providing some legal advice to operational and support functions, e.g. on issues of transparency, whistleblowing, complaints, ethics, or conflicts of interest.
Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key interface with EU institutions, bodies, agencies and offices, Member States, and other stakeholders on governance-related matters. Ensure alignment and effective communication regarding AMLA’s internal functioning and institutional accountability.
Unit Management: Provide strategic and operational leadership to the Governance unit. Ensure effective planning, prioritisation, and delivery of tasks aligned with AMLA’s institutional mandate. Oversee the unit’s work programme, set objectives, and monitor performance.
Internal Collaboration: Work closely with AMLA’s Executive Board Members, the Executive Director and other units to ensure coordinated input to governance processes and smooth internal workflows. Support horizontal initiatives requiring senior-level coordination and alignment.
Team Building: Foster a high-performing, motivated, and collaborative team. Support staff development through coaching, mentoring, and training, ensuring a strong sense of purpose and alignment with AMLA’s values and mission.

The successful candidate might be required to perform other duties as necessary under the responsibility of their line manager according to the evolution and development of AMLA’s structure and activities.

QUALIFICATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility criteria

To be admitted to the selection process you must meet the following eligibility criteria on the closing date for application and on the date of filling the vacant post:

Work in an EU decentralised agency, in an EU executive agency or in an EU joint undertaking as a Temporary Agent 2(f) and be employed in a function group and grade corresponding to the bracket AD 9 – AD 14.

As a general rule, candidates should have served at least for two years in their agency before moving and any decision derogating from that principle shall be taken jointly by the two agencies concerned, having regard to the interest of the service of both agencies.

[1] Mother tongue English speakers will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of a second EU language.

[2] An official certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record must be submitted prior to recruitment.

[3] If you are not currently working for an EU institution, you will be required to undergo a pre-employment medical examination at a center we specify.

Essential Criteria

To be considered for the assessment phase you must meet the following essential criteria on the closing date for applications:

Professional experience of at least 5 years with tasks related to the ones described under “function and duties”.
Proven experience of at least 5 years in a managerial role.
Proven experience in formulating and applying governance processes within their agencies.
Proven experience in dealing with a wide range of stakeholders including external high-level representatives.
Excellent oral and written command of English is required.

[4] English oral and written skills will be assessed throughout the assessment phase

Desirable Criteria

The following criteria are considered as nice to have:

Experience in supervising programming documents.
Experience in providing some legal advice to operational and support functions.
Knowledge of and/or experience in AML/CFT would be an asset.

Interpersonal Skills

Success in this role depends on strong interpersonal skills, which will be evaluated during the assessment phase:

General Management skills (ability to set and revise objectives, determine and focus on priorities, organise Unit’s work, empower members of the team, select members of the team, motivate, develop and support career development of the team members).
Proven experience in building, managing and motivating teams.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Excellent negotiation skills including ability to steer discussions and generate the best possible results without compromising productive working relationships with other parties involved.
Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission.
Ability to work closely with Senior executives and to manage conflicting priorities.

APPLICATION, SELECTION & RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please submit your application in English.

Before submitting your application look at our careers page and check out the Guide for candidates. Proof of compliance with specific criteria may be requested at any stage during the selection process. If you fail to comply with the eligibility and essential criteria, your application will be disqualified.

The selection process will be organised in several consecutive stages:

Screening and shortlisting: After the deadline for online registration, the selection committee will check the submitted applications against the eligibility and essential criteria. Upon completion of the initial assessment, the selection committee will establish a shortlist of the most suitable candidates.

Assessment phase: The shortlisted candidates will be invited to the assessment phase which will be organised remotely. This phase will be conducted in English. The assessment phase involves an oral interview with the selection committee and may include a written assessment. The oral and written test aim at testing the specific competencies and knowledge with reference to the selection criteria of the present vacancy notice.

Managerial assessment centre and interview with the Executive Director: Candidates shortlisted in the assessment phase will be invited to undergo a remotely organised managerial assessment centre organised by an external service provider, and an interview with the ad-interim Executive Director of AMLA.

Indicative timeline:

Details of the date and time of the assessment will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates in due time. The written test, interview(s) and assessment centre are tentatively scheduled for Q4 - 2025. Shortlisted candidates will be required to make themselves available on the date of the written test as no alternative date will be offered. This timeline may be subject to change.

DATA PROTECTION & APPEAL PROCEDURE

The information provided in the application form is collected for the purpose of the selection/ recruitment procedure(s) at AMLA. Consult the data protection notice for more information about the processing of personal data in the selection and recruitment process.

If you believe a decision made during the selection process has negatively impacted your interests, you can request a review of your application, lodge an administrative complaint, a judicial appeal or a complaint to the European Ombudsman. You can find more information on the appeal procedure in our Guide for candidates.

CONTACT

In case of questions related to careers at AMLA, email us at careers@amla.europa.eu