Head of Financial Intelligence Coordination and Support Unit

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

As a newly established EU agency, AMLA offers a unique opportunity to shape its activities in the area of financial intelligence. The selected candidate(s) will lead a team of policy officers, analysts and FIU delegates and contribute to AMLA’s strategic direction from its inception, in alignment with the Authority’s mandate. This leadership role requires strong managerial skills, deep subject-matter expertise, and a firm commitment to safeguarding the EU’s financial integrity.

As a member of AMLA’s middle management, the jobholder will, under the authority of the Executive Director and/or an Executive Board member, be responsible for, in particular:

Horizontal coordination

Contribute to AMLA’s strategy, policies, governance, and decision-making as a member of the middle management team. Work closely with other managers and team leaders to ensure effective organizational cooperation and the achievement of strategic goals.

Policy Development

Coordinate the development of technical standards, guidelines, reports, opinions, and decisions related to AMLA’s mandate in the area of financial intelligence.
Oversee staff efforts to support the implementation of EU AML/CFT requirements by Financial Intelligence Units through mutual assistance, mediation and peer reviews.
Lead and oversee staff activities in the strategic and operational coordination of Financial Intelligence Units.
Ensure implementation of strategic and operational cooperation between the Authority and OLAF, Europol, Eurojust and EPPO in line with regulatory provisions and with the working arrangements concluded between the Authority and those agencies, bodies and offices, including in relation to the posting of liaison officers.
Contribute to the Authority’s activities in support of the work and objectives of the FATF and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.
Ensure, in cooperation with the IT service, the management, maintenance and development of the FIU.net system and identify priority areas, within the limits of available resources, for the development or procurement of tools/services aimed at enhancing the analytical capabilities of FIUs.

Stakeholder Engagement

Represent AMLA in high-level meetings and forums, leading cooperation with EU institutions, Member States authorities, and other stakeholders.

People Management

Provide leadership to the team, ensuring effective planning and delivery of tasks aligned with AMLA’s mandate, and manage the unit’s work plan, including setting objectives, coordinating efforts, and fostering team development.
Building and maintaining strong, complementary teams, and support career development and learning opportunities for unit members.
Manage the activities of FIU delegates in carrying out the tasks entrusted on the Authority in support and coordination of FIUs.

The successful candidate might be required to perform other duties as necessary 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:

Be a national of a Member State of the European Union.
Completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma.
Thorough knowledge (C1 level as per the CEFR1) of one of the 24 EU official languages and a satisfactory knowledge (B2 level) of another EU official language for the performance of your duties [1].
Enjoy full rights as a citizen and meet the character requirements for the duties involved [2].
Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service.
Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post [3].

This vacancy is external, but it is open for internal mobility at AMLA and inter-agency mobility at the grade bracket AD9 - AD10.

[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:

Education and Professional Experience

A university degree (minimum 4 years studies) in law, political science, economics or a closely related discipline followed by at least 12 years of relevant, proven professional experience in one or several of the following areas: (i) developing primary and secondary regulations on the AML/CFT preventive framework for both the financial and the non-financial sector within a ministry or a national or international public authority, (ii) conducting financial analysis of suspicious activity and preparing Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) in the Financial Crime or Compliance department of credit or financial institutions, (iii) organising the AML/CFT preventive procedures and the financial analysis of suspicious activity in a non-financial obliged entity, a self-regulatory body, or in a Financial Intelligence Unit, (iv) managing and aggregating financial data using tools to handle ML/TF alerts or indicators of suspicious activity in Financial Intelligence Units or in the Financial Crime or Compliance department of obliged entities,

A university degree (minimum 3 years studies) in law, political science, economics or a closely related discipline followed by at least 13 years of relevant professional experience as indicated above.

Technical Skills

Thorough understanding of the AML/CFT preventive policies and procedures and in particular of the role of financial intelligence in the context of the sequential set of activities channelled from the obliged entities to the Financial Intelligence Units.
Demonstrated knowledge of the AML/CFT preventive system, effectively understanding public, private, national, EU and international perspectives.
Proven experience in dealing with a wide range of stakeholders including external high-level representatives.

Managerial experience

Professional experience of at least 5 years in managing team/(s) of not less than 15 staff members (for example: Head of Unit, Team leader or equivalent).

Language Skills

Excellent command of written and spoken English (C2 level). English oral and written skills will be assessed throughout the assessment phase.

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

Desirable Criteria

The following criteria are considered as nice to have:

Some active participation in policy elaboration, negotiations, conducting meeting or delivering training / technical assistance on AML/CFT for international organizations or bodies.
Experience in designing and developing financial regulation, as a broader framework where most of AML/CFT rules and guidance are included.
Experience with the handling of sensitive information and use of secure systems of information exchange.
Familiarity with the Egmont principles and the FATF standards.
Publications on AML/CFT preventive obligations.

Interpersonal Skills

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

General Management skills.
Ability to guide and coach colleagues to achieve common goals.
Excellent organisational and planning skills.
Ability to think strategically.
Ability to establish and develop good inter-personal relations with a broad range of stakeholders in cross-cultural environments.
Negotiation skills.

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 a written test. 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