Head of IT

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 IT. The selected candidate will lead a team of IT experts 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 a Board member, be responsible for leading AMLA’s digital transformation, managing the overall information and communication technology (ICT) strategy, and ensuring that technology supports AMLA’s operational and strategic objectives effectively and securely.

Key responsibilities:

Digital Strategy: Lead the design and execution of AMLA’s Digital Strategy in alignment with Senior Management and the organisation’s objectives.
ICT Architecture: Develop and maintain a coherent, secure, and scalable ICT framework supporting AMLA’s hybrid infrastructure and business needs.
Portfolio Management: Oversee the delivery of ICT projects and services, ensuring effective prioritisation, resource management, and risk control.
Centre of Excellence: Establish and lead a Centre of Excellence to promote innovation, including responsible use of data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence whilst ensuring legal compliance and (cyber-)security.
Stakeholder Engagement: Represent AMLA in high-level meetings and strengthen collaboration with EU institutions, Member States, and other key partners.
Leadership and Team Management: Provide direction, foster collaboration, and support professional development within the IT unit.

The successful candidates 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.
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].

Education and Professional Experience

A university degree (minimum 4 years studies) in information technology, computer science, engineering, economics or business administration or a related field, followed by at least 12 years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the following activities.

OR

A university degree (minimum 3 years studies) in in the fields mentioned above, followed by at least 13 years of relevant professional experience as indicated above.

This vacancy is external, but it is open for internal mobility and inter-agency mobility at AMLA at the grade bracket AD9 - AD14.

[1] English oral and written skills will be assessed throughout the assessment phase. 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. The following criteria will be assessed during the application screening phase:

1. At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in all of the following activities which has been acquired in the last 10 years starting from the date of application:

i. Articulation of IT Strategy in close collaboration with the business stakeholders.

ii. Designing and implementing an IT portfolio and governance to deliver the IT Strategy.

iii. Drive the portfolio implementation in line with an Enterprise Architecture, including security and data protection principles.

iv. Management of the sourcing strategy: in/out-sourcing, budgeting, contracting, internal capacity build-up.

2. Managerial experience

Professional experience of at least 5 years in managing or coordinating team/(s) of not less than 7 staff members (for example: Head of Unit, Team leader, Head of Sector or equivalent) [4].

The following competencies will be assessed during the written test and/or interview phases:

Technical Competencies

Expertise in portfolio management capability encompassing projects, products and services.
In-depth understanding of hybrid (cloud) infrastructures, (cyber-)security and data protection.
Proven ability to deliver complex information systems (from infrastructure level up to user support) meeting enterprise-grade standards in security/protection, resilience, and scalability in line with legal requirements.
Expertise in cross-border data governance, including data quality management.
interoperability, secured data exchange, data analytics, and supervisory cooperation.

Familiarity with ICT service management and governance frameworks (e.g. ITIL), ensuring reliable, transparent, and high-quality digital services.

Language Skills

A strong command of both written and spoken English (min. C1 level). English oral and written skills will be assessed throughout the assessment phase.

[4] Please indicate the level of responsibility, the size of team coordinated and/or the number of line reports as well as the number of years in each work experience listed in the application.

Desirable Criteria

The following criteria are considered as desirable and may be taken into account during the assessment in the applications screening phase:

Experience in strategizing, designing and implementing pan-European IT solutions within a heterogeneous stakeholders’ network across EU Member States.
Experience in cross-Member State data management (from governance over implementation to advanced data analytics) in line with the applicable EU Regulations.
In-depth understanding/experience of the EU Financial Regulation and Implementing Rules governing budgeting, contracts and financial management.
Familiarity with the Regulatory and Supervisory Technology and the financial domain.

Interpersonal Skills

Success in this role depends on strong interpersonal skills, which will be evaluated during the assessment phase (interview/written test and assessment centre):

Middle Management competencies

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 environment.
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 selection criteria. Upon completion of the initial assessment, the selection committee will establish a shortlist of the best candidates.

Assessment phase: The shortlisted candidates (approximately 10 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. Shortlisted candidates may be required to undergo a managerial assessment centre organised by an external service provider. The oral and written test aim at testing the specific competencies and knowledge with reference to the selection criteria of the present vacancy notice.
Details of the date and time of the assessment will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates in due time. The written test and assessment centre is foreseen to take place in November and the interviews in December 2025.

Appointment and reserve list: Upon completion of the assessment phase, the selection committee will establish a draft reserve list of candidates best matching the needs of the Agency for the functions and tasks/responsibilities mentioned in this vacancy notice. This draft reserve list will be submitted to the Executive Director of AMLA for approval. The adopted reserve list will be valid until 31 December 2026. The validity of the reserve list may be extended by decision of the Executive Director of AMLA.

Prior to being offered a post, candidates might be required to undergo further evaluation by AMLA (e.g. including a further interview with the Chair and Executive Director).

Candidates should note that the inclusion in the reserve list does not imply any entitlement to employment at AMLA.

All candidates will be informed about the outcome of the procedure throughout the selection process. Recruitment is subject to budgetary availability.

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