Senior Data & AI Officer

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 organising a selection procedure for the function of Senior Data & AI Officer (AD7). As a newly established EU Authority, AMLA offers a unique opportunity to take a leading role in the development and adoption of Data and Artificial Intelligence capabilities that support supervision, financial intelligence cooperation and regulatory activities across the European AML/CFT framework.

Working at the intersection of business, data and state-of-the-art technology, you will contribute to building trusted, secure and innovative data and AI solutions that enhance operational effectiveness and strengthen the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

The successful candidate(s) will report to a Head of Unit.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Data & AI Officer will primarily perform several of the following tasks:

Data and AI Governance, Management and Stewardship

Contribute to the development and implementation of AMLA's Data & AI strategies and roadmap, including the establishment of a strong governance framework.
Create and maintain data management policies and processes (including data quality, privacy, security, life cycle and AI), ensuring comprehensive oversight and mechanisms for continuous monitoring and improvement.
Contribute to the management of data- and AI-related risks (such as those pertaining to security, access and privacy) and collaborate with the relevant functions to uphold data integrity and security.
Ensure data accuracy, quality and compliance to prevent potential risks associated with inaccurate or mishandled data.
Oversee the identification, collection, consolidation and cleansing of data from various sources and manage master data and taxonomies.
Develop excellent working relationships with business, data and technical stakeholders to contribute to data, analytics and AI activities for consistency and leverage.
Champion data and AI literacy and governance adoption by promoting best practices and tools.
Capture business requirements for state-of-the-art data and AI solutions.

Data Analytics, AI and Analytical Intelligence

Contribute to the establishment, optimisation and day-to-day maintenance of data and AI systems for collecting, storing, analysing and accessing large volumes of data in close collaboration with IT and compliance functions like Security and Data Protection.
Gather, clean and monitor data from multiple sources, applying statistical methods to identify patterns, trends and anomalies while ensuring data integrity and quality.
Develop dashboards, reports and visualisations to cater for evolving data needs, and define KPIs to communicate insights.
Translate business needs into analytics requirements, mining data warehouses to surface trends and insights that inform executive and business unit decisions.
Conduct large-scale experimentation and rigorous statistical analysis to uncover hidden relationships in complex datasets.
Research and apply cutting-edge machine learning/AI techniques and tools to strengthen analytical rigour and efficiency across AMLA.
Drive data science initiatives by utilising AI and ML technologies to predict trends and metrics, evaluate risks and continuously improve processes.

The successful candidate may be required to perform other duties under the responsibility of their line manager, in line with the evolution of AMLA's mandate, 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 CEFR [1]) 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 [2].
Enjoy full rights as a citizen and meet the character requirements for the duties involved [3].
Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service.
Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post [4].

This vacancy is also open for internal mobility at AMLA and inter-agency mobility at the grade bracket AD 7 - AD 12.

Education and Professional Experience:

A university degree (minimum 4 years’ studies), followed by at least 6 years of relevant professional experience.
OR
A university degree (minimum 3 years’ studies), followed by at least 7 years of relevant professional experience.

The professional experience referred to above will be considered relevant if it corresponds to one or more of the key responsibilities mentioned in the section "your role".

Education

A level of education corresponding to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in one or more of the following fields:

Data Science
Statistics
Artificial Intelligence
Mathematics
Digital Technologies
Computer Science
Information Systems
Software Engineering
Engineering
Finance and/or Econometrics studies
Or other relevant disciplines

[1] Common European Framework Reference Language Skills

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

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

[4] 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.

Selection Criteria

To be considered for the assessment phase you must meet the following essential criteria on the closing date for applications. Should you not meet the essential criteria, you will be excluded from the next assessment phase. The following criteria will be assessed during the application screening phase:

1. At least six years of relevant professional experience acquired after obtaining the required qualification in data and/ or AI governance, data management, data science, data analytics, data engineering, statistics, prompt engineering, or a related area;

2. Demonstrated hands-on experience with data handling, for example data analysis, visualisation or reporting tools.

Please clearly indicate, for each relevant professional experience, its duration, scope and main responsibilities, highlighting how it relates to the essential criteria listed above.

Desirable Criteria

The following criteria are considered as desirable and may be taken into account during the application screening phase [5]:

1. Proven professional experience in data and/or AI governance;

2. Proven experience in a data or AI role where direct and ongoing engagement with business or technology stakeholders was part of the remit;

3. Proven experience in the design and implementation of modern data architectures;

4. Proven project experience in AI/machine learning or with programming languages such as SQL, Python, and R for big data manipulation and analysis.

Please clearly indicate, for each relevant professional experience, its duration, scope and main responsibilities, highlighting how it relates to the desirable criteria listed above.

[5] Different weights may be assigned to each desirable criterion.

Skills

The following skills will be evaluated during the written test and/or interview phases.

Technical Competencies

Advanced knowledge of Data or AI governance principles, frameworks and best practices.
Advanced understanding of data management concepts and data quality principles.
Familiarity with metadata management and data dictionaries.
Familiarity with data-related technologies and tools such as ETL, data warehouses, or data lakes.
Proficiency in data analysis techniques using data visualisation, reporting tools or AI.
Ability to apply strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess and manage data.

Interpersonal Competencies

Analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to translate business needs into practical technical solutions.
Stakeholder management and influencing skills.
Strong communication and drafting abilities.
Project management and organisational skills.
Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.

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.

Motivation

Candidates will be tested on their motivation to contribute to AMLA's mission and objectives as a newly established European supervisory authority.

APPLICATION, SELECTION & RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please submit your application in English. Applications not indicating the minimum required English proficiency level of C1 will be rejected.

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.

Candidates are responsible for submitting their application within the deadline and are strongly advised not to wait until the last minute, as late applications cannot be accepted. Please ensure that your application is complete and accurate and that all eligibility questions are answered correctly. Incorrect answers will result in the automatic rejection of your application. Once submitted, the application can no longer be amended.

The selection process will be organised in several consecutive stages:

Screening and shortlisting: After the deadline for online registration, the Selection Board will check the eligible applications against the selection criteria as described above. Upon completion of the initial assessment, the Selection Board will establish a shortlist of the candidates best matching the criteria.

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 may involve an oral interview with the Selection Board 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.

Details of the date and time of the assessment will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates in due time. Assessments are foreseen to take place in October and November 2026. Please note that timelines are subject to change.

All candidates will be informed about the outcome of the procedure throughout the selection process.

Reserve list & Appointment: At the end of the assessment phase, the Selection Board will propose a list of suitable candidates to the Executive Director of AMLA for approval. The threshold score to be included in the reserve list is 65%. The adopted reserve list will be valid until 31/12/2027. 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 Executive Director and/ or hiring manager). The Executive Director will appoint the selected candidate(s). Candidates should note that inclusion in the reserve list does not imply any entitlement to employment at AMLA. Recruitment is also subject to budgetary availability.

Please also note that the reserve list may be shared with the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), located in Frankfurt. Upon establishment of the reserve list and upon request for access, AMLA shall seek the consent of all candidates included on the reserve list.

All selected candidates may be required to have, or be in a position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance Certificate, depending on the specific job profile and the need-to-know requirements. A Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC) is defined as a certificate issued by a competent authority establishing that an individual is security cleared and holds a valid national or EU PSCC, which shows the level of EU Classified Information (EUCI) to which that individual may be granted access, the date of validity of the relevant PSC and the date of expiry of the certificate itself.

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