Senior technical Intelligence Officer: OSINT and Blockchain

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 establishing a reserve list for a Senior Intelligence Officer in the areas of crypto-assets, blockchain analytics and related financial intelligence. As a newly established EU agency, AMLA oﬀers a unique opportunity to shape the EU’s unified response to financial crime in the crypto asset sector, bridging the gap between cutting-edge blockchain forensics, risk-based supervision, and cross-border financial intelligence.

The selected candidate will contribute to the core mission of AMLA by driving complex crypto-asset financial crime investigations, assessing systemic on-chain risks, and fostering operational cooperation between Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and supervisory authorities across the Member States.

Key responsibilities for this role include:

Lead investigations and trace illicit funds across multiple technical networks.
Coordinate and support joint analyses of complex crypto-asset crime related cases in close collaboration with national Financial Intelligence Units.
Conduct risk assessments and data-driven monitoring of high-risk crypto-asset transactions, emerging DeFi vulnerabilities, and obfuscation methodologies (e.g., mixers, bridges).
Support the direct and indirect supervision of Crypto Asset Service Providers to ensure robust compliance with EU AML/CFT requirements.
Conduct OSINT investigations in support of crypto-asset and blockchain investigations.
Conduct network analysis
Prepare clear, analytical intelligence reports, risk assessments, corporate network charts, and visual timelines for internal stakeholders and external competent authorities.
Contribute to training, awareness-raising and knowledge-sharing activities for FIUs and internal stakeholders.

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:

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 AD7 - AD12.

Education and Professional Experience:

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

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

[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 one of the essential criteria, you will be excluded from the next assessment phase. The following criteria will be assessed during the application screening phase:

At least three years of proven professional experience in conducting complex technical financial investigations or financial intelligence analyses across open web, dark web or blockchain-based environments, acquired within a law enforcement authority, Financial Intelligence Unit, competent supervisory authority, crypto-asset service provider, financial institution, or specialised OSINT, blockchain analytics or investigations provider.
Proven advanced operational experience in using professional blockchain analytics, OSINT and/or specialised online investigation tools to conduct transaction tracing, entity attribution, address clustering, exposure analysis, digital footprint research and/or network analysis.

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 desirable and may be taken into account during the applications assessment phase [5]:

Experience in analysing crypto-asset laundering and obfuscation techniques, such as the use of mixers, chain-hopping, cross-chain bridges, decentralised exchanges, automated market makers, privacy-enhancing technologies and privacy-focused crypto-assets.
Proven practical experience in applying data analytics, data science or programming techniques, using tools such as Python, SQL, advanced Excel or equivalent technologies, preferably to query, process, analyse and visualise large-scale blockchain transaction data and complex financial datasets.
Proven practical experience in conducting OSINT investigations into financial crime, such as the identification and attribution of individuals and entities, the analysis of corporate, ownership and control structures, the identification of concealed assets, and the mapping of cross-border illicit financial networks. Experience in integrating OSINT findings with blockchain intelligence would be considered an additional asset.

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

Expertise in blockchain tracing, wallet analysis, and entity attribution, including identifying asset sources, destinations, clustering indicators, exchange exposure, and potential off-ramping or cash-out points.
Expertise in crypto-asset typologies linked to financial crime, including money laundering, sanctions evasion, terrorist financing, ransomware, cybercrime, fraud, scams, darknet markets and organized crime.
Analytical abilities to detect, dissect, and trace complex transaction laundering techniques, such as chain-hopping, peel chains, the strategic use of privacy-focused coins, intermediary/pass-through wallets, nested services, and transactions interacting with high-risk or non-compliant crypto asset service providers.
Ability to apply structured OSINT methodologies to financial crime investigations, such as source identification and evaluation, entity and network analysis, the examination of corporate, ownership and control structures, and the corroboration of OSINT findings with blockchain and financial intelligence.
Applied knowledge of data analytics, data science or programming techniques, using tools such as Python, SQL, advanced Excel or equivalent technologies.

Interpersonal competencies

Sound judgement and professional scepticism.
High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
Ability to communicate complex technical findings to non-technical audiences.
Strong written reporting and presentation skills.
Ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multinational environment.
High standards of integrity, discretion and confidentiality.
Ability to prioritise and deliver timely analytical outputs under operational deadlines.

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 also be tested on their motivation for this position within the AMLA context.

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, incomplete or inaccurate applications will result in the automatic rejection of your application.

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 November and December 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