Finance and Contracts Assistant - European Commission (AST1, Brussels)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Commission on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Manage financial delegations of power of DG REGIO
• Prepare, monitor, and update internal subdelegations of Authorizing Officers by Subdelegation
• Manage administrative and budgetary aspects of given and received interservice delegations
• Provide advice and guidance to operational units on delegation matters
• Represent DG REGIO in financial committees of EISMEA and CINEA
• Implement Financial Transparency System (FTS) in DG REGIO
• Provide IT business management and SUMMA-related guidance
• Participate in reporting, budgeting, and budget implementation forecasts

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Post-secondary education attested by a diploma, or secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education
• Experience: Appropriate professional experience of at least three years
• Languages: English
• Key skills: Financial management (grants and procurement), Knowledge of Commission decision-making procedures, Understanding of Financial Transparency System (FTS), Accuracy and independent work, Good communication capabilities, Drafting skills, especially in English, Team player, Service-oriented approach, Ability to work collaboratively against set deadlines
• Eligibility: Citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen; have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service; physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post; produce appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

• Submit CV and completed application form

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Temporary agent contract.

Working arrangements: Brussels.

Hiring unit: Unit REGIO.A.3 - Budget and Financial Management unit, Directorate-General REGIO (DG REGIO).

Position details

Reference

REGIO/COM/2026/1402

Directorate-General

REGIO - Regional and Urban Policy

Vacancy Notice

Download PDF

Last Verified

16 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Finance and Contracts Assistant at European Commission based in Brussels at the AST1 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is REGIO/COM/2026/1402. It is hosted by REGIO - Regional and Urban Policy, the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area. The role falls under the Regional Policies domain.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE - JOIN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Do you want to help shape the future of the European Union? Make the planet greener, promote a fairer society, or support businesses and innovation across the EU? Then come and work for the European Commission where you can really make a difference!

Commission staff are a diverse group of people, who are motivated to help make Europe – and the world – a better place. They come from the 27 Member States of the European Union. Different nationalities, backgrounds, languages and cultures make the Commission a vibrant and inclusive place to work.

WE OFFER GREAT JOBS AND GREAT WORKING CONDITIONS:

- Interesting and challenging jobs with plenty of opportunities for training and acquiring new skills and competencies throughout your whole career

- Opportunities to move between different policy areas throughout your career

- A package of flexible working conditions including the possibility of teleworking – we care about your work-life balance

- A competitive financial package, including comprehensive healthcare, accident and pension schemes

- A multilingual, multicultural workplace where personal and career development are strongly promoted

- Multilingual schools for your children

We recruit from a wide range of backgrounds and actively promote diversity and inclusion:

We do not only recruit political scientists and lawyers but are also looking for all kinds of profiles, including scientists, linguists, IT experts, data analysts and economists, as well as drivers and engineers.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to fostering a rich, diverse and inclusive working environment. We aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We actively seek to create a workplace where each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full potential. 2REGIO/COM/2026/1402

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates, we strongly encourage applicants from Member States which are currently underrepresented in the European Commission workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden 1. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the merits of all applicants and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member State.

For more information ec.europa.eu/work-with-us

STAFF RECRUITED ON CONTRACTS

In addition to permanent officials, the European Commission offers non-permanent positions. There are two categories of non-permanent staff:

temporary agents are recruited to fill vacant positions for a set amount of time or

to perform highly specialised tasks.

contract agents may provide additional capacity in specialised fields where an

insufficient number of officials is available or carry out a number of administrative or manual tasks. They are generally recruited for fixed-term contracts (maximum 6 years in any EU Institution), but in some cases they can be offered contracts for an indefinite duration (in offices, agencies, delegations or representations).

For more information on different staff categories

1Please note that the list of underrepresented Member States may be subject to future amendment based on potential data changes over time.

3REGIO/COM/2026/1402

Finance and Contracts Assistant

Finance Assistant in charge of TA

strategy, budget & reporting / sub -

delegations and financial verifications

Directorate - General REGIO (DG REGIO ) of the European

Commission

Selection reference: REGIO/ COM/2026/1402

Domain: Budget and finances

Where : Unit REGIO.A.3 - Budget and Financial Management unit , Brussels

Staff category and Function Group : Temporary agent 2b – Assistant

Grade range: AST 1-3

Publication deadline : 23.09 .202 6 - 12.00 (Brussels time)

WE ARE

The Budget and Financial Management unit of DG REGIO. Our primary mission is the transparent

management of the budget at the disposal of the DG. Our unit is organised in five sectors, in

charge of (1) budget, (2) shared management programmes, (3) technical assistance strategy, (4)

technical assistance implementation, and (5) financial management of the Cyprus settlement

instrument. The vacancy is in the Technical Assistance Strategy sector comprising 6 colleagues, led

by an experienced Head of Sector. DG REGIO manages a sizeable budget for technical assistance at

the initiative of the Commission, which is a crucial tool to support the implementation of the

current programmes. It is implemented either through direct or indirect management. The sector

plays an essential role in defining the Technical Assistance Strategy, the adoption of the financing

decisions, the technical assistance budget, and the relevant delegations of power within the DG and

with other DGs. It works very closely with the other technical assistance sector, which is responsible

for the legal, financial, and administrative procedures for grants and procurement.

WE PROPOSE

An Assistant post in the Technical Assistance Strategy sector. The new colleague will be primarily in

charge of the financial delegation of power s of DG REGIO. On one hand this responsibility covers

the internal subdelegation system of DG REGIO, including the preparation, monitoring, and regular

update of the internal subdelegations of the Authorizing Officers by Subdelegation in the DG. On

the other hand, this duty also includes the administrative and budgetary management of the given 4REGIO/COM/2026/1402

and received interservice delegations. The new colleague will be the primary contact point for the

operational units of the DG in these two areas, providing advice, guidance, and assistance to them

in these areas. Frequent contacts with middle and senior management as well as with

representatives of other DGs are part of the job. The new colleague will also represent DG REGIO on

technical level in the financial committees of EISMEA and CINEA, which receive contributions from

DG REGIO for their operations.

The post also includes being responsible for the Financial Transparency System (FTS)

implementation in DG REGIO. This activity also includes the provision of the necessary IT business

management and SUMMA -related guidance for the financial actors of the DG.

The new colleague will also be involved in other activities of the Technical Assistance Strategy

Team, such as reporting, budgeting, elaboration of payments schedules and budget implementation

forecasts. These activities will include an active participation in all the budgetary exercises

launched by DG BUDG that might concern the technical assistance budget. Furthermore, the new

colleague will also participate in other operations, such as the financial transactions for technical

assistance projects (verification of financial transactions; payments monitoring; other relevant

financial procedures; follow -up of the delegations, etc.).

WE LOOK FOR

A dynamic and motivated colleague, well organised and rigorous. The successful candidate should

be service -oriented, paying attention to the needs of our clients to offer the best and most efficient

solution while ensuring the respect of the financial rules. The successful candidate should be able

to perform duties with accuracy, independently and in a flexible way, and be a good team player.

Good communication capabilities and drafting skills, especially in English, are important. A financial

background would be preferable, including the willingness to learn the financial rules applicable.

Experience in financial management (grants and procurement) and knowledge of the decision -

making procedures of the Commission are assets for this job. Good understanding of the Financial

Transparency System (FTS) is required. Proven experience of working in a collaborative process

against a set deadline is a requirement. An overview of the cohesion policy or experience in similar

technical assistance projects would be also an advantage. Appropriate training and coaching will be

provided within the unit and the sector. 5REGIO/COM/2026/1402

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:

1. your CV 2. completed application form.

Please send these documents by the publication deadline to REGIO -A3 [email protected]

indicating the selection reference REGIO/ COM/2026/1402 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline. 6REGIO/COM/2026/1402

ANNEX

1. Selection

➢ Am I eligible to apply?

You must meet the following eligibility criteria when you validate your application :

Our rules provide that you can only be recruited as a temporary agent at the European Commission if you:

General criteria:

- Are a citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen

- Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service

- Are physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post

- Produce the appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties.

Qualifications:

In order to be recruited for this position, you must have at least

- a level of post -secondary education attested by a diploma, or

- a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post -secondary

education, and appropriate professional experience of at least three years.

Only qualifications issued or recognised as equivalent by EU Member State authorities (e.g. by the

Ministry of Education) will be accepted. Furthermore, before recruitment, you will be required to

provide the documents that corroborate the eligibility criteria (diplomas, certificates and other

supporting documents).

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AST1 runs from €3,754 (step 1) to €4,248 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €45,048 to €50,976 before tax and allowances. Steps increase automatically every two years; the figures here are taken from the salary grid in the EU Staff Regulations.

Eligible staff posted away from their country of nationality also receive an expatriation allowance worth 16% of basic salary (around €601 per month at step 1 of AST1) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for Brussels. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 10 September 2026, 5 days ago.

The application deadline is 23 September 2026, 6 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 16 September 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AST1 see our AST1 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at European Commission see the European Commission institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Brussels see our Brussels location page; for related vacancies in the Regional Policies field browse our Regional Policies domain page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.