Cost Accounting Analyst
Job Requisition ID: 19448
Date Posted: 2 April 2025
Closing Date: 23 April 2025 23:59 CET/CEST
Publication: Internal & External
Type of Contract: Permanent
Directorate: Internal Services
Workplace:Noordwijk, NL
Grade Band: A2 - A4

DESCRIPTION

Cost Accounting Analyst in the Cost Accounting Section, Accounting Division, Finance, Planning and Controlling Department, Directorate of Internal Services.
Under the direct authority of the Head of Section, you will be responsible for ensuring that the Agency’s cost management and timesheet systems are kept up to date, ensuring accurate and consistent allocation of indirect cost to programmes and projects. You will be actively involved in the technical development and maintenance of accounting systems (ESA-P and TAS) and reporting tools. You will be responsible for coordinating and monitoring monthly and year-end cost accounting closure activities, including reporting, reconciliation and variance analysis.

EDUCATION

A master’s degree in an accounting, economics or financial discipline is required for this post.
Applicants with a master’s degree in an IT discipline, complemented by at least 10 years of practical experience in financial and cost accounting and in an SAP environment, will be considered.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Experience in assessing costs, benefits and the feasibility of potential technical solutions
• Ability to collaborate and drive consensus across a diverse group of stakeholders with differing priorities
• In-depth knowledge of the ESA procurement process, or that of a similar international organisation,
• and its implementation
• Strong written and oral communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, with a willingness to take on demanding tasks in an environment subject to rapid evolution and change.
• Excellent planning and relationship management skills
  Good knowledge of IPSAS and/or IFRS accounting standards is an asset.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• managing the Agency’s integrated Timesheet Accounting System (TAS) and its processes, with responsibility for defining and monitoring the implementation of all TAS-related developments and its integration with other corporate applications;
• assisting the Accounting and Finance teams in defining requirements, specifications and test cases for new or enhanced ESA-p functionalities;
• ensuring system readiness for cost accounting operations (Distribution and Assessment cycles);
• contributing to the analysis of the future evolution and maintenance of ESA’s Cost Model, processing cost accounting transactions and contributing to the simplification and digitalisation of cost accounting processes, tools and reports;
• guaranteeing consistency of cost accounting data with financial statements; ensuring the accuracy of direct and indirect cost allocation in the context of monthly and yearly accounting closure, including cost variance analysis;
• coordinating all cost accounting periodic closure activities, including reports;
• ensuring the implementation of reorganisation processes in the financial system in liaison with the HR Department, the IT Department and the Directorate concerned;
• supporting cost centre managers, fund and fund centre managers in all aspects of planning and processing secondary costs in line with the Agency’s cost model, providing support to programmes, projects and activities in preparing specific cost reports;
• training and supporting end users of TAS and ESA’s Cost Model;
• contributing to and supporting internal and external audit assignments relating to the Agency’s cost model and cost processes.