Press and Information Officer

We are

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. It plays an important role in international affairs through diplomacy, trade, development aid and working with global organizations. Abroad, the EU is represented through more than 140 diplomatic representations, known also as EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy. 

The EU Delegation to the New Zealand, Wellington works in close coordination with the Embassies and Consulates of the 27 EU Member States. We are a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and represent the European Union in dealings with the New Zealand government in areas that are part of the EU’s remit.

We offer

The post of Press and Information Officer (Local Agent Group I) in the Delegation’s Political, Press and Information (PPI) Section. The team consists of two people in a multicultural working environment and there are occasional atypical working hours.

Under this post, the recruited person will be attributed functions depending on the needs of the Delegation, and on the changes of these needs. The successful candidate will serve under the supervision and responsibility of the Head of Political, Press and Information (PPI) Section, providing support, expertise and assistance in the relevant field and will contribute to EU-New Zealand cooperation in the fields of public diplomacy, press and information, as well as focal point for the Delegation in the domain of domestic affairs.

Following main tasks and duties are currently required, but may evolve according to service needs:

• Create and execute strategies to enhance the EU’s profile in New Zealand.
• Organise events, and public diplomacy activities.
• Responsible for preparing and implementing official and other visits of the Head of Delegation and group visits with the EU Member State Representatives, in consultation with other members of the Delegation as required, ensuring maximum visibility and public diplomacy outreach.
• Prepares and participates in communication, educational and cultural meetings with EU Member States;
• Leads in media planning and management including liaising with the media; 
• Organises press conferences and other press events;
• Edits (in consultation with other members of the Delegation staff) all publications, which are produced under the responsibility of the EUDEL New Zealand.
• Contribute to the website and other online appearances of the Delegation (incl. Facebook, Linkedin etc.)
• Liaises with education and academic institutions;
• Acts as the Delegation’s liaison office with the EU-New Zealand parliamentary friendship group, including organisation of visits.
• Acts as liaison officer and coordinates for the European Union Visitors’ Programme.
• Plan, manage, implement and report on activities commitments and expenditures under the Press and Information (PI) budget.
• Advises and contribute to reports regarding New Zealand’s domestic developments and foreign policy.
• Prepares briefing files for meetings with national interlocutors and visiting EU officials.
• Compiles and disseminate daily press and media reviews for the Delegation. 
• Any other ad hoc tasks relating to the activities of the PPI Section and the Delegation.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated colleague interested in being part of a dynamic and results-oriented team. 

The candidate we are looking for should have:

• Ability to think strategically and creatively        
• Capacity to focus on priorities, to show initiative and to organise own workload (in order to respect deadlines and delegation priorities), in order to deliver on a timely basis at the highest level of accuracy.
•         Must be able to establish and maintain good professional relationships with all relevant interlocutors, and to communicate effectively with the general public (in person and on the telephone).
•         Excellent drafting skills and the ability to write concisely and analytically
•         Ability to work under pressure and to respond quickly to new demands arising from the needs of the Delegation. 
•         Ability to work both independently as well as to work in a team in a multicultural environment.

The base salary will depend on relevant and verified employment experience, typically starting from NZS 9042 per month (plus 6% employer KiwiSaver contribution).  There is a competitive benefits package, subject to certain conditions, including personal leave days and public holidays.

The expected start date will be 01 September 2026.

Minimum requirements / eligibility criteria (necessary for the application to be considered)

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field (for example – international relations, politics, economics, law, history, journalism, communication etc.);
• Minimum of 5 years relevant professional experience. The professional experience must be acquired after the date on which the qualification allowing access to the post was obtained.  
• Excellent knowledge (C1) of English 
• Right to residence and work in New Zealand (working holiday visa and/or temporary work visas are excluded)

Assets/selection criteria (basis for awarding points to select the best applicant)

• Work history (or network of connections or similar) in the area of relations with government and political institutions, external stakeholders, events and public relations
• Work experience in a multi-national environment or a foreign entity (embassy, foreign company, international organization).
• Master’s degree in relevant fields.
• Previous experience linked to EU/European affairs.
• Proficiency in other European language and/or desirable knowledge of Māori language.
• Good level of computer literacy and skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Webex, Zoom, etc.).

How to apply

The applicant must apply by sending:

• a cover letter, signed;
• a Curriculum Vitæ (to include, at the minimum, exact job titles, employers names and detailed tasks descriptions) using one of the Europass templates available at

https://europass.europa.eu/en

Please send your application (Cover letter and CV above) together with all supporting documents in PDF format only to the following email address:

eeasjobs-239@eeas.europa.eu 

Please mention in the email’ subject:

“ Ref: 157610 – JOB TITLE: PRESS AND INFORMATION OFFICER (PPI) “

Deadline for the submission of applications:

no later than Friday 05 June 2026 at 18:00 New Zealand Standard Time (NZST)(UTC+12:00). 

Caution: The applicant must verify that he/she fulfils all the conditions. For easy verification, the applicant must mark all the squares ❒ relating to each document or application condition. The absence of one of the mandatory conditions or documents is a reason for the rejection of the application

The process

After the deadline for applications, the eligible applications will be admitted to the Selection by the Committee set up for this purpose. 

Depending on the number of applications received, successive phases of Selection may include shortlisting of candidates based assessment of the information provided in the cover letter and CV with supporting documents, and interviews. Three to six best candidates will be invited to the final interview. 

Only candidates admitted to each successive selection phase will be contacted individually. The Delegation will not supply additional information or discuss the selection procedure. During the selection process, please do not contact the members of the Selection Committee, but address your questions and comments to the Delegation’s Administration.

The successful candidate will be offered an indefinite contract, following a probationary period of 3 months (90 days) and will be subject to a medical check (provision by the applicant of a medical fitness certificate to carry out the tasks assigned) and a background check (provision by the applicant of a clean criminal record), as conditional to the offer of employment.

Candidates who wish to lodge a complaint regarding the recruitment process may submit a written communication to the functional mailbox to which they sent the initial application. Upon receipt, the Delegation will review the matter and, where appropriate, consult Headquarters before providing a response.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: 

The European Union is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EU is committed to promoting gender equality, preventing discrimination on any grounds and ensuring a zero tolerance approach to any form of harassment. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds. We aim at a service which is truly representative of society, where each staff member feels respected, is able to give their best and can develop their full potential.

If pre-selected, candidates with disabilities are invited to contact the Delegation (eeasjobs-239@eeas.europa.eu) in order to accommodate any special needs and provide assistance to ensure equality of opportunities with other candidates. 

If a candidate with a disability is selected and recruited, the EEAS is committed to appropriate measures in order to accommodate his or her special needs to the working place or working conditions in accordance with Art 4 of the Decision ADMIN(2025)13 of the Director-General for Resource Management of the European External Action Service on providing reasonable accommodation for local staff with disabilities working in Union Delegations.

DATA PROTECTION NOTICE:

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eeas-privacy-statement-data-protection-notice-purpose-processing-personal-data-related-recruitment_en