WE ARE

The European External Action Service (EEAS) supports the work of the High Representative in defining and implementing an effective and coherent foreign policy of the European Union and in her tasks of conducting the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and chairing the Foreign Affairs Council. It also supports the High Representative in her capacity of Vice President of the Commission. The EEAS works in close cooperation with Member States, the Council and relevant services of the European Commission.

The Budget and Human Resources Directorate, RM.BHR, is responsible for providing appropriate financial and human resources to the EEAS, both in Headquarters and in the EU Delegations: 

• We establish and manage the overall budgetary resources of the EEAS.

• We carry out the selection and recruitment of all for non-management positions in the EEAS: officials, temporary agents, contract agents, seconded national experts.

• We support all EEAS HR policies with the objective of ensuring that the EEAS has the best-suited and highly motivated staff. We do so, by providing tools to EEAS staff to be in a position to acquire the right knowledge, skills and mind-set necessary to do the job in a modern and performing diplomatic service at any given time of their professional life.

• We ensure that the EU Delegations have the right administrative support, we help Delegations implement rules and procedures and support all local Agents employed in the EU Delegations.

WE PROPOSE:

The EEAS is launching a call for expression of interest for the recruitment of one ASSISTANT (AST2)  as Temporary Agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of other servants of the EU[1] in accordance with EEAS Decision Admin(2015) 20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents.

Please note that, candidates who have been engaged by the EEAS as non-permanent servants (temporary and contract agents engaged under Article 3b of the CEOS), will be bound by Decision ADMIN(2023) 24 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 14/07/2023 on the maximum duration of engagement by the European External Action Service of non-permanent staff under successive limited duration contracts of different types, and on the minimum lapse of time between successive contracts under Article 2(e) of the CEOS and repealing the Decision ADMIN(2020) 10 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 16/07/2020.

WE LOOK FOR:

A dynamic, proactive and highly motivated colleague with very good communication and organisational skills and with a developed sense of service. The Administrative Assistant should understand the key priorities and functioning of the EU Diplomatic Service. He/she should be able to quickly adapt to the working environment and be a good team-player, able to handle a very heavy workload in a dynamic team. The successful candidate should have good computer skills with a sound knowledge of the standard IT EU applications and administrative procedures. Experience in an EU Delegation is a strong asset.  He/she will be entrusted with the following main tasks:

• provide efficient secretarial support;

• carry out various administrative tasks such as diary-keeping and constant agenda management, filtering telephone calls, filing and ordering supplies, dealing with correspondence;

• document management: registration of incoming and outgoing correspondence, including in Ares;

• organize missions using MIPS/NEO applications;

• prioritise information flow, including reports from and contacts with Delegations, as well as interaction for meetings with high-level interlocutors;

• organize meetings and events and carry out the necessary arrangements for visitors to the building, including handling catering orders, registration, logistics and communication, as well as assist in welcoming and informing outside visitors in accordance with protocol and  security rules;

• co-ordinate the creation, keeping up to date and retrieval of  documents and data in the appropriate files or IT databases, including budgetary information;

• ensure the preparation of briefing files, speeches, coordination of inputs from various DGRM  teams, etc.

LEGAL BASIS

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS)^[2], in accordance with EEAS Decision ADMIN(2015) 20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents 

The successful candidate will be offered a contract as Temporary Agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS) at the grade of AST2.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Candidates must meet ALL of the following general and specific conditions on the closing date for online applications:

• Be a national of one of the EU Member States and enjoy full rights as a citizen;

• Meet any obligations imposed on him or her by the laws concerning military service;

• Provide the appropriate character references^[3] as to their suitability for the performance of their  duties;

• Have the capacity to work in languages of the CFSP in writing and orally.

• Post-secondary education attested by a diploma followed by at least 3 years of relevant professional experience directly related to the nature of the duties OR secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least 6 years’ professional experience directly related to the nature of the duties.

• Candidates who, at the time of the application, are EU officials, independently of their administrative status under Article 35 of the SR, cannot request to be recruited as temporary agents under Article 2(b) of the CEOS and, in the interest of the service, are therefore ineligible.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Candidates should:

• have strong sense of discretion

• have proven experience in the secretarial field, 

• experience in the field of external relations would be a strong asset, especially having served in EU Delegation(s); 

• be well organised with the ability to deal with files in a timely manner; 

• be dynamic and have a strong sense of responsibility; 

• be a good team worker but also able to work autonomously and take initiatives when appropriate; 

• have excellent computer skills (MS Office) and good knowledge of standard administrative, workflow based IT applications (ARES, MIPS/NEO, Sysper2, EU-Learn, RESCOM , e-Brief, CIS-Net/Decide, HIVE) and administrative procedures (e.g. e-Domec rules for the Document Management) 

• be familiar with EEAS and Commission administrative and financial procedures; 

• be able to use tools for communicating/exchanging classified information;

• have very good knowledge of English and knowledge of French

• hold or be in a position to obtain a valid Personnel Security Clearance (see below). 

Furthermore:

• experience of working in a team in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;

• experience in working with or within other EU institutions

would be considered as strong assets

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST AND SELECTION PROCEDURE [4]:

The selection procedure will take place in three different and successive steps:

1. Expression of Interest

Before submitting their application, candidates should carefully check whether they meet all the eligibility criteria in order to avoid exclusion from the selection procedure.

Expressions of interest should be sent by e-mail to the following functional mailbox EEAS-HQ-APPLICATIONS-AST@eeas.europa.eu

For the purposes of the e-mail application, the e-mail must have in the subject the following title: "EoI-HQ (AST)-TA2b-AST2-RM.BHR-487229"

Such an expression of interest must be accompanied by:

• an updated Curriculum vitae. Candidates are invited to use the "Europass" CV format (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae) for their applications.

• a letter of motivation (maximum 2 pages) in either English or in French;

• the declaration of potential conflict of interest form filled in, dated and signed.

The deadline for submission of expressions is 03/06/2025 at 12:00 midday (Brussels time). 

For correspondence concerning the selection procedure, please use the following email address (the e-mail must have in the subject the following title: "EoI-HQ (AST)-TA2b- AST2-RM.BHR-487229"): AST-STAFF@eeas.europa.eu

2. Pre-selection

The selection panel will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and the professional experience described in the CV and motivation letter.

3.  Selection

The candidates who have passed the pre-selection step will be invited for an interview so that the selection panel can evaluate them objectively and impartially based on the selection criteria, as listed in the present call for expression of interest. Additional specific written or oral tests might be organised by the panel. Following a comparative assessment of the merits of the preselected candidates, the selection panel will recommend the name of a candidate to the Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment, and possibly, name(s) of other candidate(s) that should be placed on a reserve list valid for maximum 12 months. That list would be used, on the one hand, in case of refusal of the offer or unavailability of the recommended candidate in the present procedure and/or, on the other hand, for other future similar recruitment needs.

Depending on the outcome of future appointment procedure(s) under Article 29 of the SR for a similar profile, EEAS services may, in case no suitable candidates are found among EU officials, have other job opportunities that would involve the recruitment of the Temporary Agents under Article 2(b) of the CEOS. If any, candidates in the above-mentioned reserve list may be contacted by other EEAS services for potential recruitment. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:

The EEAS is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EEAS is committed to promoting gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States. 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 EEAS (EEAS-HQ-APPLICATIONS-AST@eeas.europa.eu) in order to accommodate any special needs and provide assistance to ensure the possibility to pass the selection procedure in 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 1d(4) of the Staff Regulations.

RECRUITMENT:

The selected candidate will be recruited as temporary agents under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS), in accordance with EEAS Decision ADMIN(2015) 20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents.

It is recalled, that if the interest of the service so requires, the selection procedures can be terminated at any stage and the post be filled by a reassignment in accordance with Article 7 of the SR and Article 10 of the CEOS.

Conflict of Interest and security risks

As a matter of policy, applications by individuals who have dual nationality of which one of a non-EU country, will be considered on a case-by-case basis taking account in particular of the functions attributed to the vacant post. The EEAS also examines if there could be a conflict of interest or security risks.

In this context, candidates shall fill with their application a declaration of potential conflict of interest (Annex attached)

Personal Security Clearance

The requested level of security clearance for this post is: SECRET UE/EU SECRET. A description of the EU classified information levels is available under Article 2 of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules for the EEAS [5].

The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance (PSC)[6] issued by the competent authority of the Member State concerned. 

Candidates who do not already have a valid PSC will be required to go through the security clearance vetting procedure of their Member State to obtain this clearance in accordance with national laws and regulations and with the procedure laid down in the Decision ADMIN(2019)7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019 and in Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules for the EEAS [7]. Until the PSC is issued by the competent authority of the Member State concerned, the selected candidate will not be authorised to access EUCI at the level of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above, or to participate in any meetings or workflow where EUCI is processed.

Please note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate.

In case of failure to obtain or renew the required PSC, the AACC may take the appropriate measures in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Decision ADMIN(2019) 7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019.

Medical fitness

The selected candidate will be required to undergo a medical fitness examination in accordance with Article 13 of the CEOS. 

In case of positive results on the medical fitness examination and after assessment of the PSC conditions, the candidate will be offered a contract as Temporary Agent, Grade AST2[8] for a duration of 4 years renewable subject to the possibility of extension offered by the EEAS Decision ADMIN(2023) 24 on the maximum duration of engagement. 

All member of the temporary staff shall serve initially a nine-month probationary period in accordance with Article 14 CEOS.

• PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Brussels, Belgium

• POST AVAILABLE: 01/07/2025 

CONTACT:

• Ms Elsa Fenet

• Tel: +322 5842976

• Email: Elsa.FENET@eeas.europa.eu

The closing date for submissions is 03/062025 at 12:00 midday (Brussels time).

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[1] Staff Regulations of Officials (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). For reference see: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20190101

[2] Staff Regulations of Officials (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). For reference, see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20190101

[3] criminal records certificate

[4] Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) 2018/1725. The privacy statement is available on EEAS webpage: http://eeas.europa.eu/data_protection/rights/index_en.htm

[5] OJ C 263, 26 July 2023, p.16.

[6] The ‘Personnel Security Clearance’ is defined under point 2 of Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS as “a statement by a competent authority of a Member State which is made following completion of a security investigation conducted by the competent authorities of a Member State and which certifies that an individual may, provided his ‘need-to-know’ has been determined, be granted access to EUCI up to a specified level (CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above) until a specified date; the individual thus described is said to be ‘security cleared’.”

[7] OJ C 263, 26 July 2023, p.38.

[8] The basic salaries offered by the EU institutions are set out in Article 66 of the Staff Regulations. The current level, can be accessed via the link:https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C_202301544
A number of factors are taken into account in calculating your pay. Use the pay calculator for an individual estimate:
https://myintracomm.ec.europa.eu/staff/EN/working-conditions/pay/Pages/calculettes.aspx