We are

The European External Action Service (EEAS) supports the work of the High Representative in defining and implementing an effective and coherent EU foreign policy. The EEAS supports his/her tasks of conducting the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy and chairing the Foreign Affairs Council. It also supports the High Representative in his/her capacity as Vice President of the Commission with regard to his/her responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field including the coordination of other aspects of the Union's external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with Member States, the Council and relevant services of the European Commission.

The RM.SCS.6, Real Estate, Safety and Greening Division is responsible for the definition and implementation of the Real Estate policy, Health and Safety as well as the Environmental Policies of the EEAS for HQ and the EU Delegations. In addition, it manages the buildings that host the EEAS in HQ as well as the office buildings, official Residences and staff accommodations in 145 EU Delegations and Offices of the European Union.

In particular, the Housing and Residences Team of the Real Estate, Safety and Greening Division is responsible for assisting Delegations in the implementation of the Housing Policy of the EEAS and on any matter related to the management of staff accommodation and of the Residences of Heads of Delegation, including:

• Supporting Delegations in the search for new Residences, in line with the selection criteria of the Real Estate policy of the EEAS;
• Handling Building Files for lease agreements for Residences;
• Monitoring the implementation of the Housing policy of the EEAS with regard to staff accommodation, and acting as helpdesk for Delegations on these matters;
• Keeping the sections on Housing & Residences in the EU Delegation Guide up-to-date;
• Updating Housing Norms, defining the thresholds for reimbursement of housing expenses, and preparing ad-hoc decision for the establishment of housing entitlements, for adoption by the AIPN (the Head of Division for Real Estate in Delegations);
• Revising yearly the list of Art. 5 and Art. 23 Delegations, in line with the Housing Policy Decision;
• Contributing to the revision of policy in this field;
• Approving budgetary reinforcements requested by Delegations for any expenditure related to housing & Residences;
• Managing the Real Estate database Immogest;
• Providing support and training to staff posted in Delegations;
• Following-up on audits and inspection reports; and
• contributing to briefings and reports for management.

We propose

The position of Housing and Residence Assistant – contract agent FGIII as per article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).¹

A challenging position as Housing and Residences Assistant, in the Housing and Residences Sector of the Real Estate, Safety and Greening Division, responsible for a portfolio of (around 50) Delegations. S/he will have to be proactively involved in the activities of the Division.

Place of employment: EEAS Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

Post available: Immediately

We look for

We look for a dynamic and motivated colleague, a team player able to keep to tight deadlines, who shares the objective of helping Delegations and understands the importance of business continuity. The ideal candidate should be resilient and be able to handle with discretion sensitive personnel matters and follow with rigour the administrative, legal and financial aspects of each file.

Legal basis

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the CEOS, in particular Article 82 thereof.

Subject to having passed the CAST exam, the successful candidate will be offered a contract agent position (Function group III), on the basis of a contract with an initial duration of one year that may be successively renewed for a maximum duration of 6 years.

Eligibility criteria

Candidates for this contract agent III post should:

• (i) have passed a valid EPSO CAST in a valid FG for this post or (ii) be registered in the EPSO Permanent Contract Agent Selection Tool (CAST) in a valid FG for this post (https://epso.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-for-application). In that case, while the registration will render the candidate eligible for the selection procedure, the recruitment of a candidate on this vacant post will be subject to their successfully passing the CAST exam that this candidate will be called to attend.
• have 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 three year
• have the capacity to work in languages of CFSP and external relations necessary for the performance of their duties. Knowledge of other EU languages would be an asset;.
• be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Candidates should:

• have a sound understanding of the administrative, budgetary and financial procedures of the EU institutions;
• have a good understanding of the operational and financial needs of EU Delegations and of staff posted there;
• have the ability to communicate clearly on complex issues;
• have the capacity to perform accurately and in a flexible manner various tasks in a complex institutional environment;
• have a good command of MS Office, particularly of Word and Excel;
• have strong interpersonal skills and sound judgement;
• have a good command of English and French (orally and in writing);
• have knowledge of external relations, internal policies and functioning of the Union;
• be able to work and deliver under pressure; and
• be able to work autonomously, discreetly and in a service-oriented fashion.

Furthermore:

• command of EU/EEAS specialised IT tools (ABAC, ARES, Immogest);
• experience in working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
• experience in working in EU institutions or Delegations, or in a national diplomatic service;

would be considered as strong assets:

Specific conditions of employment

The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service.

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(2017) 10 on the security rules of the EEAS².

The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance (PSC)³ 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(2017) 10 on the security rules of the EEAS⁴. 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.

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.

Candidates with disabilities are invited to contact CONTRACTAGENTS-HQ@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 for a vacant post, the EEAS is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in accordance with Art 1d.4 of the Staff Regulations.

Application and selection procedure⁵

Please send your CV and cover letter (with your EPSO CAST number), in English or in French via email, with reference to the Vacancy number in the Subject field, to:
RM-SCS-6-HQ@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending application: 18/07/2023 at 12.00 (CET).

Candidates shall draft their CV using the Europass CV , which can be found at the following internet address: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae.

Late applications will not be accepted.

The selection panel will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and professional experience described in the CV and motivational letter, and will produce a shortlist of eligible candidates who best meet the selection criteria for the post. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be informed about the outcome of the pre-selection phase.

The candidates who have been preselected will be invited for an interview by a selection panel.

If not already holding a valid CAST exam, pre-selected candidates shall be invited to sit the CAST exam before or after the interview stage by the selection panel (in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out above). The selection panel may decide, in addition to the interview, to organise written tests, either for all pre-selected candidates or to the best ranked ones, after the interview. The content of such written tests will be defined by the selection panel and may include, but not be limited to, multiple choice questions, open questions and/or topics for a short essay. The panel will recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the Authority Empowered to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC). The AACC may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision.

If, exceptionally, on the date of recruitment, the successful candidate has not yet had the opportunity to pass the tests necessary to obtain the CAST, the latter will be engaged on condition that he obtains the CAST within six months of taking up his duties. Failure to obtain the required CAST will give the EEAS the right to terminate the employment contract.

It is recalled, that the selection procedures may be terminated at any stage in the interest of the service.

In the interest of the service, after identifying the candidate that best fulfils the requirement of the post as set out in the vacancy notice and that has successfully passed the CAST exam, the AACC may also establish a reserve list of candidates. These candidates shall be informed that the reserve list shall remain valid for a period of one year from when it is established and that it may be used to fill the same post or an equivalent post in the EEAS having the same job profile.

1. Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).

2. OJ C 126, 10 April 2018, p.1.

3. The ‘Personnel Security Clearance’ is defined under point 2 of Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2017) 10 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’.”

4. OJ C 126, 10 April 2018, p.1.

5. Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as implemented by ADMIN(2019) 8 Decision of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The privacy statement is available on the Europa website: (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eeas-privacy-statement-data-protection-notice-purpose-processing-personal-data-related-public_en) and on the EEAS Intranet:(https://intranet.eeas.europa.eu/page/eeas-work/data-protection/privacy-statements-dp-notices)