WE ARE

The European External Action Service (EEAS) supports the High Representative in the exercise of her mandate to conduct and implement an effective and coherent Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), to represent the EU and to chair the Foreign Affairs Council.

It also supports the High Representative in her capacity as Vice-President of the Commission with regard to her responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field, including the coordination of other aspects of the EU's external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with the EU Member States, the General Secretariat of the Council, the services of the Commission and the Secretariat General of the European Parliament.

The recruiting Division RM.SCS.2 - Public Procurement, Contracts and Finance is to be responsible for procurement and contracts for Headquarters and Delegations and for ex ante financial verification of transactions stemming from public contracts. It supports and advises the authorising officers by sub- delegation in the management of their public contracts including their risk management. Contracts covered by the Division are those subject to the Public Procurement Directive (services, supplies and works) and exclude all kind of employment contracts or building contracts.

The Public Procurement Sector establish the public procurement policies, processes and procedures for services, supplies and works contracts in the EEAS as well as provide support to the users. It also provide tools and methodologies to support professional procurement practice, i.e. ensure the availability of tools and processes to deliver smart procurement, such as eProcurement tools, guidelines and templates with corresponding training, support and expertise, aggregation of knowledge and exchange of good practice. Moreover, acting on behalf of the responsible Authorising Officer by sub-delegation (AOSD), centrally manage the public procurement procedures leading to services, supplies and works contracts awarded by the EEAS whose estimated value is above the 2014/24/EU Directive thresholds for services and supplies, and above EUR 500.000 for works (later referred to as "high-value procedures").

WE PROPOSE

The position of Procurement Assistant, contract agent FG.III as per article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (hereafter, the “CEOS”)^[1].

PLACE and DATE OF EMPLOYMENT

‎EEAS Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

Post available: 01 September 2025

LEGAL BASIS

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the CEOS, in particular Article 82 thereof. In case of recruitment, 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 up to a maximum duration of six years[2], subject to the maximum duration of engagement by the EEAS allowed under successive limited duration contracts of different types[3]. 

WE LOOK FOR

A dynamic, proactive and highly motivated contract agent responsible for legal analysis/advice on procurement. S/he will be part of a team reporting to the Head of the Public Procurement Sector. S/he will have as main responsibilities:

• Analyse the operational needs, translate them into procurement documents, prepare and run of high-value procurement procedures with HQ Divisions and EU Delegations;

• Act as the focal point for a number of horizontal tasks such as the preparation/update of templates, standard documents and guides relating to procurement, including for (very)low and middle-value contracts, green procurement or any other manual on procedures;

• Provide support in particular in relation to the use of the tools developed for procurement procedures and contracts;

• Provide legal analysis, advice and assistance on procurement matters to HQ Divisions and EU Delegations worldwide;

• Prepare synthesis notes and briefings to facilitate decision-making by the hierarchy;

• Participate to the preparation/update of the Annual Procurement Plan of the EEAS;

• Train EEAS staff on procurement topics and hold information sessions on the Financial Regulation, procurement guidelines and templates;

• Be proactively involved in the broader activities of the Division, actively cooperating with other Sectors of the Division (Contracts’ management and Finance).

Eligibility criteria[4]

Further to the conditions set out in Article 82 of the CEOS, candidates must:

• have passed a valid EPSO CAST in a valid function group for this post, or be registered in the EPSO Permanent CAST in a valid function group for this post (https://epso.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-for-application). In the latter case, while the registration will make the candidate eligible for the selection procedure, the recruitment of a candidate on this vacant post will be subject to his/her successfully passing the CAST exam;

• 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 the languages of the CFSP and external relations (English and French) necessary for the performance of their duties; 

• 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 minimum two (2) years of professional experience providing legal analysis/advice on procurement matters;

• have strong drafting and analytical skills combined with sound legal judgement;

• have sound knowledge of the EU Financial Regulation;

• have the ability to communicate complex issues simply and to identify practical solutions;

• have excellent drafting and communication skills both in English and French (C1 and above);

• be service-oriented and have strong prioritising skills;

• be a flexible team player, willing to integrate a small team and to ensure business continuity;

• have the ability to maintain diplomatic relations and to ensure representation and communication in a complex, multicultural environment;

• have excellent communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain a network of contacts both within and outside the EEAS.

Furthermore:

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

• experience in working with or within other EU institutions, especially in the area of procurement and legal analysis/advice;

• written proficiency in Spanish

will be considered as strong assets. 

CONDITIONS OF RECRUITMENT AND EMPLOYMENT

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 in with their application a declaration of potential conflict of interest (see attached)

MEDICAL CLEARANCE

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

PERSONNEL SECURITY CLEARANCE (PSC)

This post is currently not identified as a post which requires Personnel Security Clearance (hereafter, the “PSC”) to access EU classified information (EUCI) in accordance with point 7 of Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS[5] and as implemented by Decision ADMIN(2019) 7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019 and its implementing decisions.

Nonetheless, candidates are informed that the list of posts requiring a PSC in the EEAS Headquarters is subject to regular review and that the current post might be identified in the future as a post which requires PSC. 

If required after the taking of duty, the selected candidate will need to be in a position to obtain a valid PSC issued by the competent authority of their Member State in accordance with national laws and regulations. 

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.

Description of the EU classified information levels is available under Article 2 of Annex A of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS.

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 1(d)(4) of the Staff Regulations.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE[6]

Please send your CV and cover letter (with your EPSO CAST number), in English or French, and the attached declaration of potential conflict of interest via email, with reference to the Vacancy Number in the Subject field, to:

RM-SCS-2@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending application: 25/07/2025 at 12.00 noon (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. 

The selection panel may decide, subsequent to the interview, to organise written tests, either for all pre-selected candidates or to the best ranked ones. 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. 

Pre-selected candidates without a valid CAST shall be invited to sit the CAST exam before or after the interview stage (in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out above). 

The panel will then recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (hereafter, the “AACC”). The AACC may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision.

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

In the interest of the service, after identifying the candidate that best fits the requirements of the post as set out in the vacancy notice, 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 with 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] Article 8 of the Commission Decision C(2017) 6760 of 16.10.2017 on the general provisions for implementing Article 79(2) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, governing the conditions of employment of contract staff employed by the Commission under the terms of Articles 3a and 3b thereof.

[3] Decision ADMIN(2023) 24 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.

[4]     All the eligibility criteria must be met on the closing date for applications to this post.

[5]    OJ C 263, 26 July 2023, p.16. 

[6] 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).