Political Officer, Contract Agent FGIV, EU DELEGATION TO RUSSIA - Three posts

EUROPEAN EXTERNAL ACTION SERVICE (EEAS)

Vacancy notice – Job title: Political Officer

Contract Agent FGIV, EU DELEGATION TO RUSSIA

Three posts - job numbers 509696, 509697 and 509698

WE ARE

The European External Action Service (hereafter, the “EEAS”) supports the High Representative in the exercise of her mandate to conduct and implement an effective and coherent 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 EU currently has 145 Delegations, 9 of which are to international organisations. In all, 6 000 staff are currently serving in these Delegations. The work of a Delegation varies from country to country but, in general, covers political matters, press and information, trade, aid management and the external aspects of internal EU policies. The Delegations are placed under the authority of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who is also Vice President of the European Commission.

WE PROPOSE

Three positions of Political Officer, contract agent FGIV as per Article 3a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (hereafter, the “CEOS”). 

Subject to having passed the CAST exam, the successful candidate will be offered a contract agent position (Function Group IV), as per Article 3a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS), on the basis of a contract with an initial duration of 3 years. This contract may be renewed not more than once for a fixed period of not more than 5 years. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite period.

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT

City, COUNTRY:                             RUSSIA, Moscow

LCA:                                                  30%

POST AVAILABLE:                          Immediately

LEGAL BASIS FOR RECRUITMENT TO THIS POSITION

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions foreseen in the relevant provisions of the CEOS, in particular Article 82 thereof. 

WE LOOK FOR

A highly motivated and dynamic colleague to work to join the Delegation.

Under the authority of the Head of Section, the selected candidate will contribute to the work of the Delegation in following political developments in Russia and coordinating the EU's political relations towards the host country and in representing the Delegation as necessary. 

They will be required to monitor and contribute to analysis and reporting on the overall situation and development in Russia, including on regional level and on political relations with the EU and Member States.

The Political Officer will liaise regularly with Headquarters and other sections of the EU Delegation in providing advice, as appropriate, on policy issues, as well as briefing dossiers, speeches, statements, press releases and articles, as requested.

Eligibility criteria

According to the conditions set out in Article 82 of the CEOS and in the Commission Decision C(2017) 6760, which is applicable to the EEAS by virtue of the Decision ADMIN(2018) 4 of the High Representative, in order to be eligible for this post of contract agent FG IV, candidates must:

• have passed a valid EPSO CAST in FG IV; or be registered in the EPSO Permanent CAST for FG IV (https://epso.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-for-application). In the latter 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 his/her successfully passing the CAST exam;

• meet the minimum qualifications for engagement as contract agent FG IV:

  (i) have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma, or

  (ii) where justified in the interest of the service, professional training of an equivalent level (related to the nature of the tasks and qualifications indicated in the job description);

• have the capacity to work in languages of 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 EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

Additional eligibility criteria in case of an internal call for expression of interest:

• Be an EEAS contract agent in the function group concerned by the call for expression of interest;

AND

• Having been recruited under Article 3b of the CEOS and assigned to the EEAS Headquarters for no less than 3 years;

OR

• Having been recruited under Article 3a of the CEOS and temporarily assigned to the EEAS Headquarters for at least 2 years.

Selection criteria

The candidates should have:

• Strong interpersonal skills and resilience;

• Capacity to analyse and structure information;

• Demonstrated ability to accurately report on sensitive political matters under strict and tight deadlines;

• Ability to maintaining and further developing a positive work environment;

• Ability to work in a different socio-cultural environment and to adapt quickly to evolving situations;

• Experience in reaching out to and working with foreign governments, diplomatic representations, international organisations and the civil society on matters related to political developments, especially human rights;

• Sound knowledge of EU institutions, policies, decision-making processes and instruments, particularly related to the CFSP and EU Human Rights Policy; 

• Proven experience as political officer or manager of political files;

• Strong knowledge of the host country and the region.

Furthermore:

• Good knowledge of the Russian language;

• Experience on bilateral economic and trade files; 

• Experience in handling secure communications and classified information;

• Knowledge of IT tools used in EU institutions;

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

will be considered as assets.

POSTING POLICY

EEAS career development policy places the need for staff to develop a mix of competences at its core, e.g. working in various fields of expertise and responsibilities in the course of a person's career, including postings at Headquarters and Delegations. 

Contract staff in Delegations is usually posted for 2, 3, 4 or 6 years in a given EU Delegation. Call for interest to apply for postponement or early mobility will be launched annually prior to the publication of the mobility exercise. Staff are reminded that extension and early mobility are not a right.

Contract staff assigned to a post where the living conditions allowance (LCA) determined in accordance with Article 10 of Annex X to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the EU (SR) is 30% or 35% may participate in the mobility exercise after 4 years.

Contract staff assigned to a post where the LCA is 40% may participate in the mobility exercise after 3 years.

Contract staff assigned to a non-family post may participate in the mobility exercise after 2 years. 

For candidates currently posted in compound-confined, non-family posting, please refer to Article 6, point (2)(g) of the Decision ADMIN(2024) 20 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 24/07/2024 on the periodic serving of Officials and Temporary Agents in Union Delegations and repealing Decision ADMIN(2021) 221 of 1 July 2021ADMIN(2021) 221.

Within the mobility exercise, contract staff may be temporarily assigned to the EEAS Headquarters in Brussels; such assignment shall remain exceptional and depends on the availability of posts. The assignment shall be for no less than two years, unless a derogation is granted by the Head of the Division RM.BHR.3 ‘Selection and Recruitment’ in the interest of the service. The assignment shall be for no more than four years, in accordance with Article 118 of the CEOS and Article 3 of Annex X to the SR. The member of contract staff temporarily assigned to the EEAS Headquarters shall be included in the mobility exercise in time to be reassigned to a Union Delegation before he/she reaches the maximum period of 4 years.

Candidates currently in the EEAS Headquarters are expected to have served at least three years in the Headquarters by the expected time of posting in Delegation. Derogation to this rule may only be granted by the Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (hereafter, “AACC”) in the interest of the service.

External candidates may also apply to any vacancy position published for posts in Delegations.

It is in the interest of the service to ensure that staff members in Delegations are able to complete full postings before reaching the age of retirement. Before taking its decision on recruitment, the AACC will ensure on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the SR and CEOS, that the successful candidates will be able to complete the relevant full posting for the post for which they are selected. Applications from candidates not fulfilling this requirement will be examined by the AACC for exceptional and justified reasons and in the interest of the service.

CONDITIONS OF RECRUITMENT AND EMPLOYMENT

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND SECURITY RISKS

As a matter of policy, applications of individuals who have dual nationality, including one of a non-EU country or of the host country, or whose spouse or partner has the nationality of the host country, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In that regard, the EEAS also examines if there could be a conflict of interest and shall also take into account any specific local and global-security-context, diplomatic or other concerns about the personal security of the candidate or to the security interests of the Union.

In this context, candidates shall fill in with their application a declaration of potential conflict of interest (see the annex to this vacancy notice).

PERSONNEL 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 Annex A of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS.

The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance (hereafter, the PSC) 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(2025) 42 on Implementing Rules and Procedures for Personnel Security measures for protection of EU Classified Information of 20 November 2025and in Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS. 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 7 of the Decision ADMIN(2025) 42 on Implementing Rules and Procedures for Personnel Security measures for protection of EU Classified Information of 20 November 2025.

MEDICAL CLEARANCE

The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service. On that occasion, the candidate should indicate any serious health problems or requirements for specialised medical treatment for themselves and/or for the individuals who will accompany them. If staff members withhold such information they will not benefit from a reimbursement by the institution of certain costs, e.g. expenses relating to medical evacuation, or to a return to Headquarters in the case of early mobility.

Prior to recruitment, the successful candidate will be contacted by our services in order to fulfil the relevant medical requirements for the post as appropriate, including a psychological assessment which the AACC reserves the right to request. 

OTHER

Candidates are deemed to be fully aware of the provisions of Annex X to the Staff Regulations, which applies to staff serving in Delegations located outside the EU, regarding their rights and obligations (i.e. leave entitlements, allowances, reimbursement of expenses, social security benefits).

Candidates are deemed to be fully aware of the local living conditions, including inter alia information concerning security, health care, education, social acceptance of sexual orientation, employment opportunities for spouses and the accommodation provided (Annex X to the SR, Article 5 or 23), before applying. Candidates are strongly encouraged to consult the relevant Country Post reports which are available from the Division RM.01 ‘Coordination’: RM-01-COORDINATION@eeas.europa.eu

All postings will in principle be aligned with the mobility cycle and have the 31 August of a given year as end date.

Successful candidates shall participate in all compulsory pre-posting training. All posts in an EU Delegation require the successful completion of BASE, a security e-learning. The ‘Hostile Environment Awareness Training’ (HEAT) is compulsory before taking up duty/going on mission in some countries. The EEAS will provide the candidate with that possibility in case they have not yet followed the training.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES 

The EEAS strives to be a dynamic, respectful and inclusive Service. We value the talent and professional excellence of our staff, and are committed to building an organisation where gender equality and the respect of diversity are core values, as set out in the EEAS Mission Statement and the EEAS Agenda for Diversity and Inclusion. The EEAS is committed to achieving gender balance within its workforce and strives to avoid any form of discrimination during this selection procedure, as per Article 1(d) of the SR. We actively welcome applications from all qualified candidates without any discrimination based on any ground. We commit to recruit candidates with the highest standard of ability, efficiency and integrity, carrying out a selection based on merits required for the post and from the broadest possible geographical basis among the EU Member States.

The EEAS is committed to working with people with disabilities in the terms of the SR. If, by virtue of your medical condition or special needs, you require reasonable accommodation for a part or the entirety of this selection process, please send us an email to CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu. Your request will be treated in strict confidence and no record will be kept. If a candidate with a disability is selected for a vacant post, the EEAS is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in accordance with Article 1(d)(4) of the SR. 

All selected candidates are expected to adhere to the Principles of Professional Behaviour of the EEAS, which outline the need for integrity, transparency, respect, professionalism and accountability, and a zero tolerance approach to any form of harassment. 

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE

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

1. Application

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

Equally, candidates are deemed to be fully aware of the local living conditions, including information concerning the accommodation, before applying. Individual post reports are available from the Division RM.01 ‘Coordination’: RM-01-COORDINATION@eeas.europa.eu

Candidates should also ensure that they are fully aware of the relevant security provisions; Personal Security Clearance at the level SECRET UE/EU SECRET is requested in all EU Delegations. Successful candidates will be required to undergo security vetting if they do not already hold security clearance to the appropriate level in accordance with the EEAS relevant security provisions (for more information, see Section “Personal Security Clearance”).

During the application procedure, candidates are required to send the following documents:

1. an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (preferably using the Europass CV format), in either English or French, indicating clearly your EPSO CAST number;

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

3. declaration of potential conflict of interest (annexed to this vacancy note).

Applications should be submitted to the following email address:

CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for applications is 18/05/2026: at 12.00 hours (midday, Brussels time).

Candidates are strongly advised to submit their application as early as possible. Late applications will not be accepted.

For correspondence concerning the selection procedure, please use the following email address:

CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@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, 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. 

3. Selection

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

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. 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 recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the AACC. The AACC may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision. 

It is recalled that, if the interest of the service so requires, the selection procedure may can be terminated at any stage in the interest of the service.

In the interest of the service, 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 an equivalent post in the EEAS having the same job profile.

ADDRESS FOR INQUIRIES: CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu

1. ^

   Contract Agent Selection Tool.

2. ^

    In accordance with Article 85(1) of the CEOS.

3. ^

    Due to the mandatory condition of receiving a visa by the Receiving State, the assignment can be subject to significant delays. In the event that a visa has not been granted by the date of the scheduled take-up duty at the Delegation, the selected candidate would be requested to start the assignment from EEAS Headquarters, in Brussels. A visa refusal might also give rise to the termination of the contract.

4. ^

    Once the selected candidate takes-up duty at the place of assignment in the Delegation.

5. ^

    The text of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the EU and the CEOS is accessible at the following link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20190101

6. ^

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

7. ^

    Commission Decision C(2017) 6760 final of 16 October 2017 on the general provisions for implementing Article 79(2) of the CEOS, governing the conditions of employment of contract staff employed by the Commission under the terms of Articles 3a and 3b.

8. ^

    Decision ADMIN(2018) 4 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 12 March 2018 amending Annex I of the Decision of the High Representative PROC HR(2011) 013 on General Implementing Provisions for giving effect to the Staff Regulations and to the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants.

9. ^

     OJ C 263, 26 July 2023, p.16.

10. ^

     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’.”

11. ^

     Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as implemented by the Decision ADMIN(2019) 8 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on implementing rules relating to the protection of personal data by the EEAS and the application of Regulation. 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).