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 EU Situation Room is an EEAS division, attached to the EEAS Crisis Response Centre (ECO.CRC), which supports the EU external action by providing early warning and global situational awareness.

The EU Situation Room is a permanent standby entity within the EEAS, responsible for the continuous monitoring of open sources worldwide. It provides timely alerts on key political, security, and crisis-related developments, serving as the EEAS’s 24/7 first point of contact and central information hub during crises with an external EU dimension. The Situation Room compiles relevant crisis-related information into tailored situational reports, which are distributed to a broad range of recipients, including the HR/VP, EEAS management and staff, EU Delegations, the European Commission, the Council, EU Member States, CSDP Operations and Missions, EUSR teams, and international organisations.

WE PROPOSE

The position of Duty Assistant in the Duty Area Sector of the EU Situation Room, contract agent FGIII 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: 16/05/2025

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 colleague with very good communication and organisational skills and with a developed sense of service.

He/she will provide administrative assistance to the Duty Area and the Division by contributing to the preparation of information and performing the following main tasks:

• Manage incoming mails and information sent to the Situation Room from a wide variety of sources for further distribution;

• Managing and updating distribution and contact lists;

• Contribute to the creation and distribution of information products, as required;

• Using and managing a variety of secure communication systems;

• Obtaining and distributing information as appropriate, including classified documents;

• Contribute to the organisation of Crisis Response meetings and exercises;

• Act as point-of-contact for the EEAS and coordinate the EEAS contributions to the ISAA report (IPCR);

• Provide support in case of the activation of the Integrated Political Crisis Response mechanism (IPCR);

• Dealing with telephone enquiries, organisation of various meetings;

• Undertake other ad hoc tasks within the Duty Area and routine tasks in the Situation Room.

Specific requirements:

This post is along normal week/day working hours; however, a certain degree of flexibility is offered and required.

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 years;

• 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 must:

• be dynamic and have a strong sense of responsibility;

• be well-organised and have a sound judgement;

• be able to work autonomously and take initiatives whenever appropriate;

• be able to work well in a team, being a flexible team player, as well as individually;

• have a good knowledge of the functioning of EU institutions;

• have a sound grasp of the standard IT tools;

• be able to use a variety of tools used for communicating classified information;

• have strong service attitude.

Furthermore: 

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

• experience in working with or within other EU institutions,

• being a holder of a valid Personal Security Clearance (PSC).

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 (download the Conflict of Interest Form)

MEDICAL CLEARANCE

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

PERSONNEL SECURITY CLEARANCE (PSC)

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^[5].

The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance (hereafter, the “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 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 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 1(d)(4) of the Staff Regulations.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE[7]

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:

Cécilia IAVORSCHI (cecilia.iavorschi@eeas.europa.eu )

Deadline for sending application:26/05/2025 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.

to another post in his/her function group which corresponds to his/her grade and which does not require access to EUCI at the level of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above.

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.

ANNEX

1. DECLARATION OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

TO BE FILLED BY THE CANDIDATE 

Article 11(3) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (SR):

“Before recruiting an official, the Appointing Authority shall examine whether the candidate has any personal interest such as to impair his independence or any other conflict of interest. To that end, the candidate, using a specific form, shall inform the appointing authority of any actual or potential conflict of interest. In such cases, the Appointing Authority shall take this into account in a duly reasoned opinion. If necessary, the Appointing Authority shall take measures referred to in Article 11a(2)”.

Article 11a(2) of the SR:

“Any official to whom it falls, in the performance of his duties, to deal with a matter referred to above shall immediately inform the Appointing Authority. The Appointing Authority shall take any appropriate measure, and may in particular relieve the official from responsibility in this matter”.

These provisions apply to temporary agents and contract agents in accordance with Articles 11 and 81 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).

It is the candidates’ duty to inform through this form the EEAS of any actual or potential conflict of interest regarding their future tasks. They shall be broad in their identification of actual or potential conflict of interests. It is reminded that it will be up to the administration, and not to the candidates themselves, to assess on this basis whether they are sources of conflict of interests and, if applicable, whether they constitute an issue for the recruitment and, if not, whether they should call for adequate mitigating measures to protect both the interests of the institution and of the selected candidate.

Title/FIRST NAME/NAME:…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Job No. and position applied for: ……………………………..………………………………………………………

Administrative status of position concerned:     

                                Official ☐          Temporary agent ☐         Contract agent ☐

Grade of the position: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Directorate/Division/Delegation: ………………………………………………………………………………………..

In your opinion, do you have any personal interest, in particular a family or financial interest, or do you represent any other interests of third parties which could actually or potentially impair your independence in the course of your duties in the specific vacancy at the EEAS and which may thus lead to any actual or potential conflict of interest relevant to that position?

YES ☐ NO ☐

If yes, please detail:

To be returned with the application, by email cecilia.iavorschi@eeas.europa.eu

[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] 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]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).