EEAS Call for Expression of Interest for the recruitment of 
one Temporary Agent under Article 2(b) 
of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS)
as Secretary to the Director (AST/SC2)
MD-PSD.SECDEFPOL - Security and Defence Policy Directorate

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 EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (hereafter, the “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 as well as the General Secretariat of the Council, the services of the Commission and the Secretariat General of the European Parliament.

Within the EEAS and MD-PSD, the Security and Defence Policy Directorate is playing a key role in supporting the EU to stay at the forefront of developments in security and defence policy across the thematic spectrum.

SECDEFPOL is responsible for implementing and developing EU policies in an increasingly multifaceted area of security and defence, ranging from cyber and hybrid threats to maritime security, from climate change and defence to space, and from to terrorism to non-proliferation. 

WE PROPOSE:

The EEAS is launching a call for expression of interest for the recruitment of one SECRETARY (AST/SC2) 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. He/she will be entrusted with the following main tasks:

• Provide efficient secretarial support to the Director;

• Maintain the diary, answer and filter phone calls and take messages, respond to general inquiries and manage the e-mail exchange and calendar;

• Prepare notes, minutes, routine correspondence, presentations, contributions to inter-service consultations and other texts that are needed for the overall activity;

• Handle appointments, documentation and follow up management meetings; collaborate in the preparation and distribution of the work schedule;

• Ensure that space, infrastructure, office supplies, inventoried goods and other logistics needs of the office are covered;

• Coordinate the work of the Directorate’s secretaries and clerical officers, in order to assure the smooth functioning of the teams;

• Manage information and procedures on missions, holidays, leave and absence records and similar personnel administration formalities;

• Assist the Director to ensure that all jobs in the entity have a complete and up-to-date JD;

• Follow up administrative arrangements relating to the recruitment and arrival of new staff members;

• Provide support for the organisation, budgetary requests and reporting of meetings, including reservation of rooms, interpretation facilities and security arrangements;

• Follow-up of the mission and representation budgets of the Directorate;

• Perform administrative quality checks on files for signature;

• Record and route incoming correspondence, finalise and transmit outgoing correspondence, using archiving software (ARES) whenever necessary and ensure follow up and respect of deadlines;

• Facilitate internal communication within the Managing Directorate as well as outside the service;

• Assist in welcoming and informing outside visitors in accordance with security regulations;

• Any other task related to secretarial, administrative and organisational support as tasked by the Director. 

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 AST/SC2.

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.

• Secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least 7 years’ professional experience directly related to the nature of the duties;  OR Relevant professional training followed by at least 7 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:

• Proven experience in the secretarial field; 

• Good organisational skills with a sense of initiative and an eye for detail;

• Proven capacities of a team player with good inter-personal and communication skills;

• Ability to be flexible, perform multiple tasks in a timely manner, and adjust to changing priorities;

• Sound computer skills (MS Office) and good knowledge of standard administrative procedures;

• Good coordination skills and capacity to respect deadlines; 

• Good working knowledge of spoken and written English.

• Experience in the field of external relations and working with multinational teams in in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;

• Experience in handling classified and sensitive information;

• Previous experience in EU institutions;

• Knowledge of IT tools used in EU institutions (Sysper, ARES, MIPS, e-Brief, EU-Learn, Decide, EEAS Register, Rescom, Webex);

• Working knowledge of French;

Furthermore:

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 

MD-PSD-SECDEFPOL-ADMINISTRATION@eeas.europa.eu copying AST-SC-STAFF@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/SC)TA2b-AST/SC2-MD-PSD.SDP-491134"

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;

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

The deadline for submission of expressions is 11/07/2025 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/SC)TA2b-AST/SC2-MD-PSD.SDP-491134"):

MD-PSD-SECDEFPOL-ADMINISTRATION@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 AST/SC-2[8] for a duration of 2 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: immediately

CONTACTS

Mr Maciej STADEJEK, MD-PSD.SECDEFPOL Director

Tel: +32 2584- 5399

 Email: Maciej.STADEJEK@eeas.europa.eu

Ms. Christine LIEMANS, HR Assistant, MD-PSD

Tel: +32 2584-5289

Email: Christine.LIEMANS@eeas.europa.eu   

The closing date for submissions is 11/07/2025 at 12:00 midday (Brussels time).

[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