EUROPEAN EXTERNAL ACTION SERVICE (EEAS) Vacancy notice – Job title: Financial and Contract Assistant - HQ Contract Agent FGIII - EEAS Headquarters - job No 364435

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 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 mission of the Directorate General for Resource Management (DG.RM) is to support the functioning and the development of the EEAS, in headquarters and in the EU delegations, by providing appropriate financial and human resources, logistic infrastructure and an effective security regime. Its global objective is to respond to the EEAS' evolving needs and to ensure that the service is in the best possible conditions to fulfil its political priorities within the available resources.

The Division “RM.01- Coordination” is directly attached to the Director-General for Resource Management (DG.RM), coordinating various administrative policies and ensuring that DG.RM relevant decisions, rules and procedures are compliant with the applicable regulatory framework.

WE PROPOSE

The position of Financial and Contract Assistant contract agent FGIII as per article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (hereafter, the “CEOS”).

PLACE and DATE OF EMPLOYMENT

‎EEAS Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

Post available: Immediately

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, subject to the maximum duration of engagement by the EEAS allowed under successive limited duration contracts of different types. 

WE LOOK FOR

A highly motivated and service-minded colleague with excellent analytical mind and well oriented to problem-solving, one who is flexible, precise, with attention to details, able to work independently and within the team, and ready to exchange views and practises with other team members.

The successful candidate will have to combine a number of different functions and will be working in a team of 3 to 4 members.

His / Her main duties will be:

• Be responsible for procurement procedures and contract management in the division including (but not limited to) preparation of calls for tender, initiation of procurement files, preparation of budgetary commitments, management of payments and recoveries in the role of operational and financial initiating agent. Ensure and follow all aspects of the process – procedural, legal, administrative and financial, including debt recovery;
• Contribute to yearly budgetary cycle, from planning to execution, including check and initiate budgetary regularisations;
• Act as back-up for the following tasks and functions, inter alia:
  • Check and initiate payroll payments and other files within responsibility of the team and Division, including relations and exchanges with PMO
  • Ensure follow-up and clearing of waiting accounts;
• Provide general related administrative support to colleagues and managing functional mailboxes.

Eligibility criteria

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://eu-careers.europa.eu/en/contract-staff-selection-procedures-always-open-registration). 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 strong drafting and analytical skills combined with sound judgement;
• have knowledge of external relations, internal policies and functioning of the Union;
• have excellent communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain a network of contacts both within and outside the EEAS;
• have the ability to communicate clearly on complex issues and the capacity to perform with accuracy and in a flexible manner a diversity of tasks in a complex institutional environment;
• have strong service attitude, good inter-personal skills and a pragmatic problem-solving approach;
• be client-oriented, proactive and a flexible team player, highly motivated, with good organisational skills;
• have strong knowledge of financial and contract rules and processes as well as experience with accounting, audit and financial system tools;
• have knowledge and/or proven experience in the administration and/or human resources or a good awareness of issues relating to human resources in the EU context, including the main legal basis such the Staff Regulations and CEOS;
• be able to work autonomously, under pressure and to tight deadlines when necessary;
• have a very good knowledge of English and French and be able to work effectively in both.

Furthermore: 

• experience of working in a team in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
• experience in working with or within other EU institutions;
• previous experience in managing procurement procedures and contract management (preparation, negotiation, execution);
• previous experience as responsible for budget preparation and execution;
• previous experience in financial, accounting and audit sectors and/or being registered auditor;
• previous experience in dealing with cross-functional projects for analysis and improvement of internal procedures;
• good knowledge of standard administrative procedures as well as knowledge of IT tools for personnel and document management.

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.

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 and as implemented by Decision ADMIN(2025) 42 on Implementing Rules and Procedures for Personnel Security measures for protection of EU Classified Information of 20 November 2025 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 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.

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 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-HQ@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 

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

RM-01-COORDINATION@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending application: 29/05/2026 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).