Overview
WE ARE The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the EU's diplomatic service. The 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 currently has 145 Delegations, 9 of which are to international organisations. In all, 6000 staff are currently serving in these Delegations. 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. 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.
WE PROPOSE The position of Secretary to the Administration Section, contract agent FGII as per article 3a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (hereafter, the “CEOS”).
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT City, COUNTRY: Vienna, AUSTRIA
LCA: 0%
Post Available
LEGAL BASIS The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions foreseen in the relevant provisions of the CEOS[1], in particular Article 82 thereof. Subject to having passed the CAST[2] exam, the successful candidate will be offered a contract agent position (Function Group II), as per Article 3a of the 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.[3]
WE LOOK FOR
The Secretary/Assistant will be required to provide general administrative and secretarial support as well as document management services to the Head of Delegation office. They will also be initiating agent in ABAC/SUMMA.
Eligibility criteria
According To The Conditions Set Out In Article 82 Of The CEOS And In Article 2 Of The Commission Decision C(2017) 6760 Final[5], Which Is Applicable To The EEAS By Virtue Of The Decision ADMIN(2018) 4 Of The High Representative[6], In Order To Be Eligible For This Post Of Contract Agent FG II, Candidates Must
* have passed a valid EPSO CAST in FG II; or be registered in the EPSO Permanent CAST for FG II (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 II:
* (i) Have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma; or
* (ii) a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, and appropriate professional experience of at least three years; or
* (iii) where justified in the interest of the service, professional training or professional experience 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;
* Having been recruited under Article 3b of the CEOS and assigned to the EEAS Headquarters for no less than 3 years;
* Having been recruited under Article 3a of the CEOS and temporarily assigned to the EEAS Headquarters for at least 2 years.
Selection criteria
Proven Pertinent Experience As Secretary/Assistant
* in a financial/support Division;
* in external relations, is considered an asset;
* with Secretarial/Assistant activities/techniques and knowledge on how to apply Institution’s administrative rules and procedures;
* with filing methods and knowledge of document management systems;
* with sound computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation systems, internet, e-mail and other IT-tools);
* handling sensitive information.
* General skills and competences
* Capacity to assure quality, speed and accuracy in performing a diversity of tasks in a difficult, complex, and multicultural environment without constant supervision;
* Ability to work under pressure and to respond quickly to new demands;
* Ability to communicate information clearly and effectively and to focus on priorities;
* Capacity to be able to work as part of a team as well as with a degree of autonomy;
* Sense of initiative, responsibility, discretion, organisation and innovation;
* Ability to deal with confidential matters professionally;
* Ability to deal helpfully and courteously with people (diplomatic and assertive);
* Ability to organise social events, taking into account protocol rules;
* Ability to work in a different socio-cultural environment and to adapt quickly to evolving situations;
* Working languages
* Capacity to work in languages of the CFSP and external relations necessary for the performance of their duties (EN and FR);
* Knowledge of German will be considered as an asset.
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(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 competent Authority Authorized to Conclude Contracts of Employment (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 any final decisions on nominations, the competent AACC will ensure on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the SR and CEOS, that the successful candidates will indeed be able to complete the relevant full posting for the post for which they are selected. As stated in Article 6(2)(a) of the Decision ADMIN(2020) 35, 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. External candidates may also apply to any vacancy position published for posts in Delegations.
CONDITIONS OF RECRUITMENT AND EMPLOYMENT
CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND SECURITY RISKS
As a matter of policy, applications of individuals who have the dual nationality of the host country or whose family member has the nationality of the host country will be considered eligible for a posting in that host country only as a positive result of a case-by-case assessment. The EEAS examines if there could be a conflict of interest and a risk of a possible refusal by the host country to grant diplomatic immunity to the staff member and or his/her partner and/or family, as well as possible security risks. 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 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. Until the PSC is issued, the selected candidate will not be authorised to access EUCI at 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 appropriate measures in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Decision ADMIN(2019) 7.
MEDICAL CLEARANCE
The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service. The candidate should indicate any health problems or requirements for specialised medical treatment. Prior to recruitment, the successful candidate will be contacted to fulfill relevant medical requirements, including a psychological assessment which the AACC may request.
Other
Candidates are deemed to be fully aware of Annex X to the Staff Regulations, which applies to staff serving in Delegations located outside the EU, regarding rights and obligations. They should also be aware of local living conditions and related information. All postings will aligned with the mobility cycle and have the 31 August end date. Training and security e-learning are required; HEAT may be required in some countries.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The EEAS is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. Candidates with disabilities may contact CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu for accommodations. If a candidate is selected, reasonable accommodation will be provided as per policy.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
The Procedure Will Take Place In Three Steps
* Application
Before submitting their application, candidates should carefully check eligibility criteria. Equally, candidates should be aware of local living conditions. Individual post reports are available from RM.01.
Candidates should ensure awareness of security provisions; Personal Security Clearance at the level SECRET UE/EU SECRET is requested in all EU Delegations. Successful candidates will undergo security vetting if not already cleared.
Required documents during application:
* Curriculum Vitae (Europass preferred) in English or French, with EPSO CAST number;
* letter of motivation (max 2 pages) in English or French;
* declaration of potential conflict of interest (annexed to vacancy notice).
Applications should be submitted to: DELEGATION-VIENNA-RECRUITMENTS@eeas.europa.eu
Deadline for applications is 07/11/2025: 12:00 Brussels time. Late applications will not be accepted.
For inquiries: CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu
Pre-selection, Selection, and Reserve list processes are outlined with potential tests, interviews, and CAST requirements. AACC decisions apply. External candidates may apply.
Address for inquiries and reference links are provided in the original vacancy notice.
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