Legal Officer - European Securities and Markets Authority (AD5, Paris)

European Securities and Markets AuthorityESMAParis, France
GradeAD5
Contract TypeTemporary Agent
Salary Range€6,153 - €6,961/month
Deadline15 September 2026

About this position

The summary below is published by European Securities and Markets Authority on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

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© 2026 - ESMA / eRecruitment

Position details

Reference
ESMA/2026/VAC07/AD5
Last Verified
27 August 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Legal Officer at ESMA based in Paris at the AD5 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is ESMA/2026/VAC07/AD5.

Create a profile / personal account

To log in you will need a valid account

New user To set up your profile please enter a valid email address and select an alphanumeric password at least 8 characters long i.e. a mixture of letters and numbers.

Already a user By clicking log in you will enter your account where you can complete your profile and submit your application.

- Email * - Password * - Forgotten password ?

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© 2026 - ESMA / eRecruitment

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AD5 runs from €6,153 (step 1) to €6,961 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €73,836 to €83,532 before tax and allowances. Steps increase automatically every two years; the figures here are taken from the salary grid in the EU Staff Regulations.

Eligible staff posted away from their country of nationality also receive an expatriation allowance worth 16% of basic salary (around €984 per month at step 1 of AD5) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for Paris. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 13 August 2026, 15 days ago.

The application deadline is 15 September 2026, 17 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 27 August 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AD5 see our AD5 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at ESMA see the ESMA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Paris see our Paris location page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.

Net pay at this grade

At step 1 of AD5, gross monthly basic salary on the Administrators grid is €6,153. Eligible expatriate staff add a 16% expatriation allowance on top (roughly €984 per month) before two automatic deductions reduce the taxable base: the joint sickness insurance scheme (JSIS, ~3.6%, €257) and the EU pension contribution (~10.3%, €735). EU community tax (Council Reg. 260/68) is then applied progressively; for the AD7-equivalent band the effective rate sits in the 11 to 13% range, which works out to about €737 per month here.
Paris carries a correction coefficient of 115.8% (Article 64 of the Staff Regulations), so the net is multiplied by 1.16 to reflect the local cost of living. On those assumptions take-home pay is approximately €6,262 per month, or about €75,144 per year, before household and dependent-child allowances, which can add several hundred euros monthly for staff with families. For the exact bracket-by-bracket computation see our net-pay methodology, and our correction coefficients guide for the full duty-station table.

Comparable recent roles

In the last twenty-four months ESMA (and the wider Commission and agencies family) has filled several adjacent roles at the same AD5 grade level. The most recent comparable vacancies, with their actual application windows:
  • Press and External Communication Officer at European Commission (BUDG – Budget) (published 2026-08-27, closed 2026-09-10)
  • Local Information Security Officer at European Commission (BUDG – Budget) (published 2026-08-24, closed 2026-09-04)
  • Project Manager - Information Systems at European Commission (CLIMA - Climate Action) (published 2026-08-24, closed 2026-09-10)
  • Budget Officer at European Commission (BUDG – Budget) (published 2026-08-24, closed 2026-09-04)
  • French-language translator at European Committee of the Regions (published 2026-08-20, closed 2026-09-10)
Pattern recognition matters here: recruiters at the same Directorate-General often re-advertise nearly identical profiles every six to nine months, so candidates who miss one window can typically position for the next one. Browse the live catalog: all AD5 openings, other vacancies at ESMA.

Career trajectory

Career progression for AD5 staff is governed by Articles 44 to 46 of the Staff Regulations (consolidated text on EUR-Lex) and Annex IB on the promotion procedure. Step increases are automatic every two years (Art. 44); grade promotion is competitive, based on the appraisal exercise (Art. 45) and the Career Development Review. For roles at ESMA, the typical next move is AD7 within four to five years on merit, then AD9 by year nine if the appraisals are strong. Article 46 governs the classification at recruitment, which sets the starting step within the grade (usually step 1 for external recruits without prior EU service, step 2 or 3 where relevant professional experience is recognised).
Mobility within the institutions is encouraged via the inter-institutional and intra-institutional vacancy publication system: temporary agents who pass the probation period and reservists from EPSO laureate lists can typically apply to internal vacancies after one year of service. Lateral moves between Directorates-General reset the seniority clock for promotion only if the new post carries a different grade.

Language profile

Beyond the formal language requirements stated in the vacancy notice, the day-to-day working languages at this employer are English and French in roughly equal measure, with German appearing in some technical files. Internal meetings and most policy drafting in Brussels run in English; French remains the preferred internal language in Luxembourg-based services and parts of DG TRADE.

Application cadence

ESMA has not advertised another AD5 role with the same grade and subject signature in the past twenty-four months. This opening has rarely been seen on the EU Careers feed and may be the first such posting in our two-year window. Applicants who pass the eligibility checks should not assume the same profile will reopen on a predictable cadence.

Visit the official European Securities and Markets Authority website

Apply on EU Careers

Source: This job listing was sourced from the officialEU Careers portal (EPSO). First published: .Salary estimate based on EU Staff Regulations.

From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →

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