Scientific development officer - European Union Drugs Agency (FGIII, Lisbon)

European Union Drugs AgencyEUDA Lisbon, Portugal

GradeFGIII
Contract TypeContract Agent
Salary Range€3,476 - €3,932/month
Deadline18 September 2026

About this position

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

Job vacancy

Status:

Open

Published date: 17.08.2026

The position we are recruiting for is situated within the Substance use, harms and responses (SHR) unit, and the selected candidate will be reporting to the Head of the Drugs use, harms and addictive behaviours (DHAB) sector.

The jobholder will provide technical expertise and support for the data management and analysis activities of the EUDA. The role involves ensuring robust data management and analysis practices to facilitate the monitoring and reporting of the drug situation across Europe.

The jobholder will oversee the collection, validation, processing, analysis and presentation of data, ensuring accuracy and consistency in line with the EUDA’s strategic objectives.

Main duties

The successful applicant will be requested to perform the following main tasks and responsibilities:

Excerpt shown; read the full notice on the official page. The structured breakdown below covers the key facts.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

Manage and validate data collected by the EUDA on the drug situation in Europe in collaboration with Member States and other institutions
Develop and maintain queries, views and tables within a data warehouse for data exploration and analysis
Provide support for development of efficient methods of data validation, storage, transformation, extraction and presentation using scripts
Document standard operating procedures for data validation, storage, transformation, extraction and presentation to meet quality assurance requirements
Work with scientific analysts to produce tables, graphics and reports for EUDA outputs including the European Drug Report and European Markets Report, and for peer-reviewed scientific articles
Review EUDA data outputs for data quality
Support the work of scientific analysts, including preparation for annual expert meetings, data analysis for official reports and scientific manuscripts
Support all aspects of production of the Statistical Bulletin from data acquisition through to final production and output

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

Education: 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
Experience: Appropriate professional experience of at least three years; at least three years of proven professional experience in data management of large datasets, including a scripting/programming component
Languages: one of the official languages of the Eu… (C1), another of the official languages of th… (B2)
Key skills: Advanced expertise in data collection, validation, transformation and documentation of data processing, Advanced use and knowledge of programming language used for data management and analysis, preferably R and/or Python, Experience working with databases and database structures, in particular SQL query language, Experience in applying data governance principles, including metadata management, data quality assurance and documentation standards, Experience in providing user support in relation to data systems, tools or outputs, Experience supporting the production of recurring statistical publications or analytical reporting outputs
Eligibility: Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union, Norway or Türkiye; have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the laws concerning military service, if applicable; produce appropriate character references as to suitability for performance of required duties; be physically fit to perform the duties of the post

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 5 years.

Hiring unit: Substance use, harms and responses (SHR) unit.

Position details

Reference: CA.2026.04
Last Verified: 27 August 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Scientific development officer at EUDA based in Lisbon at the FGIII grade level (Contract Agent). The vacancy reference is CA.2026.04.

Job vacancy

Status:

Open

Published date: 17.08.2026

The jobholder will oversee the collection, validation, processing, analysis and presentation of data, ensuring accuracy and consistency in line with the EUDA’s strategic objectives.

Main duties

The successful applicant will be requested to perform the following main tasks and responsibilities:

- Manage and validate data collected by the EUDA on the drug situation in Europe. This is undertaken in close collaboration with the Member States and other institutions providing the data. - Develop and maintain queries, views and tables within a data warehouse for data exploration and analysis. - Provide support for the development of efficient methods of data validation, storage, transformation, extraction and presentation that are reproducible using scripts. - Document standard operating procedures for data validation, storage, transformation, extraction and presentation to meet quality assurance requirements. - Work with scientific analysts to produce tables, graphics and reports for EUDA outputs including the European Drug Report and European Markets Report, and for peer-reviewed scientific articles. - Review EUDA data outputs for data quality. - Support the work of scientific analysts, including the preparation for annual expert meetings, data analysis for official reports and scientific manuscripts. - Any other tasks at the request of the Head of the DHAB sector and the Head of the SHR unit, including assistance with threat assessment activities when needed.

Main areas of specific responsibility

- Support all aspects of the production of the Statistical Bulletin, from data acquisition through to final production and output. - Support the development and maintenance of data explorers and dashboards containing different data collected in DHAB and other sectors and units. - Support the development and maintenance of metadata and data governance tools (including SOPs, codebooks, questionnaires, etc.) across all data collection in DHAB and SHR. - Assist with conceptualisation, development and implementation of appropriate data collection instruments, systems and data analysis procedures.

External and internal cooperation

- Collaborate with other EUDA sectors and units on multidisciplinary projects.

Representation

- Represent the EUDA and the SHR unit at appropriate technical, administrative and scientific meetings.

The jobholder may be required to contribute to other areas of work, according to the needs and priorities of the EUDA.

In order to perform the duties of the post and ensure effective communication with the actors and stakeholders involved, the main working language required for the job is English.

Call details

- Open date:17.08.2026 - Closing date: 18.09.2026, 23:59 (Lisbon time) - Type of call:Job vacancy - Contract type:Contract Agent - Reference:CA.2026.04 - Grade:FGIII - Duration of contract:5 years

Eligibility requirements

- Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union, Norway or Türkiye. - Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the laws concerning military service, if applicable. - Produce the appropriate character references as to the suitability for the performance of the required duties. - Be physically fit to perform the duties of the post. - 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 at least three years. - Possess a thorough knowledge (mother tongue or minimum level C1) of one of the official languages of the European Union and, a proven satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2) of another of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of the required duties.

Essential requirements

1. At least three years of proven professional experience in data management of large datasets, including a scripting/programming component. 2. Advanced expertise in data collection, validation, transformation and documentation of data processing. 3. Advanced use and knowledge of programming language used for data management and analysis, preferably R and/or Python. 4. Experience working with databases and database structures, in particular SQL query language. 5. Experience in applying data governance principles, including metadata management, data quality assurance and documentation standards. 6. Experience in providing user support in relation to data systems, tools or outputs. 7. Experience supporting the production of recurring statistical publications or analytical reporting outputs.

Ready to apply?

If you think this sounds like you and you are ready to apply, click on the button below and fill in your application on our e-Recruitement site.

You can learn more about the selection process on our main Job vacancies page.

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at FGIII runs from €3,476 (step 1) to €3,932 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €41,712 to €47,184 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 €556 per month at step 1 of FGIII) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for Lisbon. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 18 August 2026, 10 days ago.

The application deadline is 18 September 2026, 20 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 FGIII see our FGIII grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at EUDA see the EUDA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Lisbon see our Lisbon 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 FGIII, gross monthly basic salary on the Contract Agents grid is €3,476. Eligible expatriate staff add a 16% expatriation allowance on top (roughly €556 per month) before two automatic deductions reduce the taxable base: the joint sickness insurance scheme (JSIS, ~3.6%, €145) and the EU pension contribution (~10.3%, €415). 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 €417 per month here.

Lisbon carries a correction coefficient of 90.5% (Article 64 of the Staff Regulations), so the net is multiplied by 0.91 to reflect the local cost of living. On those assumptions take-home pay is approximately €2,765 per month, or about €33,175 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 EUDA (and the wider Commission and agencies family) has filled several adjacent roles at the same FGIII grade level. The most recent comparable vacancies, with their actual application windows:

Data development officer - Early warning, alert and laboratory network (EAL) sector at EUDA (published 2026-07-23, closed 2026-08-24)
HR support officer at EUDA (published 2026-05-28, closed 2026-05-29)
Information & Communication Assistant - Digital Leader at European Commission (COMM – Communication) (published 2026-08-21, closed 2026-09-04)
IT Project Assistant at European Commission (OP - Publications Office) (published 2026-08-18, closed 2026-09-04)
Scientific development officer at Publications Office (published 2026-08-18, closed 2026-09-18)

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 FGIII openings, other vacancies at EUDA.

Career trajectory

Career progression for FGIII 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 EUDA, reclassification within FG III typically follows three to five years of seniority plus a positive appraisal cycle. 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

Across the past twenty-four months 2 comparable openings with the same grade and subject area signature have been advertised by EUDA or related EU bodies, 2 of them in the last twelve months alone. That cadence (roughly 1.0 per year) suggests a candidate who narrowly misses this competition can reasonably expect a similar profile to reopen within six to nine months.

Visit the official European Union Drugs Agency website

Apply on EU Careers

Source: This job listing was sourced from the officialEU Careers portal (EPSO). First published: 18 August 2026.Salary estimate based on EU Staff Regulations.

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