Secretary - European Commission (AST-SC1, Brussels)

About this position

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

Key responsibilities

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

• Act as Filing Plan Officer and manage incoming/outgoing mails/documents for the Head of Unit
• Allocate assignments for the unit and allocate briefings
• Monitor respect of deadlines and follow up on external requests including citizens requests and Parliamentary questions
• Handle interservice consultations in cooperation with responsible policy officers and team leaders
• Handle the launch of legislative procedures when needed
• Assist with organisation of the secretariat
• Plan and organise missions for the unit
• Monitor the use and consumption of budget lines

Are you eligible?

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

• Experience: Prior experience of at least 3 years in the Commission, working as secretary or administrative assistant, is mandatory
• Languages: English (C1)
• Key skills: Excellent planning skills, Excellent organisational skills, Excellent communication skills, Knowledge of Commission IT tools (MIPS, Ares, Decide, Basis, Sysper), Knowledge of Commission procedures, Team spirit, Initiative, Flexibility, Reliability, Discretion

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Temporary agent contract.

Working arrangements: Flexible working conditions including the possibility of teleworking.

Hiring unit: ENEST.D.2 - Economic and Sectoral Policies, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST).

Position details

Reference

ENEST/COM/2026/1767

Directorate-General

ENEST - Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood

Vacancy Notice

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Last Verified

16 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Secretary at European Commission based in Brussels at the AST-SC1 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is ENEST/COM/2026/1767. It is hosted by ENEST - Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood, the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area. The role falls under the External Relations domain.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE - JOIN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Do you want to help shape the future of the European Union? Make the planet greener, promote a fairer society, or support businesses and innovation across the EU? Then come and work for the European Commission where you can really make a difference!

Commission staff are a diverse group of people, who are motivated to help make Europe – and the world – a better place. They come from the 27 Member States of the European Union. Different nationalities, backgrounds, languages and cultures make the Commission a vibrant and inclusive place to work.

WE OFFER GREAT JOBS AND GREAT WORKING CONDITIONS:

- Interesting and challenging jobs with plenty of opportunities for training and acquiring new skills and competencies throughout your whole career

- Opportunities to move between different policy areas throughout your career

- A package of flexible working conditions including the possibility of teleworking – we care about your work-life balance

- A competitive financial package, including comprehensive healthcare, accident and pension schemes

- A multilingual, multicultural workplace where personal and career development are strongly promoted

- Multilingual schools for your children

We recruit from a wide range of backgrounds and actively promote diversity and inclusion:

We do not only recruit political scientists and lawyers but are also looking for all kinds of profiles, including scientists, linguists, IT experts, data analysts and economists, as well as drivers and engineers.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to fostering a rich, diverse and inclusive working environment. We aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We actively seek to create a workplace where each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full potential. 2

ENEST /COM /2026/ 1767 Version: 15/09/2026

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates, we strongly encourage applicants from Member States which are currently underrepresented in the European Commission workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden 1. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the merits of all applicants and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member State.

For more information ec.europa.eu/work-with-us

STAFF RECRUITED ON CONTRACTS

In addition to permanent officials, the European Commission offers non-permanent positions. There are two categories of non-permanent staff:

temporary agents are recruited to fill vacant positions for a set amount of time or

to perform highly specialised tasks.

contract agents may provide additional capacity in specialised fields where an

insufficient number of officials is available or carry out a number of administrative or manual tasks. They are generally recruited for fixed-term contracts (maximum 6 years in any EU Institution), but in some cases they can be offered contracts for an indefinite duration (in offices, agencies, delegations or representations).

For more information on different staff categories

1Please note that the list of underrepresented Member States may be subject to future amendment based on potential data changes over time.

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Secretary

Directorate - General for Enlargement and Eastern

Neighbourhood (DG ENEST ) of the European Commission

Selection reference: ENEST /COM/202 6/1767

Domain: EU N eighbourhood

Where : Unit ENEST D2 _ Economic and Sectoral Policies , Brussels

Grade range: AST/ SC 1-2

Staff category and Function Group : Temporary agent 2b – Secretary

Publication deadline : 30.09. 202 6 - 12.00 (Brussels time)

WE ARE

The Directorate -General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) is responsible for the EU’s neighbourhood and enlargement policies and works closely with the European External Action Service (EEAS), line DGs and International Financial Institutions to support accession countries in their path to EU membership. DG ENEST supports reforms and the consolidation of democratic institutions, and strengthens the prosperity, stability and security around Europe. In the enlargement area, DG ENEST assists those countries with a perspective to join the EU in meeting the criteria defined by the Treaty of European Union and the European Council. DG ENEST coordinates the bilateral relations between the Union and candidate and potential candidate countries on their path to the EU, frontloading reforms on rule of law, economic governance and public administration. Efforts feature at the core of the new Commission’s political priorities due to the current evolving geopolitical context.

Directorate D - Ukraine Service supports the reforms and investments in Ukraine through the implementation of the Ukraine Facility.

ENEST.D.2 - Economic and Sectoral Policies is the unit responsible for the implementation of the Ukraine Plan (through support from Pillar I of the Ukraine Facility) and for monitoring Ukraine’s accession negotiations in sectors related to all economic and social policies. The unit provides economic analysis and expertise on economic, social and sectoral policies in Ukraine and coordinates the assessment of Ukraine’s convergence with the EU acquis in those areas. Unit D2 monitors the compliance by Ukraine with the policy conditions enshrined in the Ukraine Plan and coordinates the Commission’s disbursement of the financial support (loan and grants) under Pillar I of the Ukraine Facility. The work of the unit also supports the reconstruction process and hosts chapter desks on transport and agriculture.

The unit counts +/- 35 colleagues with three dedicated teams:

- Social and Economic Policies Team;

- Green Deal and Sectoral Policies Team;

- Economic Analysis and Ukraine Plan Team.

The unit works closely with the EU Delegation in Ukraine and other units in DG ENEST to roll out capacity building and technical assistance projects to support Ukraine. 4

The unit is a key counterpart for the Ukrainian authorities and interacts with a wide range of counterparts both within the Commission, in Ukraine and with international partners.

The Ukraine Plan and Economic Analysis Team is responsible for the implementation of Pillar I of the Ukraine Facility, the central instrument for providing macro -financial support to Ukraine. The team is responsible for monitoring and assessing the implementation of reforms and investments under the Ukraine Plan, managing the disbursements of fiscal support, as well as providing in -depth economic and fiscal analysis of the latest developments in Ukraine. Looking forward, the team will be responsible for designing future support instrument(s) under the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

WE PROPOSE

We are offering an interesting and challenging position for a dynamic, experienced and well-organised secretary, able to work in close cooperation with the policy officers of our unit as well as with the Head of unit and his Deputy. The successful candidate will act proactively and in cooperation with the other 2 administrative assistants of the unit.

He/she will have the role of Filing Plan Officer and will be responsible to run efficiently the management of incoming/outgoing mails/documents for the Head of Unit, in a fast changing environment, and will also be responsible for the allocation of assignments for the unit and for the allocation of briefings, monitoring the respect of deadlines and ensuring that all external requests including citizens requests and Parliamentary questions are being followed up.

He/she will handle interservice consultations in cooperation with responsible policy officers and team leaders, and when needed will handle the launch of legislative procedures.

He/she will assist with the organisation of the secretariat and be responsible for planning and organising missions for the unit, also monitoring the use and consumption of respective budget lines over the year.

In particular, the unit receives many visitors from the Ukrainian administration, civils society and the business sector. Good preparation of meetings with them and good handling of groups and high-level visitors is required.

WE LOOK FOR

We are looking for a dynamic, pro-active, and motivated colleague with excellent planning, organisational, communication skills.

The position requires good knowledge of Commission IT tools (MIPS (Mission Processing System), Ares (Advanced Records System), Decide (Commission decision-making process), Basis (

Briefings and Speeches Information System ), Sysper (Personnel System) in particular), and of

Commission procedures. Prior experience of at least 3 years in the Commission, working as secretary or administrative assistant, is mandatory.

Commented [AJ1]: Please right the full name of the abbreviations as mentioned in my previous mail

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Team spirit, initiative, flexibility and reliability are key given the role of the unit in a politically sensitive area, where the unit regularly works under pressure. Previous experience of work in highly sensitive policy areas is desirable.

We seek a candidate who can organise his/her work independently, pays attention to details, and has the ability to adjust to fast-changing priorities. Reliability, discretion and a sense of service are essential.

The successful candidate is expected to master standard IT tools (Word, Excel, Outlook) and be comfortable with tools such as Teams and Webex. A good command of English (written and oral) is essential.

The successful candidate should have a high level of initiative, strong problem -solving ability, clear sense of priorities, discipline, a results -oriented mind -set and an inclusive working style.

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AST-SC1 runs from €3,292 (step 1) to €3,725 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €39,504 to €44,700 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 €527 per month at step 1 of AST-SC1) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for Brussels. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 16 September 2026, today.

The application deadline is 30 September 2026, 13 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 16 September 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AST-SC1 see our AST-SC1 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at European Commission see the European Commission institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Brussels see our Brussels location page; for related vacancies in the External Relations field browse our External Relations domain 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.