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.

Position details

Reference

TRADE/COM/2026/1535

Directorate-General

TRADE – Trade

Vacancy Notice

Download PDF

Last Verified

24 July 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 TRADE/COM/2026/1535. It is hosted by TRADE – Trade, the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area. The role falls under the Support Staff domain.

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# 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 foster ing 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

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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, the Czech

Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg,

Malta, Poland, 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 ti me 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 Trade and Economic Security (DG

# TRADE ) of the European Commission

Selection reference: TRADE/ COM/2026/1535

Domain: Support staff

Where : Unit TRADE.F2 – Economic security instruments 1 -Foreign direct investment screening, outbound

investment and anti -coercion , Brussels

Staff category and Function Group : Temporary agen t 2b - administrative agent

Grade range: AST/SC1 -2

Publication deadline : 10 .08 .202 6 - 12.00 (Brussels time )

WE ARE

DG Trade and Economic Security is responsible for leading the EU’s common commercial policy, one

of the exclusive competences of the EU. Trade policy plays a critical role in enhancing the EU’s

economic competitiveness, shaping globalisation, and defending the EU from unfair trade practices

and threats to its economic security.

Unit TRADE.F.2 (Economic security instruments 1 - FDI Screening, outbound investment and anti -

coercion ) offers a dynamic and varied working environment, interacting with many different units in

DG Trade and Economic Security and other Commission services, EU Delegations, Member States

and EU businesses. The work provides an excellent overview of the new “security” instruments of

trade policy and their geopolitical dimension. It also gives a unique overview of investment activity in

sensitive sectors throughout the Union.

The Unit develops and implements EU rules and policies dealing with incoming and outbound

investment and responses to coercion by third countries. The successful candidate will be contributing

to the long -term prosperity, strategic autonomy and security of the European Union.

The unit’s day -to -day work covers: Implementing the F oreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening

Framework (Regulation 2019/452) requiring extensive cooperation with Member States

representatives and with other Commission services and the EEAS; Policy development on outbound

EU investment and the implementation of the Anti -Coercion Instrument (Regulation 2023/2675).

In addition, the unit is also in charge of taking the necessary steps for the implementation of the

revised EU screening regulation, which will enter into application in 17 January 2028.

WE PROPOSE

We propose a secretary position with varied responsibilities in a friendly and stimulating working

environment in a dynamic unit.

The successful candidate will be providing administrative support to the unit’s tasks . They will be

supporting the Foreign Direct Investment screening team with case handling tasks (including the

management of the manual of procedures, monitoring of the FDI Functional Mailbox, Temporary

Repository submissions to and from Member States, FDI tracker and registration of FDI cases in 4

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ARES. Also monitoring F2 Sec retariat and ACI Functional Mailbox and providing support with

organising Outbound expert group meetings and managing contacts with the group.

WE LOOK FOR

We are looking for a proactive team member, able to work independently and ensure respect for

applicable administrative procedures and deadlines as well as the necessary coordination with Expert

Groups , while assisting the responsible policy officers.

Work experience in the EU institutions and a familiarity with working methods is an advantage.

We are seeking a well -structured and dynamic colleague with secretarial experience, and very good

coordination, administrative and inter -personal skills. S/he should have very good organisational

skills, a strong sense of responsibility and the ability to deal with sensitive/confidential information.

The ideal candidate should be familiar with Commission IT tools (Decide, ARES, MIPS, SYSPER,

BASIS, SharePoint etc.) and possess a very good command of spoken and written English .

Familiarity with EU trade policy is an advantage.

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:

1. your CV 2. completed application form.

Please send these documents by the publication deadline to TRADE -F2 [email protected]

indicating the selection reference TRADE/COM/2026/1535 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline. 5

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## ANNEX

## 1. Selection

➢ Am I eligible to apply?

You must meet the following eligibility criteria when you validate your application :

Our rules provide that you can only be recruited as a temporary agent at the European Commission if you:

General criteria:

• Are a citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen

• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service

• Are physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post

• Produce the appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties.

Qualifications:

In order to be recruited for this position, you must have at least

• 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 .

Only qualifications issued or recognised as equivalent by EU Member State authorities (e.g. by the

Ministry of Education) will be accepted. Furthermore, before recruitment, you will be required to

provide the documents that corroborate the eligibility criteria (diplomas, certificates and other

supporting documents).

Languages:

> •

have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1) of one of the 24 official languages of the

EU 2

• AND a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2) of a second official language of the EU,

to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

> 2The official languages of the European Union are: BG (Bulgarian), CS (Czech), DA (Danish), DE (German), EL > (Greek), EN (English), ES (Spanish), ET (Estonian), FI (Finnish), FR (French), GA (Irish), HR (Croatian), HU > (Hungarian), IT (Italian), LT (Lithuanian), LV (Latvian), MT (Maltese), NL (Dutch), PL (Polish), PT (Portuguese), RO > (Romanian), SK (Slovak), SL (Slovenian), SV (Swedish).

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 24 July 2026, 2 days ago.

The application deadline is 10 August 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 24 July 2026 (2 days ago).

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 Support Staff field browse our Support Staff 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.