Secretary - to the Director - 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

ECHO/COM/2026/1691

Directorate-General

ECHO - European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations

Vacancy Notice

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Last Verified

6 August 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Secretary - to the Director at European Commission based in Brussels at the AST-SC1 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is ECHO/COM/2026/1691. It is hosted by ECHO - European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area. The role falls under the Support Staff 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 positions 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. Selection reference ECHO/COM/2026/ 1691

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 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.

Selection reference ECHO/COM/2026/ 1691

# Secretary

# DG ECHO of the European Commission

Selection reference: ECHO /COM/202 6/1691

Domain : SUPPORT STAFF

Where : ECHO.C “Neighbourhood, Middle East, South -West and Central Asia ”, Brussels

Staff category and Function Gr oup : Temporary agent 2b

Grade: AST -SC 1/2

Publication deadline : 07 .08 .202 6 - 12.00 (Brussels time )

WE ARE

Directorate ECHO.C “Neighbourhood, Middle East, South -West and Central Asia” provides

needs -based humanitarian assistance and emergency support to the people in need in its

geographical area of responsibility who have been hit by man -made and natural disasters, giving

particular attention to the most vulnerable victims and in accordance with the humanitarian

principles.

The Directorate covers, in addition to their humanitarian work, international cooperation including

the management of the international civil protection programmes in the Neighbourhood as well as

the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

The Directorate also cover relations with regional organisations and donors from its geographical

area of responsibility where relevant.

WE PROPOSE

We are looking for an experienced secretary to the Director. The successful candidate will be closely

integrated in a friendly and dynamic team. She/he will provide administrative, logistic and

secretarial support to the Director. She/he will be given a broad range of administrative

responsibilities as well as a high degree of flexibility in the organisation of his/her work in

accordance with the priorities of the Director. She/he is expected to attribute, follow up and file

ARES documents and mail, apply the document management rules, launch briefing requests in

Basis for the Director, monitor deadlines, ensure calendar planning and the organisation,

preparation and follow -up of meetings. She/He will provide administrative and logistical support for

the organisation of meetings and events. She/he will help to maintain an effective information flow

and communication within the Directorate and towards other services and external contacts. In

particular, she/he will prepare documents and notes, assist with Sysper and recruitments, ensure Selection reference ECHO/COM/2026/ 1691

document filing, arrange videoconferences and organise missions in MIPS. She/he will work in close

collaboration with other members of the Director's team.

WE LOOK FOR

We look for a dynamic, flexible, proactive, service -oriented and open -minded team colleague. The

successful candidate should have sound organisation skills, be flexible, being able to prioritise

tasks, handle high workload and sensitive information with the necessary discretion. She/he must

have a minimum of three years of related professional experience. Written and spoken fluency in

English and a good knowledge of French are a requirement. Knowledge of Commission procedures

and administrative rules, and e xperience in document management are essential. The successful

candidate will need to be familiar with Commission IT tools: Ares, MIPS, SYSPER, Decide, Eurolook,

Basis etc. Suitable candidates must be able to respond rapidly to changing circumstances and to

communicate effectively. We welcome the motivation and capacity to induce improvements in the

working environment and procedures. Sense of initiative and enthusiasm would be particularly

appreciated. Previous experience as an executive secretary is an asset. The successful candidate

must have a security clearance or be willing and able to obtain one. Selection reference ECHO/COM/2026/ 1691

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 echo [email protected] indicating the

selection reference ECHO /COM/202 6/1691 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline. Selection reference ECHO/COM/2026/ 1691

# 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 either 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).

Selection reference ECHO/COM/2026/ 1691

➢ What about the selection steps?

The post was published internally within the Commission, inter -institutionally, and brought to the

attention of competition laureates.

In accordance with Article 29 of the Staff Regulations, applications from Commission officials,

officials from o

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 27 July 2026, 9 days ago.

The deadline is today, 7 August 2026. Applications submitted after the cut-off time set in the vacancy notice will not be considered.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 6 August 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 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.