Secretary to the Director - European Commission (FGII, 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:

• Manage the agenda of the Director
• Provide general administrative support
• Handle document management
• Conduct written and oral communications with stakeholders
• Follow up files in circulation
• Attribute and register documents
• Manage the functional mailbox of the Directorate
• Assist with communication aspects

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma OR level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education
• Experience: Appropriate professional experience of at least three years (if secondary education only); previous experience as a secretary is a very strong asset
• Languages: EU official language (C1), EU official language (B2)
• Key skills: Strong organisational skills, Strong secretarial and administrative skills, High degree of initiative and responsibility, Excellent planning skills, Attention to detail, Ability to manage several tasks simultaneously, Strong communication skills, Interpersonal skills, Collaborative mindset, Service-oriented approach
• Eligibility: Citizen of an EU Member State enjoying full rights as a citizen; fulfilled obligations concerning military service; physically fit to perform duties; appropriate character references; passed EPSO CAST in Function Group II

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

• Registration in EPSO CAST database
• Selection of candidates from EPSO database
• Interview with selection panel

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 1 year, renewable one or more times, up to a maximum duration of 6 years.

Working arrangements: Brussels.

Hiring unit: DG INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, Directorate E - Sustainable Finance, Investment and Jobs; Economy that works for the Peo….

Position details

Reference

INTPA/FGII/351526

Directorate-General

INTPA - International Partnerships

Vacancy Notice

Download PDF

Last Verified

27 August 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Secretary to the Director at European Commission based in Brussels at the FGII grade level (Contract Agent). The vacancy reference is INTPA/FGII/351526. It is hosted by INTPA - International Partnerships, the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area. The role falls under the International Cooperation And Development domain.

Secretary to the Director

in DG INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS of the European

Commission

Job title: Secretary to the Director

Domain: External Relations – International Cooperation and Development

Where : INTPA.E – Sustainable Finance, Investment and Jobs; Economy that works for the People, Brussels

Function Group : FG II

Contract Type : 3b

Express your interest until : 18.09.2025 - 12.00 (noon, Brussels time)

WE ARE

The Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) is responsible for contributing -

in the context of the European Union (EU)’s external relations - to sustainable development, the

eradication of poverty, peace, and the protection of human rights, through international

partnerships that uphold and promote European values and interests. As part of the European

Union’s external relations, we base our actions on international law and multilateralism and are at

the forefront of the European Union’s efforts to implement global commitments, notably the United

Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate

Change.

DG INTPA has a leading role in formulating European Union policies in the area of international

cooperation and building partnerships with countries and international organisation across the

globe. Since December 2021, the Global Gateway Strategy is the policy framework for its

geopolitical priorities. DG INTPA works hand in hand with other Commission services to ensure that

EU policies also strengthen its action in the world. DG INTPA coordinates with Member States under

a Team Europe approach to support the EU’s global agenda.

The Directorate E “Sustainable Finance, Investment and Jobs; Economy that works for the People“

leads on the macro- and microeconomic policy analysis, mobilisation of domestic revenues,

engaging with the private sector, creation of decent jobs and skills; improving investment climate,

regional economic integration and trade; developing sustainable finance strategies and rolling out

the EU budgetary guarantees under the NDICI-Global Europe (European Fund for Sustainable

Development Plus / EFSD+) and the next external financing instrument, including risk management.

The Directorate E collaborates with other Directorates and external stakeholders to achieve its goal.

Directorate E has 6 units and approximately 150 colleagues. The Director’s team is composed of a

Senior Adviser, a Policy Assistant, an Administrative Assistant and 3 Seconded National Experts. (Reference: Call for interest INTPA/FGII/351526)

WE PROPOSE

INTPA Directorate E is seeking to hire a dedicated Contract Agent FGII to fill the role of Secretary to

the Director and join a dynamic multicultural team. This crucial position is designed to ensure the

seamless operation of the Directorate through a variety of tasks. The successful candidate will

provide support to and manage the agenda of the Director, take care of general administrative

assignments, and contribute to smooth internal and external communications for the visibility of

the Directorate. Responsibilities include agenda-keeping, document management, written and oral

communications with stakeholders, follow-up of files in circulation and attribution and registration

of documents, managing the functional mailbox of the Directorate and assisting with

communication aspects as needed.

You will also play a key role in fostering smooth collaboration within the Directorate, with the

offices of the DG, DDG and with other Directorates. The Directorate secretariat also carries out

briefing coordination for the directorate.

WE LOOK FOR

We are looking for an autonomous, motivated and proactive colleague with strong organisational,

secretarial and administrative skills, as well as a high degree of initiative and responsibility. The

ideal candidate, who will fill in the role of Secretary to the Director, should thrive in a fast-paced,

structured environment. Genuine interest in secretarial and administrative support is also sought

after. Excellent planning skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage several tasks

simultaneously while adapting to changing priorities are essential.

The successful candidate should have strong communication and interpersonal skills, a

collaborative mindset and a friendly, service-oriented approach. Previous experience as a secretary

is a very strong asset. A good command of the main Commission administrative systems, including

Ares, MIPS+, Decide and BASIS, would be an advantage, as would proficient use of Microsoft Office

applications. The candidate should be able to work confidently in an English-speaking environment.

Knowledge of additional EU languages would be an asset.

Finally, a strong sense of initiative and the flexibility to step in as a reliable backup for colleagues

are essential for success in this position.

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

With a view to guaranteeing equal access to all, the Commission recruits from an open database of spontaneous applications. The present call for interests aims at helping the recruiters to identify potentially interested candidates within this database.

In practice, to express your interest, please follow the subsequent two steps:

1. If you are not registered yet in the open EPSO database, please do so at the following address: CAST Permanent . Please select under selection procedures for contract agent the

CAST permanent profile that best suits your education and experience. (Reference: Call for interest INTPA/FGII/351526)

2. You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order: 1. your CV in Europass format 2. completed application form. Please send these documents by the publication deadline to intpa-e-

[email protected] indicating the call for interest reference INTPA/FGII/351526 in the

subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline. (Reference: Call for interest INTPA/FGII/351526)

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 contract 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 position;

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

- Have passed an EPSO CAST in the relevant Function Group for this position. At the stage of the application, it is sufficient to be registered in the EPSO CAST data base.

Qualifications:

(a) Have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma OR

(b) 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.

Languages:

- have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1) of one of the 24 official languages of the EU 1

- AND have a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2) 2 of a second official language of the EU, to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

 What about the selection steps?

The selecting unit chooses from the EPSO database 3 candidates with the appropriate profile and

invites them to an interview. For the interview a selection panel is set-up to assess the best

1 The 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). 2For details on language levels, please see the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr).

(Reference: Call for interest INTPA/FGII/351526)

candidates. Due to the large volume of applications that we may receive only candidates selected for the interview will be notified.

For operational reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in the interest of the candidates and of the institution, the selection procedure will be carried out in English and possibly in a second official language.

3Therefore, candidates who did not pass already a CAST on the level Function Group II, should register their profile at this address: https://eu-careers.europa.eu/en/Cast-Permanent

2. Recruitment

The candidate selected for recruitment will be requested to provide documentary evidence in support of the statements made in the database and, where relevant, the call for interest.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a mandatory pre-recruitment medical check-up carried out by the Commission.

 Type of contract and working conditions

The place of employment will be in Brussels.

The successful candidate will be engaged as a contract agent under Article 3(b) of the

Conditions of Employment of Other Servants , in function group FG II. General information on

Contract Agents can be found at this link .

The grade or proposed grade range, as well as the step in that grade, will be defined on the basis of the candidates’ previous professional experience, in accordance with Commission Decision

C(2017)6760 laying down the criteria applicable to classification in step on engagement.

The duration of the first contract will be 1 year. Subject to the interest of the service, the contract may be renewed one or more times, up to a maximum duration of 6 years.

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at FGII runs from €2,715 (step 1) to €3,072 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €32,580 to €36,864 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 €434 per month at step 1 of FGII) 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 August 2026, 4 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 FGII see our FGII 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 International Cooperation And Development field browse our International Cooperation And Development 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.