Secretary - to the Head of Unit - 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:

• Ensure relevant administrative procedures are followed timely within the Unit
• Support the team in fulfilling administrative requirements
• Manage agendas of the Head of Unit and Deputy
• Manage functional mailbox, documents and correspondence
• Prepare missions
• Organise meetings
• Coordinate tasks and monitor deadlines
• Provide horizontal support within the Directorate when needed

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Post-secondary education attested by a diploma, or secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education
• Experience: Appropriate professional experience of at least three years (required if secondary education diploma)
• Languages: English (C1)
• Key skills: Good planning skills, Organisational skills, Communication skills, Discretion, Team spirit, Initiative, Flexibility, Reliability, Independent work organisation, Attention to detail
• Eligibility: Must be a citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen; must have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service; must be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post; must produce appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

• Submit CV and completed application form in a single PDF

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Temporary agent contract.

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

Hiring unit: Unit ENEST.C.1 - Regional Strategy & Investment, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENES….

Position details

Reference

ENEST/COM/2026/1779

Directorate-General

ENEST - Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood

Vacancy Notice

Download PDF

Last Verified

21 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Secretary - to the Head of Unit at European Commission based in Brussels at the AST-SC1 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is ENEST/COM/2026/1779. 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. 2ENEST/COM/2026/1779 Version: 16/04/2026

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, 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 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.

3ENEST/COM/2026/1779 Version: 16/04/2026

Secretary – to the Head of Unit

Directorate - General for Enlargement and Eastern

Neighbourhood (DG ENEST ) of the European Commission

Selection reference: ENEST /COM/ 202 6/1779

Domai n*: External Relation s

Where : Unit ENEST.C.1 - „( Regional Strategy & Investment )“, Brussels

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

Grade range : AST/SC1 -2

Publication deadline : 02.10 .202 6 - 12.00 (Brussels time)

WE ARE

The Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) takes forward the EU's Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood policies. DG ENEST works closely with the European External Action Service and the line DGs in charge of thematic priorities.

The mission of Directorate C Neighbourhood East and Türkiye is to develop the EU’s policies with

its neighbours with a view to improving conditions for sustainable and inclusive economic and social development; supporting the green and digital transition; and promoting democracy, the rule of law, good governance and the respect of human rights; as well as assisting in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and the management of crises and security threats. It contributes to the design of assistance and mobilisation of Commission instruments and resources contributing to the implementation of EU Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in the Eastern Neighbourhood, and the implementation of the enlargement strategy and policy with Moldova, Georgia and Türkiye.

The Regional Strategy & Investments Unit within the Directorate has a mission to promote regional cooperation through policy, programming and implementation of EU regional programmes under the Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI). The unit

develops, implements and monitors the EU’s regional policies, such as the Eastern Partnership

and a strategic approach to the Black Sea. It also plans and implements investments for the region under the Global Gateway Initiative, coordinating the use of blended finance instruments. The unit coordinates the Eastern Partnership priorities on economic development, trade integration, transport, energy, digital and climate, as well as accountable institutions, democracy, rule of law and security, and resilient, gender ‐equal, fair and inclusive societies. To this end the Unit manages a large portfolio of projects and programmes. The unit works in close coordination with other units and directorates in DG ENEST, with line DGs, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and EU Delegations.

WE PROPOSE

A challenging administrative job in a multi-cultural, dynamic, and motivating working environment. As Assistant in the unit, in particular to the Head of the Unit, you will play an essential role in ensuring the functioning of the unit with a strong and positive team spirit. In implementing assigned 4ENEST/COM/2026/1779 Version: 16/04/2026

tasks, you will have the possibility to work closely with a number of other Units in the Directorate and in the DG, the External Action Service, line DGs and EU Delegations. Tasks include ensuring that relevant administrative procedures are followed timely within the Unit. The tasks will involve supporting the team in fulfilling the administrative requirements.

Furthermore, the position will contain management of the agendas of the Head of Unit and his Deputy, management of the functional mailbox, documents and correspondence, preparation of missions, organisation of meetings, coordination of tasks and monitoring of deadlines. The position requires active communication and coordination skills.

The selected candidate will work in a team with the other administrative assistant and when necessary provide horizontal support within the Directorate, if needed.

The DG values and promotes cross-sectoral work. The jobholder may therefore be called to contribute to various tasks and projects in line with the needs of the unit, the directorate or the DG,

as guided by the DG’s political priorities.

You will have access to learning and training opportunities targeted to the needs of the job.

WE LOOK FOR

We are looking for a for a dynamic, proactive and motivated colleague with good planning, organisational and communication skills. The position requires discretion, team spirit, initiative, flexibility and reliability. We seek a candidate who can organise their work independently, pays attention to detail, and has the ability to adjust to fast-changing priorities. The successful candidate would be expected to have good computer skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).

Familiarity with the main software applications used for document handling and administrative support within the Commission would be an asset.

The working language is English. Very good knowledge of English is essential. 5ENEST/COM/2026/1779 Version: 16/04/2026

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 enest -c1 @ec.europa.eu indicating the

selection reference ENEST /COM/202 6/1779 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline. 6ENEST/COM/2026/1779 Version: 16/04/2026

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.

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 21 September 2026, today.

The application deadline is 2 October 2026, 10 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 21 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.