Senior Specialist – Head of Team – Cybercrime Investigations Support, European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) (AD8) - European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (AD8, The Hague)

European Union Agency for Law Enforcement CooperationEUROPOLThe Hague, Netherlands
GradeAD8
Contract TypeTemporary Agent
Salary Range€8,911 - €10,083/month
Deadline22 October 2026

Position details

Reference
Europol/2026/TA/AD8/774
Directorate-General
O3 European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3)
Last Verified
24 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Senior Specialist – Head of Team – Cybercrime Investigations Support, European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) (AD8) at Europol based in The Hague at the AD8 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is Europol/2026/TA/AD8/774. It is hosted by O3 European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3), the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area.

Full responsibilities, eligibility criteria, language requirements, and the selection procedure are set out in the official vacancy notice.

  • Grade: AD8
  • Contract type: Temporary Agent
  • Duty station: The Hague
  • Directorate-General: O3 European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3)
  • Vacancy reference: Europol/2026/TA/AD8/774

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AD8 runs from €8,911 (step 1) to €10,083 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €106,932 to €120,996 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 €1,426 per month at step 1 of AD8) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for The Hague. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 24 September 2026, today.

The application deadline is 22 October 2026, 28 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 September 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AD8 see our AD8 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at Europol see the Europol institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in The Hague see our The Hague location 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.

Net pay at this grade

At step 1 of AD8, gross monthly basic salary on the Administrators grid is €8,911. Eligible expatriate staff add a 16% expatriation allowance on top (roughly €1,426 per month) before two automatic deductions reduce the taxable base: the joint sickness insurance scheme (JSIS, ~3.6%, €372) and the EU pension contribution (~10.3%, €1,065). EU community tax (Council Reg. 260/68) is then applied progressively; for the AD7-equivalent band the effective rate sits in the 11 to 13% range, which works out to about €1,068 per month here.
The Hague carries a correction coefficient of 109.9% (Article 64 of the Staff Regulations), so the net is multiplied by 1.10 to reflect the local cost of living. On those assumptions take-home pay is approximately €8,608 per month, or about €103,293 per year, before household and dependent-child allowances, which can add several hundred euros monthly for staff with families. For the exact bracket-by-bracket computation see our net-pay methodology, and our correction coefficients guide for the full duty-station table.

Comparable recent roles

In the last twenty-four months Europol (and the wider Commission and agencies family) has filled several adjacent roles at the same AD8 grade level. The most recent comparable vacancies, with their actual application windows:
  • Head of Pre-Accession Cooperation Sector at EUAA (published 2026-09-22, closed 2026-10-22)
  • Policy Officer at EDA (published 2026-09-11, closed 2026-10-13)
  • Senior Cybersecurity Expert at ENISA (published 2026-09-10, closed 2026-10-12)
  • Cybersecurity expert at ENISA (published 2026-09-10, closed 2026-10-12)
  • Senior Capability Officer (AD8) 2 profiles at Frontex (published 2026-09-09, closed 2026-10-05)
Pattern recognition matters here: recruiters at the same Directorate-General often re-advertise nearly identical profiles every six to nine months, so candidates who miss one window can typically position for the next one. Browse the live catalog: all AD8 openings, other vacancies at Europol.

Career trajectory

Career progression for AD8 staff is governed by Articles 44 to 46 of the Staff Regulations (consolidated text on EUR-Lex) and Annex IB on the promotion procedure. Step increases are automatic every two years (Art. 44); grade promotion is competitive, based on the appraisal exercise (Art. 45) and the Career Development Review. For roles at O3 European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3), AD9 within three to four years on merit is the most common next move; AD11 (head-of-unit territory) usually comes by year nine to ten. Article 46 governs the classification at recruitment, which sets the starting step within the grade (usually step 1 for external recruits without prior EU service, step 2 or 3 where relevant professional experience is recognised).
Mobility within the institutions is encouraged via the inter-institutional and intra-institutional vacancy publication system: temporary agents who pass the probation period and reservists from EPSO laureate lists can typically apply to internal vacancies after one year of service. Lateral moves between Directorates-General reset the seniority clock for promotion only if the new post carries a different grade.

Language profile

Beyond the formal language requirements stated in the vacancy notice, the day-to-day working languages at this employer are English as the operational language. JHA agencies (Frontex, Europol, eu-LISA, EUAA) operate almost entirely in English given their member-state-facing operational mission; a second language is welcome but rarely a daily requirement.

Application cadence

Europol has not advertised another AD8 role with the same grade and O3 European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3) signature in the past twenty-four months. This opening has rarely been seen on the EU Careers feed and may be the first such posting in our two-year window. Applicants who pass the eligibility checks should not assume the same profile will reopen on a predictable cadence.

Visit the official European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation website

Apply on EU Careers

Source: This job listing was sourced from the officialEU Careers portal (EPSO). First published: .Salary estimate based on EU Staff Regulations.

From the EU Jobs Alert guideHow to land a job at the EU institutionsA walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles, written by our editor.Read the guide →

Similar Opportunities

Operational Analyst

Europol

The HagueAD6

Senior Specialist – Product Technical Lead

Europol

The HagueAD7

Legal and Policy Officer

More jobs at EuropolMore AD8 jobsMore jobs in The Hague
Remove ads and unlock all featuresGo Premium