WE ARE

The European External Action Service (EEAS) supports the High Representative in the exercise of her mandate to conduct and implement an effective and coherent Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), to represent the EU and to chair the Foreign Affairs Council.

It also supports the High Representative in her capacity as Vice-President of the Commission with regard to her responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field, including the coordination of other aspects of the EU's external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with the EU Member States, the General Secretariat of the Council, the services of the Commission and the Secretariat General of the European Parliament.

The Missions Operational Support Division (CPCC.4) is a dynamic Division composed of 31 experts in the field of Missions Support: Logistics, Digitalisation, CIS, IT, Cybersecurity, Secure Communications Budget, Procurement and Financial aspects of the civilian CSDP Missions. Our job is to provide operational support for about 2.500 staff working on the 13 CSDP Missions operating on the ground in crisis countries.

WE PROPOSE

The position of Information Systems Assistant - contract agent FGIII as per article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (hereafter, the “CEOS”)^[1].

PLACE and DATE OF EMPLOYMENT

‎EEAS Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

Post available: Immediately

LEGAL BASIS

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the CEOS, in particular Article 82 thereof. In case of recruitment, the successful candidate will be offered a contract agent position (Function group III), on the basis of a contract with an initial duration of one year that may be successively renewed up to a maximum duration of six years[2], subject to the maximum duration of engagement by the EEAS allowed under successive limited duration contracts of different types[3].

WE LOOK FOR

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Missions Operational Support Division and the Head of Sector CIS & Cyber, the Communications and Information Systems (CIS) Expert is expected to perform the following tasks:

• Contribute to the relevant work aimed at the definition/configuration/deployment of CIS standard equipment for Civilian CSDP Missions.
• Monitor all multifunctional CIS requirements with Civilian CSDP missions;
• Act as liaison between Civilian CSDP missions and relevant EEAS services and CPCC in regard to CIS matters;
• Provide Communication and Information Systems first-level support, initial troubleshooting for all directly reported issues and tickets assigned by the Help Desk and quickly restore the affected services;
• Plan and manage the rollout of secure communcations devices for civilian CSDP missions provided by a service provider;
• Point of contact and second level helpdesk activities involved in the above mentioned usage of secure communcations laptop devices for civilian CSDP missions, being the technical bridge between people on the field and the service provider support services;
• Follow up of CIS related framework contracts owned by CPCC.4 that deliver services and equipment to civilian CSDP Missions;
• Act as the custodian of all Communication and Information Systems assets, including  hardware, software, radio, satellite communication equipment and video teleconferencing;
• Conduct the maintenance processes of CIS standard hardware, software, systems, and peripherals;
• Monitor and improve the security posture of Communication and Information System assets and security control functions (i.e. antivirus/antimalware);
• Deploy Windows Operating System and device management tools and verify the successful update of device configuration according to IT policies;
• Troubleshoot issues affecting Windows Operating System, printer and network connectivity, software functionality, radio network;
• Ensure IT and communication assets are used in accordance with best practices and procedures;
• To undertake any other related task as requested by the Line Manager(s).

Eligibility criteria[4]

Further to the conditions set out in Article 82 of the CEOS, candidates must:

• have passed a valid EPSO CAST in a valid function group for this post, or be registered in the EPSO Permanent CAST in a valid function group for this post (https://epso.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-for-application). In the latter case, while the registration will make the candidate eligible for the selection procedure, the recruitment of a candidate on this vacant post will be subject to his/her successfully passing the CAST exam;
• have 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 three year;
• have the capacity to work in the languages of the CFSP and external relations (English and French) necessary for the performance of their duties;
• be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

Selection criteria

Candidates should:

• have the ability to maintain diplomatic relations and to ensure representation and communication in a complex, multicultural environment;
• have the capacity to create constructive working relations in the field of external relations with national authorities, international organisations and EU Member States;
• have strong drafting and analytical skills combined with sound judgement;
• have knowledge of external relations, internal policies and functioning of the Union;
• have excellent communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain a network of contacts both within and outside the EEAS;
• have the ability to communicate clearly on complex issues and the capacity to perform with accuracy and in a flexible manner a diversity of tasks in a complex institutional environment;
• have strong service attitude;
• be a flexible team player.
• •have a minimum 4 years overall CIS related professional experience, out of which at least 1 in a multicultural environment;
• have a good knowledge of latest CIS products and technologies for their deployment in modern IT infrastructures for public administrations, European Institutions, International Organizations or large NGOs;
• have knowledge and experience with Cloud services and related infrastructures, virtualization tools, hybrid IT infrastructures, Microsoft Office365 and Azure cloud services;
• have full availability, when justified for operational needs, to travel on short notice into the Countries where the Civilian Missions are operating their HQ;
• have good drafting skills for technical notes, SoP and other technical documentation in English;
• have good command of English both written and spoken; knowledge of French would be an advantage.

Furthermore:

• experience of working in a team in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
• experience in working with or within other EU institutions;
• experience in CSDP missions or similar international field experience;
• knowledge of CIS products and services used in remote locations for satellite communications and knowledge of CIS products for classified communication systems;
• basic Project Management and implementation skills (PM certifications are an advantageous asset);
• basic knowledge of financial processing in public administrations and Project Cycle Management;
• capacity to work under tight deadlines, individually and as part of a mixed team with different background. Good team working attitude.

will be considered as strong assets.

CONDITIONS OF RECRUITMENT AND EMPLOYMENT

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND SECURITY RISKS

As a matter of policy, applications by individuals who have dual nationality of which one of a non-EU country, will be considered on a case-by-case basis taking account in particular of the functions attributed to the vacant post. The EEAS also examines if there could be a conflict of interest or security risks.

In this context, candidates shall fill in with their application a declaration of potential conflict of interest (see attached)

MEDICAL CLEARANCE

The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service.

PERSONNEL SECURITY CLEARANCE (PSC)

The requested level of security clearance for this post is: SECRET UE/EU SECRET. A description of the EU classified information levels is available under Article 2 of Annex A of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS .

A valid Personnel Security Clearance (hereafter, the “PSC”)  allowing access to classified information, issued by the competent national authority in accordance with national laws and regulations, is mandatory at the moment of application in order to enter the selection process.

The selected candidate may still be required to obtain a new PSC for the present post in accordance with national laws and regulations and with the procedure laid down in the Decision ADMIN(2019)7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019 and in Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS. Until the new PSC is issued, the selected candidate may not be authorised to access EUCI at the level of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above, or to participate in any meetings or workflow where EUCI is processed.

Please note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate.

In case of failure to obtain or renew the required PSC, the AACC may take the appropriate measures in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Decision ADMIN(2019) 7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The EEAS is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EEAS is committed to promoting gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States. We aim at a service, which is truly representative of society, where each staff member feels respected, is able to give their best and can develop their full potential.

Candidates with disabilities are invited to contact [email protected] in order to accommodate any special needs and provide assistance to ensure the possibility to pass the selection procedure in equality of opportunities with other candidates. If a candidate with a disability is selected for a vacant post, the EEAS is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in accordance with Art 1(d)(4) of the Staff Regulations.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE[5]

Please send your CV and cover letter (with your EPSO CAST number), in English or French, and the attached declaration of potential conflict of interest via email, with reference to the Vacancy Number in the Subject field, to:

[email protected]

Deadline for sending application: 10/03/2025 at 12.00 noon (CET).

Candidates shall draft their CV using the Europass CV, which can be found at the following internet address: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae.

Late applications will not be accepted.

The selection panel will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and professional experience described in the CV and motivational letter, and will produce a shortlist of eligible candidates who best meet the selection criteria for the post. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be informed about the outcome of the pre-selection phase.

The candidates who have been preselected will be invited for an interview by a selection panel.

The selection panel may decide, subsequent to the interview, to organise written tests, either for all pre-selected candidates or to the best ranked ones. The content of such written tests will be defined by the selection panel and may include, but not be limited to, multiple choice questions, open questions and/or topics for a short essay.

Pre-selected candidates without a valid CAST shall be invited to sit the CAST exam before or after the interview stage (in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out above).

The panel will then recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (hereafter, the “AACC”). The AACC may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision.

It is recalled that the selection procedure may be terminated at any stage in the interest of the service.

In the interest of the service, after identifying the candidate that best fits the requirements of the post as set out in the vacancy notice, the AACC may also establish a reserve list of candidates. These candidates shall be informed that the reserve list shall remain valid for a period of one year from when it is established and that it may be used to fill the same post or an equivalent post in the EEAS with the same job profile.

[1] Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).

[2] Article 8 of the Commission Decision C(2017) 6760 of 16.10.2017 on the general provisions for implementing Article 79(2) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, governing the conditions of employment of contract staff employed by the Commission under the terms of Articles 3a and 3b thereof.

[3] Decision ADMIN(2023) 24 on the maximum duration of engagement by the European External Action Service of non-permanent staff under successive limited duration contracts of different types, and on the minimum lapse of time between successive contracts under Article 2(e) of the CEOS.

[4]     All the eligibility criteria must be met on the closing date for applications to this post.

[5] Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as implemented by ADMIN(2019)8 Decision of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The privacy statement is available on the Europa website: (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eeas-privacy-statement-data-protection-notice-purpose-processing-personal-data-related-public_en) and on the EEAS Intranet:(https://intranet.eeas.europa.eu/page/eeas-work/data-protection/privacy-statements-dp-notices).