European Commission DG BUDG staff recruited on contracts Brussels; Underrepresented Member States encouraged to apply.

BUDG/COM/2026/1656 Version: 16/04/2026

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.

BUDG/COM/2026/1656 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 Sweden1. 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

1 Please note that the list of underrepresented Member States may be subject to future amendment based on potential data changes over time.

BUDG/COM/2026/1656 Version: 16/04/2026 Press and External Communication Officer Directorate -General for Budget (DG BUDG) of the European Commission

Selection reference:
BUDG/COM/202 6/1656
Domain *: Budget and Finance
Where: Unit 02 – Communication and Knowledge Management, Brussels
Staff category and Function Group: Temporary agent 2b Grade range: AD5-7 Publication deadline : 10/09/2026 - 12.00 (Brussels time)

WE ARE DG BUDG is responsible for managing the budget of the European Union and plays a central role in achieving the Commission’s political priorities. As domain leader on financial management, DG BUDG has a growing strategic role at the heart of the Commission. Within DG BUDG, we are unit 02, the Communication and Knowledge Management Unit. We are a team of 25 colleagues, who manage all external and internal communication matters across the DG, including press and media work as well as the organisation of events. We also promote the active sharing of knowledge on financial and budgetary matters within the Commission, as well as with Agencies, Bodies, and other EU institutions. We report directly to the Director-General. Our team is regularly exposed to external stakeholders and carries high visibility in the Commission and beyond. WE PROPOSE Unit 02 of DG BUDG is seeking to hire a Press and External Communication Officer. This is an exciting and challenging position for an experienced press and external communication officer with solid knowledge of budgetary matters and a strong interest in media relations, events and communication campaigns. The successful candidate should have proven experience in drafting press and communication materials and organising press briefings on highly-technical and other sensitive topics related to the EU budget, including MFF negotiations, the annual budget procedure, borrowing and lending activities, and anti-fraud matters. He/she should have the ability to work closely with Cabinet and SPP, as well as with external stakeholders. The job holder will be expected to work on campaigns related to the EU budget, as well as on high-level events organised by our Directorate-General.

BUDG/COM/2026/1656 Version: 16/04/2026 WE LOOK FOR A highly motivated and proactive candidate with excellent writing skills, who can demonstrate sound knowledge of and a strong interest in communicating on the EU budget as well as an excellent understanding of Commission procedures. More specifically, the right candidate should have: • excellent communication and drafting skills in English, both written and orally. Other languages are a clear asset; • excellent drafting skills for social media; • excellent knowledge of budgetary matters, including on the MFF negotiations and the annual budget procedure; • experience in organising high -level communication and press campaigns on technical and sensitive topics; • experience in organising high-level events; • very good analytical and problem -solving skills as well as the ability to translate complex ideas into clear and concise language; • very good coordination and time-management skills; • a strong sense of initiative and the ability to work autonomously, with little guidance; • the ability to communicate convincingly and to defend positions in meetings and written exchanges; • the willingness to work outside of regular working hours during peak moments.

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:

your CV
completed application form. Please send these documents by the publication deadline to BUDG-MAILBOX-U02@ec.europa.eu. indicating the selection reference BUDG/COM/2026/1656 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.

BUDG/COM/2026/1656 Version: 16/04/2026 ANNEX

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 education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma. 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 EU2 • 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.

➢ 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 other Institutions , and laureates of competitions have priority 3. If these candidates do not best fit the requirements for the position, the Commission can recruit a temporary agent.

2 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).

BUDG/COM/2026/1656 Version: 16/04/2026

For temporary agents under Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants , the post is published directly on the EPSO website, without mandatory prior internal publication.

A selection panel will choose a limited number of candidates for interview, based on the CV and application form that they submitted. Due to the large volume of applications , we may receive, only candidates selected for the next step of the selection phase 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 nother language.

Recruitment

The candidate selected for recruitment will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements made in their application. The successful candidate will be required to undergo a mandatory pre -recruitment medical check- up, carried out by the Commission. Candidates are required to undergo a security vetting that is conducted with the national administration of the Member State.

➢ Type of contract and working conditions

The place of employment will be Brussels .

In case the successful candidate is not an official or a competition laureate , they will be recruited as a temporary agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants , in function group AD.

3 Officials from the Commission or other Institutions are invited to use the standard channels (Sysper or inter- institutional vacancy portal).

BUDG/COM/2026/1656 Version: 16/04/2026

➢ Grade

The recruitment grade, as well as the step in that grade, will be determined in accordance with Commission Decision C( 2025 )4716 on policies for the engagement and use of temporary agents and with Commission Decision C(2013)8970 laying down the criteria applicable to classification in step on engagement.

The recruitment grade will be calculated based on the qualifications and the number of years of professional experience, according to Art. 13 of