Programme Manager

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 positions 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.

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. 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.

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

Policy Officer and Programme Manager DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion European Commission Job title: Policy Officer and Programme Manager Domain: Social inclusion and poverty reduction Where : Unit C5 – “Romania, Bulgaria", Brussels Function Group: FG IV Contract Type : 3b Express your interest until : 08.10.2026 - 12.00 (noon, Brussels time ) WE ARE The Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Directorate -General pursues policy, legislative and financial initiatives to build a competitive social market economy in the EU by shaping and promoting a modern European social model. Directorate C works towards promoting social dialogue and improving working conditions through effective labour law and safe and healthy working environments. The Directorate is also responsible for the programming and implementation of the European Social Fund (ESF+) and the Social Climate Fund in Spain, Malta, Romania and Bulgaria. EMPL C5 "Romania, Bulgaria" contributes to the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights, supporting the green and digital transitions as well as enhanced economic and social resilience in these two countries. It promotes efficient and inclusive labour markets and social protection systems as well as supports skills development and accessible social services and healthcare for all. It is the source of country intelligence for the European Semester and fund management. In cooperation with the relevant Member States, the unit ensures efficient management of the European Social Fund Plus (2021 -2027), the Social Climate Fund (2026 -2032) and other funds. WE PROPOSE EMPL C5 is seeking a Policy Officer/Programme Manager within its Bulgarian team for a one- year contract . The role consists in policy development and programme management, such as :

• Monitor and assess Bulgarian employment, social , education and skills policies, reforms and progress on Country-Specific Recommendations; build country intelligence and contribute to the European Semester, Country Report and related draft recommendations; provide research on policy developments in Bulgaria, policy advice and pro -active support to the national authorities towards the achievement of EU targets.

• Manage the 2021 -2027 ESF+ programmes in the relevant policy areas and support result - oriented ESF+ implementation

• Coordinate, with other Commission services, other EU funds, including the National

Recovery and Resilience Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.

• Contribute to the design of the new programming period (2028 –2034), including the assessment of proposals for investments and reforms in the EMPL policy areas in the draft

National and Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP).

WE LOOK FOR We are seeking a highly motivated, proactive and results -driven colleague, committed to delivering high-quality outputs with a tangible policy impact. The ideal candidate has at least two years of relevant professional experience and feels at ease working with statistical information. Experience with EU funding instruments would be a strong advantage.

The future colleague is expected to possess strong analytical and problem -solving skills as well as strong communication, negotiation and presentation skills. Sense of initiative and of responsibility, combined with accuracy, attention to detail and a commitment to timely delivering quality and results are also expected. Finally, the position requires the ability to prioritise and work in a structured manner to meet demanding deadlines, as well as resilience and the ability to contribute constructively to teamwork in a multicultural environment.

Strong drafting and communication skills in English are a huge advantage , and a high proportion of the tasks under this position will be implemented in English and/or Bulgarian. 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.

2. You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:
3. your CV 2. completed application form.

Please send these documents by the publication deadline to empl-CS- sign up to see this e-mail indicating the call for interest reference EC-2026 -EMPL-367391 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.

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 pos ition;
• Produce the appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties.
• Have passed a n EPSO CAST in the relevant Function Group for this pos ition. At the stage of the application, it is sufficient to be registered in the EPSO CAST database.

Qualifications: (a) Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three 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.

Languages:

• have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1) of one of the 24 official languages of the

EU2

• AND have a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2)3 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 4 candidates with the appropriate profile and invites them to an interview. For the interview a selection panel is set -up to assess the best

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 an d possibly in a second official language.

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 IV . 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(201 7)6760 laying down the criteria applicable to classification in step on engagement . Please note that this post is financed under the REAC T-EU budget and it is limited in time. The end date of the post is expected to be 31 December 2027 (initial contract and possible renewal(s) where appropriate), subject to budget availability Contract agents recruited in Function Group I V have to successfully complete a 9-month probationary period.

The pay of staff members consists of a basic salary supplemented with specific allowances, including, where applicable, expatriation and family allowances. The provisions guiding the calculation of these allowances can be consulted in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants. As a member of staff of the European institutions, your pay is subject to a tax raised by those institutions.

The European Commission applies a policy of equal opportunities and non -discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations.

Should you need further information on working conditions, please refer to Working conditions and benefits of EU Careers .

For information related to Data Protection, please see the Specific Privacy Statement under “7. Information to data subjects on their rights”, to find your rights and how to exercise them in addition to the privacy statement, which summarises the processing of your data.