Council of Europe

In order to join the Council of Europe, you must be a national of a member State, and be aged below the compulsory retirement age of 65. Given the varying types of jobs we offer, other requirements (such as professional experience, qualifications, linguistic and IT skills) differ according to each category of job and can therefore be found in more detail in the specific vacancy announcements. The competencies of our staff lie at the heart of our human resources policy. Our Competency Inventory identifies and describes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and behaviour which we need to successfully fulfil our mission and we therefore base our recruitment procedures around this inventory.

 

Administrative Officers (grade A1 to A2)
Candidates must hold a university degree (or equivalent) of at least a standard sufficient for entry to the senior category of their national civil service and normally possess relevant professional experience. Appointments are made at grade A1 or A2, depending on experience.

Administrative Assistants (grades B4 to B6)
External recruitment at this level mainly concerns qualified specialists such as IT assistants, documentalists, laboratory technicians, etc. Candidates must have successfully completed a course of advanced secondary education, possess appropriate professional qualifications and usually have at least two to five years' experience in a relevant field of activity. Though chiefly engaged in executive and supervisory duties, the tasks and responsibilities in this category vary considerably.

Secretarial staff (grade B1 to B3)
Very good knowledge of either English or French (official languages of the Council of Europe), and a good level of the other is required. For vacancy notices requiring mother tongue level of other European languages, a very good knowledge of at least one of the official languages of the Council (English/French) is required. A full-time secretarial college course diploma (UK), a BTS (France) or equivalent (other countries) may be required. Previous clerical experience and ability to use IT tools are also needed.

Translators (category LT)
English or French mother tongue. Excellent knowledge of the other official language. Good knowledge of at least one other European language (preferably German, Italian, Spanish, Russian or another Eastern European language). Relevant university degree or training. Considerable translation experience.

Interpreters (category LI)
Perfect knowledge and pronunciation of both English and French, plus a very good knowledge of German, Italian, Spanish or another language from Central and Eastern Europe. Relevant university degree or training. Professional experience of at least six months in an international organisation.

Technical staff (grade C1 to C6)
Staff in this category are normally recruited locally and relevant competitions are organised as and when required.