A job at the Council of Europe is more than just a job...

When you come to work at the Council of Europe, you are not just working for us, but for all of Europe. If you're looking for more than just a job, if you want work which is meaningful and fulfilling, join our team today and help us make a better Europe. In return, here is what we can offer you:

The chance to make a real difference

Discrimination, hate speech, torture, terrorism, organised crime and corruption, cybercrime, bioethics and cloning, violence against children and women, trafficking in human beings…

Do these sound like causes worth fighting against to you?

Through our actions we can make a real difference to the everyday lives of the 700 million citizens we represent in Europe. Are you ready to help us meet this challenge?

Interesting, fulfilling work

Don't just take our word for it – here's what some of our colleagues say about their jobs:


Opportunities to learn and develop

At the Council of Europe we place a strong emphasis on training and development for our staff members, at all levels. As well as language courses, we offer our staff a wide range of training programmes to help them meet the evolving challenges of their work. We also have a policy to encourage mobility within the organisation, allowing staff to broaden their knowledge and expertise in different areas.

If you are a recent graduate, you may be interested in our Traineeship offer or our Junior Professional Programme, which could really help launch your international career. 

Remuneration and benefits

International Organisations have a special status in that the salaries of our staff are tax free. In addition to these competitive salaries, we also offer benefits including health insurance, pension, family allowances, expatriation, etc.

See Conditions of Employment for more details on the salaries, allowances and benefits offered.

Staff are employed at the Council on four different types of contracts:

  • Indefinite contracts
  • Fixed-term contracts
  • Temporary contracts in the field
  • Temporary contracts in Strasbourg

A stimulating multi-cultural environment

We employ staff from all 46 European member states. As such, the Council of Europe offers a richly diverse and stimulating, international work environment.

Additionally with much of our work based in the field, there is also the opportunity for some staff to travel and work throughout greater Europe.

A supportive workplace

We take well-being of our staff seriously. There are options for part-time and teleworking where possible. As well as a staff support unit, a full-time welfare officer and a medical health team, we also have a network of confidential counsellors (trained staff volunteers), as well as two independent mediators available to staff.

The Staff Committee, elected every two years, represents the staff interests on key managerial and administrative issues within the organisation, while the staff group Amicale offers a wide variety of social, cultural, sports and leisure activities to its members.

Teleworking arrangements accessible to all

Teleworking is accessible to all staff, provided it's compatible with the nature of their tasks and role, and it meets the needs of the team and the service to which they belong.

The main guidelines include:

  • Staff must be present in their workplace for at least 50% of their working time.
  • Where staff exceed 50 days’ telework per year, a teleworking agreement must be drawn up. 
  • Teleworking can be done: 
    • At the duty station: i.e., their main place of residence or another place enabling them to return to the workplace in less than two hours. 
    • Outside the duty station (more than two hours away from the duty station), up to a maximum of 20 days per year and for periods of no more than five days in a row.