CAST stands for Contract Agents Selection Tool. Contract Agents are recruited to do manual or administrative support service tasks or to provide additional capacity in specialised fields where an insufficient number of officials with the required skills are available. Permanent means that there is no deadline to apply to a CAST profile, it is an open-ended selection method where candidates keep their successful results for a pre-determined period of time.
Contract Agents are employed for a fixed maximum period of 6 years, often with a shorter initial but renewable contract of 6 to 12 months, depending on the type of job. In some Agencies, Offices Representations and Delegations the contract can lead to an indefinite contract.
Function groups
Contract staff positions are available for a wide range of jobs, requiring different levels of qualifications. They are divided into four function groups:
- Manual and administrative support service tasks
- Clerical or secretarial tasks, office management and other equivalent tasks
- Executive tasks, drafting, accountancy and other equivalent technical tasks
- Administrative, advisory, linguistic and equivalent technical tasks
To apply for function group I you should have successfully completed compulsory education.
To apply for function groups II and III you should have completed post-secondary education or have a secondary education diploma giving access to post-secondary education. You should also have appropriate professional experience of at least three years or, where justified in the interest of the service, professional training or professional experience of an equivalent level.
To apply for function group IV you should have completed university studies of at least three years or, where justified in the interest of the service, professional training of an equivalent level.
You can apply for one or several function groups, as long as you fulfil the eligibility requirements.
Respect for cultural diversity and promotion of equal opportunities are founding principles of the EU and the European Selection Office endeavours to apply equal opportunities, treatment and access to all candidates. You can find out more about our equal opportunities policy and how to request special adjustments for selection tests on our dedicated page.
Profiles
CAST Permanent includes a non-exhaustive number of profiles in function groups I, II, III and IV. In each function group, you can also choose one or several profiles. Please remember that you are always applying for a profile and not for a specific job position.
- Administration / Human Resources
- Child care staff
- Communication
- Educational Psychologists
- Finance
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
- Law
- Manual and administrative support workers
- Political Affairs / EU Policies
- Project / Programme Management
- Proofreaders
- Secretaries / Clerks
- Translators
As FGII you can assist with selection and recruitment files: launching calls and publications, receiving and processing applications, organising selection boards, following up selection boards’ work. You can also assist with the preparation of periodical reporting and data analysis on the recruitment and selection of staff, and help monitor the establishment plan: monitoring vacant posts, liaising with the services responsible for the recruitment of different categories of staff; making requests for authorisation to publish posts. You can support the preparation and follow-up tasks on learning and development activities on the basis of strategic priorities identified by management, as well as supporting and applying rules related to other specific HR matters.
As FGIII you can prepare and contribute to the management of selection and recruitment files: drafting vacancy notices, launching calls and publications, analysing applications and determining their eligibility, organising and following up on selection boards, preparing recruitment documents (eligibility check, establishment of grades, etc.). You can also collaborate and contribute to administrative and human resource management functions. You can help to prepare and follow up periodical reporting and data analysis on the recruitment and selection of staff, as well as the promotion and reclassification exercises. You can also contribute to communication on training policy aimed at all staff, and to the conception of new learning and development activities on the basis of strategic priorities identified by management.
As FGIV you can contribute to set-up, implement, monitor and evaluate management plans, as well as manage and supervise selection and recruitment files. You can also prepare briefings and other documents in the field of HR management, and coordinate periodical reporting and data analysis. You can deal with the supervision and verification of legal and financial commitments in connection with projects under your responsibility, in full compliance with current financial rules. You can work on advising and coordinating with services on the basis of their annual HR strategies, as well as representing the institution through presentations on communication activities to internal and external audiences.
As FGII you can perform jobs such as: educator / childminder for after-school facilities and outdoor childcare facilities for children aged 3.5-14, kindergarten teacher, nursery nurse / childcare worker for children aged 0-3 in crèches, etc.
As FGIII you can organise and follow-up planning meetings within the service, with other services and with external contractors. You can also contribute to the production/visual coherence of banners, publications and promotional material, as well as, to the implementation and setting up of communication plans on communication priorities and projects. You can work on editorial production, i.e. production of factsheets and updating intranet sites. You might cooperate on the management of projects, including financial regulations, and collaborate in the follow-up of projects through social media. You can also contribute to the preparation of briefings and other documents related to the communication of political priorities.
As FGIV you can work in establishing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating communication plans, as well as preparing briefings and other documents related to the communication of political priorities. You can supervise and verify legal and financial commitments in connection with projects under your responsibility, in full compliance with current financial rules. You can also ensure coordination and synergy inside the Directorate General (DG)/institution and with related services’/DGs’ communication units on political priorities, as well as advising and coordinating with services on the basis of their annual communication strategies. As FGIV you can be involved in delivering presentations on key aspects of project activity and results and contributing to dissemination actions to internal and external audiences. You can organise, prepare, set up and manage meetings and conferences on communication priorities with stakeholders within and outside the institution. You might also do the follow-up of projects through social media.
As FGIV you can provide expertise in the field of educational psychology to the day nursery and/or the afterschool centre and help prepare certain files related to this role. You can also follow closely the work of the nursery nurses, kindergarten staff and/or teachers/educators to provide support for their educational work. You might contribute to ongoing training on educational matters in order to strengthen the professionalism of the educational staff, as well as, manage the training needs assessment and the implementation/improvement of the training plan and organisation of training actions in educational matters. You can observe and follow the general development of the children, to assure optimal conditions for their well-being at the day nursery or after-school centre. You can also then inform parents, at meetings organised for this purpose, of their child’s activities to maintain a relationship with them based on trust and partnership. You will act in specific situations, per the request of nursery nurses, kindergarten staff and/or teachers/educators, a parent or by own initiative to improve the conditions and ensure the wellbeing of the children.
In this role, you can propose changes of the general organisation in order to improve the pedagogical quality of work, the lives of children at the day nursery and/or the after-school centre, and the service to parents. You will remain in permanent contact, either collectively or on an individual basis with the nursery nurses, kindergarten staff and/or teachers/educators to ensure educational consistency of the teaching staff. You can also develop proposals for planning the different aspects of the general organisation, including the selection and acquisition of materials, to influence in a positive way the quality of life of the children and the service provided to the parents. You can ensure the educational mission statement is implemented appropriately and participate, if necessary, in coordination efforts between day nurseries and after-school centres.
As FGII you can prepare financial files and act as initiating agent in the financial circuits, along with providing clerical and administrative assistance relating to calls for proposals/tender and support in the processing of financial information and financial reporting. You might also assist with accounting processes and audit related tasks, such as clerical support for auditors, filing, etc.
As FGIII you can be dealing with financial initiation and/or verification, financial support and support in the frame of calls for proposals/tenders. You can also manage financial information and provide support for accounting and audit management.
As FGIV you can work on budget/finance planning and follow-up, budget/finance information and reporting, and budget/financial coordination and advice. You can also deal with budget/financial and audit analysis and reporting.
As FGIII you can be involved in the development of information systems and analysis of business processes, as well as assist with the design and implementation of databases. You can work with programming languages such as JAVA, Visual Basic, Visual C#, Powerbuilder, ASP.NET, C++, ColdFusion, etc., and with web-based applications interfaces. You can also work on the administration of the user environment (configuration, administration and support of operating systems, office tools, printers and other shared resources in a network environment).
As FGIII you can also deal with the development and management of websites and HTML, XML and UML pages (programming languages such as Java, ASP.NET, PHP and ColdFusion). You may work on the administration of web servers (such as Planet Web Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server, ColdFusion Server, Oracle BEA WebLogic applications, Apache Server, etc.). You can also manage networks and telecommunications (using LAN/WAN protocols and services (DHCP, DNS, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, Active Directory)), using internet technologies to implement internal networks or to interconnect networks, network security, developments in the field of VPN technologies, telephony/fax systems, integration of voice and data, mobile communications, by satellite and wireless). As FG III you may also help with the organisation and follow-up of projects and/or operational services in any of these areas.
As FGIV you may be involved in coordinating, managing and designing, implementing and supervising ICT projects, as well as, managing IT systems, services and security. You can also supervise and manage contracts and relations with client departments and suppliers. As FGIV you can also conduct strategic studies and analysis of products on the market.
Apply for the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) profile
As FGIII you can contribute to studies and research into national, Community and international law in the area of justice and home affairs, and to the analysis and preparation of draft opinions and legal notes. You can also examine pre-litigation files (complaints, etc.), various tasks related to court proceedings, and prepare position statements. You can also be involved in the preparation of documents relating to the activities of the institution and preparatory bodies and special committees.
As FGIV you can work on ensuring the legal certainty, the quality of drafting and compliance with the applicable rules and procedures. You can assist and represent the institution in disputes and, where appropriate, represent it in cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union, as well as, provide advice and oral or written opinions on legal, institutional and procedural questions to the institutions and preparatory instances or services. You can also analyse and draft conceptual work, studies and legal analysis, as well as, provide draft replies to requests and to complaints addressed to the Appointing Authority by officials and agents.
As FGI, you can perform jobs such as: kitchen assistant / cook, waiter, warehouse staff, printing staff, floor messenger / meeting room attendant / office support staff / document management, building management, driver, mover, parliamentary usher or usher for other institutions, security and prevention officer, receptionist, dispatcher, communication and Information Systems technician / cabling agent, etc.
Apply for the Manual and administrative support workers profile
As FGIII you can contribute to the follow-up of policy developments and ensure interface with appropriate services, as well as cooperate with other departments dealing with these files. You might contribute to reports, briefing and speaking notes on policy files and providing any contributions required, along with contributing to parliamentary questions in the area of the policy. You can be involved in the preparation of meetings with stakeholders, drawing policy conclusions and following up the meetings. You can also represent the Commission/institution or the Directorate General (DG) at internal, inter-institutional and external events/meetings, relevant to the service, under the supervision of the Head of Unit or the policy officer.
As FGIV you can work on monitoring, analysing and reporting on the political, economic and social situation in a given country, as well as following up on the regional, foreign and multilateral policies of the country. You can formulate and contribute to the definition of EU political objectives, priorities and policies concerning political, economic, humanitarian or other relations in coordination with Member States, international organisations and other donors. You might deal with coordinating and contributing to the preparation of high-level visits and missions, ad hoc meetings, contacts with third countries, civil society, etc.
As FGIV you can work on drafting and following up on policy papers, strategic documents, legal acts, speeches, statements and other documents concerning the area assigned, as well as, drafting answers to oral and written questions and petitions of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). You can work on ensuring the coherence of EU actions and policies in the country by contributing and participating in inter-service consultations on official communications, policy papers and internal working documents of the EU institutions. You can also represent the institution, under the supervision of an official, at meetings at inter-institutional and international level (e.g. consultative groups) concerning the area assigned. You might also contribute to negotiations of international agreements.
As FGIII you can deal with project/programme planning, monitoring, evaluation, project closure and post project activities. You can also work in financial expenditures, quality management and evaluation, and external communication and public information.
As FGIV you can work on calls for proposals and calls for tender (promotion, evaluation and negotiation), as well as project/programme planning, monitoring, evaluation, project closure and post project activities. You can also deal with internal and external communication and dissemination of information, internal co-ordination and consultation, and representation and external coordination.
As FG III, you will be proofreading and language editing, which may involve proofreading texts in terms of spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting, typography, highlighting and commenting on text that could be improved in terms of clarity, and inputting authors' corrections. It can also involve preparing and checking proofs for publication in various formats and media, as well as preparing manuscripts in electronic format or on paper in terms of spelling, grammar and syntax, and checking texts for their coherence and uniformity. This role can involve checking compliance with stylistic conventions and rules, and the compliance of the texts with the Inter-institutional Style Guide adopted by all the European Union institutions. It can also involve checking the quality of work performed by outside contractors in the field. This role can also include preparing the Institutions’ documents for publication and finalising texts in typographical terms. You can also carry out various other language related tasks, such as moderation of content of website pages and transcription.
As FGII you can perform secretarial tasks to do with organising meetings, managing files, preparing business trips, monitoring correspondence, keeping a diary of appointments, etc. You can also be drafting memos, notes, minutes of meetings and coordinating and planning work in your department.
As FG IV, you will be translating into your language 1 from at least two source languages, (primarily from English and/or French). You will read through and correct your own translations, as well as revise translations by other in house and freelance translators. You will research terminology and create/maintain term bases, as well as help with training measures and the development of IT tools. You will also provide linguistic advice and sharing specialist knowledge in domains of interest to the Institution. In this role, you can contribute to quality assurance and maintenance of linguistic data, including for machine translation, as well as manage linguistic projects and workflows.