Permanent staff

Permanent staff are members of the EU civil service appointed for an indefinite time. They constitute the core working force.

There are three categories for permanent EU officials: Administrators (AD), Assistants (AST) and Secretaries/Clerks (AST/SC).

Administrators

Administrators work in a variety of sectors such as justice, law, finance, environment and climate change, foreign affairs, agriculture, economics, IT, communication, human resources, science, translation and interpretation. 

Duties include developing policies and legislation; conducting analysis and advisory work; carrying out regulatory tasks; taking part in international negotiations; liaising with stakeholders and partners; engaging with citizens; revising and translating EU legal texts, among many others. 

An administrator career ranges from grades AD 5 to AD 16, with AD 5 being the entry-level grade for university graduates; grades AD 15 and AD 16 are reserved for Director Generals. 

Selection and recruitment are also possible at higher grades AD 6 or AD 7 for specialist profiles. In this case, candidates will be expected to have several years’ relevant educational background and work experience will be required for most profiles. 

Grades AD 9 to AD 12 are required for middle management posts. Previous management experience is mandatory for selection and recruitment at these higher grades.

Assistants

Assistants are typically engaged in an executive or technical role, providing support in a variety of fields such as finance, communication, administration, research, IT or policy implementation, to name but a few. 

An assistant career ranges from grades AST 1 to AST 11, with staff typically entering at grades AST 1 or AST 3. 

Secretaries/Clerks – Support staff
 
Secretaries and clerks are generally involved in office management and in providing administrative and technical support. Their duties include finalising documents and files; supporting the unit’s or department’s activities (meetings, official travel, diary); compiling and disseminating information (updating databases, files); performing manual tasks.  

A secretary/clerk career ranges from grade AST/SC 1 to AST/SC 6. New staff usually enters at grades AST/SC 1 or AST/SC 2. 

 

Learn more details on this salary table.

Find out more about selection procedures and available job opportunities for permanent staff.