Vacancy notice for the position of Director of the Energy Community Secretariat – COM/2026/20116
Date: 2026-01-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, European Commission
Subjects: Energy Community, administrator, competition (EU), job vacancy, managing director, recruitment, secretarial staff




C_202600219EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2026/219


16.1.2026






Vacancy notice for the position of Director of the Energy Community Secretariat
COM/2026/20116
(C/2026/219)


          
      

About the Energy Community Secretariat

The Energy Community is based on the Energy Community Treaty which entered into force in 2006 and is binding for the European Union and nine non-EU Energy Community Contracting Parties: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo *, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine (hereinafter (*1)
            ‘Contracting Parties’). To date, Armenia, Norway and Turkey have the status of observers.
The Energy Community Secretariat (hereinafter ‘Secretariat’) is one of the institutions set up under the Energy Community Treaty. Being the only institution with permanent staff (44 staff members in 2025), it provides administrative support to the other institutions of the Energy Community (Ministerial Council, Permanent High-Level Group, Regulatory Board and Fora) and reviews the proper implementation by the Parties of their obligations under the Energy Community Treaty, among other tasks.
The Secretariat manages the Energy Community budget, which amounts to around EUR 6,9 million in 2026. The EU is the main contributor to that budget with a share of around 95 %.
The working language of the Energy Community is English. Further information on the Energy Community can be found at: https://www.energy-community.org/aboutus/whoweare.html.

We propose

The position of Director of the Energy Community Secretariat.
The Director heads, manages and is the legal representative and public face of the Secretariat. The Director is accountable to the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community.
The candidate to be proposed by the European Commission to the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community will provide vision and guidance to the activities of the Secretariat and is expected to assume a leading and inspiring role in the effective planning and implementation of the work programme of the Energy Community.
The Director is responsible for the smooth coordination between the Energy Community institutions, bodies and stakeholders, in pursuit of the achievement of the Energy Community goals, and for aligning its work with the EU policies, and particularly with the EU enlargement agenda. To implement these objectives, he/she will have to develop a shared strategic vision linking the Energy Community priorities with EU enlargement. The candidate to be proposed by the European Commission to the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community will need to position the Secretariat as a trusted partner for both the European Commission and the representatives of the Contracting Parties.
In accordance with the rules of the Energy Community currently applicable, the Director’s responsibilities include:






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Policy definition and implementation: developing and ensuring effective implementation of the Secretariat’s short- and long-term activities in accordance with its mandate, as set out in Article 67 of the Energy Community Treaty. The Director will have to ensure, within the scope of his responsibilities and in close cooperation with the European Commission and the Contracting Parties, that the Energy Community’s biennial work programme and its implementation are fully in line with EU’s political priorities, particularly as regards the EU enlargement agenda.










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Human resources: ensuring effective planning and management of the human resources, including an efficient allocation of staff to meet the evolving tasks and needs of the Energy Community, especially as regards the EU enlargement process. The Director will have to promote a motivated and high-performing team within the limits of the Energy Community budget, fostering a spirit of cooperation and shared purpose aligned with the Secretariat’s role as a trusted partner for the European Commission and the Contracting Parties.










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Budget: ensuring the effective sound financial planning, management and effective implementation of the Energy Community budget in full compliance with the requirements of transparency, legality and regularity. The Director will also supervise the management and implementation of the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. He/she will cooperate closely with the European Commission and the Contracting Parties to ensure that the resources are used in accordance with the Energy Community’s biennial work programme and the respective EU political priorities.










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Representation: ensuring the representation of the Secretariat within the institutions and bodies of the Energy Community, as well as externally. This will include regular coordination meetings with the European Commission as well as high level meetings and contacts with the Contracting Parties and other stakeholders.





Applicants should (selection criteria)

When deciding on the candidate to be proposed to the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community, the Commission will apply the following selection criteria:






(1)


Leadership and management skills and experience, in particular:






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Proven capacity to lead and manage a public body, both at strategic and at operational level, including the ability to steer a body whose mandate includes interacting with multiple stakeholders at European, regional and national levels, and which has to operate in support of the EU enlargement and integration process;










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Proven experience in leading and managing staff, in particular the ability to lead, motivate and develop a diverse and multicultural team to the best of its potential, to achieve high performance and institutional goals; experience in a multicultural and multilingual context would be an asset;










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Proven experience in managing effectively significant financial resources, including budgetary planning and internal control, ensuring transparency and accountability in financial management, in close cooperation and coordination with EU institutions;










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Management experience in the energy sector in the European Union would be an asset.














(2)


Technical knowledge:






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Extensive knowledge of the European Union political priorities and strategic agenda, in particular the European Green Deal, the Energy Union and the EU enlargement policy, and how these interact with the objectives of the Energy Community;










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Excellent understanding of the EU institutions, their functioning and interinstitutional relations, in particular as regards energy policy development and enlargement-related coordination;










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Understanding of the financial, institutional and policy instruments used by the European Commission and international financial institutions to support alignment to the EU energy acquis and related market reforms in the Contracting Parties;










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Knowledge and/or experience in the energy sector in one or more Contracting Parties would be an asset;










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Experience in the area of EU enlargement and respective technical and political negotiations would be an asset.














(3)


Communication and negotiations skills, and in particular:






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Excellent communications skills and ability to communicate efficiently and effectively with the public and a wide range of stakeholders and audiences;










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Proven ability to engage effectively with EU institutions, national authorities, international organisations, financial institutions and civil society;










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Ability to act as a public representative of the Secretariat and to promote the Secretariat’s role as a key instrument supporting the EU’s energy and climate policy agenda and EU enlargement process.














(4)


International experience relating to the European Union:






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Proven experience to promote effective international cooperation involving the European Union;










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Professional experience acquired in institutions or other bodies of the European Union is an asset.









Candidates must (eligibility requirements)

Candidates will only be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following formal requirements to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:







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Nationality: candidates must be a citizen of a Contracting Party of the Energy Community or of a Member State of the European Union.










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University degree or diploma: candidates must have:






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either a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 4 years or more, or










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a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least 1 year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years (this one year’s professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below). Only diplomas recognised by a Contracting Party or a Member State of the European Union or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by the authorities of one of these Member States will be considered.














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Professional experience: candidates must have at least 15 years’ postgraduate professional experience (1) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in the energy sector.










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Management experience: at least 5 years of the post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a high-level management function in a field relevant for this position (2).










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Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of English. Selection panels will verify during the interview(s) whether candidates comply with the language requirements. This may include part of the interview being conducted in other languages.










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Age limit: candidates must be able to complete, at the deadline for applications, the full 5-year mandate before the end of the month in which she or he reaches the age of 66.





Additional requirements:







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To fulfil any obligations imposed on her/him by the laws concerning military service;










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To have the appropriate character references as to her/his suitability for the performance of her/his duties;










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To obtain a certification by a qualified medical practitioner that the appointee possesses the degree of physical fitness needed for the post.




The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid security clearance certificate from his/her national security authority. A personal security clearance is an administrative decision following completion of a security screening conducted by the individual’s competent national security authority in accordance with applicable national security laws and regulations and certifying that an individual may be allowed to access classified information up to a specified level. (Note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a security clearance can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate).

Gender balance and geographical equilibrium

In selecting the candidate for Director to be proposed to the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community, the Commission adheres to an equal opportunities policy aimed at achieving a broad gender balance and aims for broad geographical balance.

Selection by the European Commission for proposal to the Energy Community Ministerial Council

Under the Energy Community Rules for Recruitment, Working Conditions and Geographical Equilibrium of the Secretariat’s Staff (3), the Director of the Secretariat is appointed by Procedural Act of the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community, on a proposal of the European Commission, for a fixed term of five years renewable no more than once.
The European Commission will organise the selection in accordance with its selection and recruitment procedures for selection and nomination of officials to senior management posts (see the Compilation Document on Senior Officials Policy (4)). To this end, the European Commission sets up a pre-selection panel. This panel analyses all applications, proceeds with a first eligibility verification and identifies candidates having the best profile in view of the selection criteria mentioned above, and who may be invited for an interview with the pre-selection panel. Candidates may be requested by the European Commission to provide documents supporting the information provided in their application at any moment of the procedure. Failure to provide those documents within the deadline set in the request may lead to the exclusion from the selection.
Following these interviews, the pre-selection panel will draw up its conclusions and propose a list of candidates for further interviews with the European Commission’s Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). The CCA, taking into consideration the conclusions of the pre-selection panel, will decide on the candidates to be invited for an interview.
Candidates who are called for an interview with the CCA will participate in a full-day management assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants.
Candidates who are shortlisted by the CCA will afterwards be interviewed by the Commissioner for Energy.
Following these interviews, the European Commission will propose one candidate to the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community. The Ministerial Council may ask for a hearing of the nominee during its meeting before the decision for appointment is taken. The Presidency, in consultation with the Vice-Presidents, shall propose in advance ad hoc operational rulings of the hearing (time frame, number of questions, etc.). Observers may participate in the discussion in accordance with the Internal Rules of Procedure for the Ministerial Council.
The Ministerial Council of the Energy Community will decide on the Procedural Act on the appointment of the Director by simple majority, in accordance with the rules of the Energy Community applicable at the time of the appointment. The appointment of the Director will take effect as of the date the Director signs his or her Employment Agreement (see below).
For functional reasons, and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in the interest of the candidates, the selection procedure will be carried out in English only.

Equal opportunities

The Energy Community applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Section III.3 of the Rules for Recruitment, working conditions and geographical equilibrium of the Secretariat’s Staff.

Conditions of employment

Before taking up his or her functions, the Director will have to sign an Employment Agreement, in line with the Rules for Recruitment, Working Conditions and Geographical Equilibrium of the Secretariat’s Staff.
The place of employment is Vienna, where the Energy Community Secretariat is based.
Monthly salary (5) of the Director will be EUR 14 000 in 2026 and EUR 14 280 in 2027 (6). Thereafter, a salary increase beyond the annual indexation may be granted depending on the outcome of the annual performance appraisals in line with Section 4.8 point (c) of the Energy Community Staff Regulations (7) and the approval by the Ministerial Council of a higher salary scale in the future biennial budget of the Energy Community.
The appointment of the Director will be subject to a probation period of six months, in accordance with the Energy Community Staff Regulations and the conditions to be specified in the Employment Agreement.

Independence and declaration of interests

The Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently and impartially in the interest of the Energy Community, in accordance with Article 70 of the Energy Community Treaty and to make a declaration in respect of any interests which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Applicants must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Important information for candidates

Candidates are reminded that the work of the selection panels is confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with their individual members or for anybody to do so on their behalf. Any query has to be addressed to the secretariat of the respective panel.

Protection of personal data

When selecting the candidate to be proposed to the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community, the Commission will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all eligibility requirements (‘Candidates must’), particularly concerning the types of diploma, high-level professional experience as well as linguistic capacity required. Failure to meet any of the eligibility requirements means automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.
If you want to apply, you must register via the internet on the following website and follow the instructions concerning the various stages of the procedure:

https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/

You must have a valid email address. This will be used to confirm your registration as well as to remain in contact with you during the different stages of the procedure. Therefore, please keep the European Commission informed about any change in your email address.
To complete your application, you need to upload a CV in PDF format, preferably using the Europass CV format (9), and to fill out, online, a letter of motivation (maximum 8 000 characters). Your CV and your letter of motivation may be submitted in any of the official languages of the European Union.
It is in your interest to ensure that your application is accurate, thorough and truthful.
Once you have finished your online registration, you will receive an electronic mail confirming that your application has been registered. If you do not receive a confirmation mail, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor the progress of your application on-line. You will be contacted directly by the European Commission regarding the status of your application.

Applications sent by email will not be accepted. If you require more information and/or encounter technical problems, please send an email to:

HR-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu

It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time. We strongly advise you not to wait until the last few days before applying, since heavy internet traffic or a fault with your internet connection could lead to the online registration being terminated before you complete it, thereby obliging you to repeat the whole process. Once the deadline for the submission of registrations has passed, you will no longer be able to introduce any data. Late registrations will not be accepted.

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 
               13 February 2026, 12.00 noon Brussels time, following which registration is no longer possible.


(*1)  This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 (1999) and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

(1)  Professional experience is only taken into consideration if it represents an actual work relationship defined as real, genuine work, on a paid basis and as employee (any type of contract) or provider of a service. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the certified percentage of full-time hours worked. Maternity leave/parental leave/leave for adoption is taken into consideration if it is in the framework of a work contract. PhDs are assimilated to professional experience, even when unpaid, but for a duration of 3 years maximum, provided that the PhD has been successfully completed. A given period may be counted only once.

(2)  In their curriculum vitae, candidates should clearly indicate for all years during which management experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of management positions held; (2) numbers of staff overseen in these positions; (3) the size of budgets managed; (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below; and (5) number of peers.

(3)  
            https://www.energy-community.org/dam/jcr:7cb54511-b642-4dd4-8f2b-2035ae112813/Rules_Recruitment_Consolidated_022024.pdf


(4)  
            Microsoft Word – Compilation document on senior officials policy – SEC_2004_1352.doc (europa.eu) (it only exists in English).

(5)  The salary is tax-exempted in Austria.

(6)  Subject to approval by the Ministerial Council.

(7)  
            https://www.energy-community.org/secretariat/about.html.

(8)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj).

(9)  You can find information on how to create your Europass CV online at: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/219/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)