JOB DESCRIPTION

Policy and Programme Manager – ESF+ and European Semester – Greece

Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs

and Inclusion of the European Commission

Job title: Programme Manager – EU Policies – Greece

Domain: EMPLOYMENT (EU/national/regional level)

Where: Unit EMPL.F.5 – Cyprus, Greece / Brussels

Function Group: FG IV

Contract Type: 3b

Express your interest until: 02.09.2025 – 12.00 (Noon-Brussels time)

WE ARE

The Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) pursues policy, legislative and financial initiatives designed to build a highly competitive social market economy in the European Union. The European Pillar of Social Rights is the EU social strategy to ensure that the transitions to climate neutrality, digitalisation and demographic change are socially fair and just. Its aim is to create more and better jobs, promote skills and vocational education and training, improve the functioning of the labour markets, fight inequalities, confront poverty and social exclusion, modernise social protection systems, facilitate the free movement of workers, promote workers’ rights, health and safety at work, and protect against discrimination in the work place.

The mission of Directorate EMPL.F is to contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth, employment and social outcomes in the EU. It coordinates the European Semester activities of the DG and represents the Commission in the Employment Committee and its sub-groups. It analyses employment and social trends and formulates policy advice, including on the fair green and digital transitions, and to the implementation of the EU research & innovation programme. It is also responsible for the implementation and monitoring of funds supporting employment, skills and social activities in Greece and Cyprus and contributes to their reform agenda under the Semester.

The mission of Unit F5 is to contribute to attaining the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights in Greece and Cyprus. In particular, it promotes efficient and inclusive labour markets and social protection systems as well as supporting skills development and accessible social services and healthcare for all. To this effect, Unit F5 is the source of country intelligence for DG Employment in the context of the European Semester and fund management. The unit ensures, in close cooperation with the national and regional authorities and stakeholders, the efficient and effective programming and implementation of the European Social Fund Plus (2021-2027), the Social Climate Fund (2026-2032), the European Social Fund, the Youth Employment Initiative, and the European Fund for the Most Deprived (2014-2020). It coordinates these funds with other European funding streams, notably the European Regional Development Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which it contributes to assess and monitor.

WE PROPOSE

The successful candidate will contribute to the management of the European Social Fund programmes for Greece. In addition, according to their experience and background, s/he will be in charge and provide policy steering for one or more horizontal areas of expertise (according to experience and background), in the fields of employment, social inclusion, skills, education and vocational education and training (VET). S/he will contribute to the unit’s analysis and monitoring of policy and political developments in these areas in Greece, of the progress in the implementation of Greece’s Recovery and Resilience Plan and of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The jobholder will have regular contacts with the national authorities and other stakeholders, prepare annual meetings or Monitoring Committees and travel on regular missions.

WE LOOK FOR

A highly motivated person, results-oriented, proactive colleague with solid analytical skills and understanding on employment and/or social inclusion and/or skills/education & vocational education and training (VET) policies as well as good exposure to management of EU Funds. Experience and knowledge about EU level policy developments in these areas is an asset. The new colleague is expected to have a good sense of initiative and responsibility, be a good team player, quickly identify key priorities, have excellent drafting skills, and deliver quality outputs. Very good communication skills are essential.

The person for this position should have an education background and/or professional experience of at least 2 years in employment, education and social affairs, structural funds and/or economic affairs. As regards languages, fluency in English and/or French is a clear advantage as well as a good capacity to work and draft in Greek.

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

With a view to guaranteeing equal access to all, the Commission recruits from an open database of spontaneous applications. The present call for interests aims at helping the recruiters to identify potentially interested candidates within this database.

In practice, to express your interest, please follow the subsequent two steps:

If you are not registered yet in the open EPSO database, please do so at the following address: CAST Permanent. Please select under selection procedures for contract agent the CAST permanent profile that best suits your education and experience.

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:1. your CV 2. completed application form. Please send these documents by the publication deadline to [email protected] indicating the call for interest reference EC-2025-EMPL-496573 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.