JOB DESCRIPTION

MAKE A DIFFERENCE – JOIN THE EUROPEAN
COMMISSION

Do you want to help shape the future of the European Union? Make the planet greener,
promote a fairer society, or support businesses and innovation across the EU? Then come and
work for the European Commission where you can really make a difference!

Commission staff are a diverse group of people, who are motivated to help make Europe – and
the world – a better place. They come from the 27 Member States of the European Union.
Different nationalities, backgrounds, languages and cultures make the Commission a vibrant and
inclusive place to work.

WE OFFER ATTRACTIVE WORKING CONDITIONS AND MUCH MORE:

•

Interesting and challenging positions with plenty of opportunities for training and
acquiring new skills and competencies throughout your whole career

• Opportunities to try several areas of move between different policy your career
• A package of flexible working conditions including the possibility of teleworking – we

care about your work-life balance

• A competitive financial package, including comprehensive healthcare, accident and

pension schemes

• A multilingual, multicultural workplace where personal and career development are

strongly promoted

• Multilingual schools for your children

We recruit from a wide range of backgrounds and actively promote diversity and
inclusion:

We do not only recruit political scientists and lawyers but are also looking for all kinds of
profiles, including scientists, linguists, IT experts, data analysts and economists, as well as drivers
and engineers.

We are committed to equal opportunities and to fostering a rich, diverse and inclusive working
environment. We aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly
welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We actively seek to create a workplace where
each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full
potential.

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates, we strongly
encourage applicants from Member States which are currently underrepresented in the European
Commission workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta,
Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden1. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the
merits of all applicants and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member
State.

For more information ec.europa.eu/work-with-us

STAFF RECRUITED ON CONTRACTS

In addition to permanent officials, the European Commission offers non-permanent positions.
There are two categories of non-permanent staff:

•

temporary agents are recruited to fill vacant positions for a set amount of time or
to perform highly specialised tasks.

• contract agents may provide additional capacity in specialised fields where an
insufficient number of officials is available or carry out a number of administrative or
manual tasks. They are generally recruited for fixed-term contracts (maximum 6 years in
any EU Institution), but in some cases they can be offered contracts for an indefinite
duration (in offices, agencies, delegations or representations).

For more information on different staff categories

1Please note that the list of underrepresented Member States may be subject to future amendment based on potential
data changes over time.

(Reference: Selection reference TA COM/2025/1560

Laboratory Technician – Scientific Research

DG JRC of the European Commission

Selection reference: JRC/COM/2025/1560
Domain: Science and Research
Where: Unit JRC.E.4 – Transport and Border Security Unit – Geel, Belgium
Staff category and Function Group: Temporary agent 2d – Laboratory Technician
Grade: AST 1- 4
Publication deadline: 05.09.2025 – 12.00 (Brussels time)

WE ARE

As the science and knowledge service of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre
provides independent, evidence-based knowledge and science, supporting EU policies to positively
impact society. We provide anticipatory capacity, solid expertise and ability to propose and
implement interdisciplinary research. The activities are carried out in collaboration with relevant
Commission Services, national and international organizations and stakeholders. At the JRC we
organise our work in portfolios which are the main building blocks of our multi-annual work
its portfolios can be found at:
programmes. More
https://eceuropaeu.sharepoint.com/sites/ORG-JRC-Portfolios/SitePages/About-the-JRCportfolios.aspx

information about

the JRC and

The current vacancy is in the Directorate Societal Resilience and Security. JRC Directorate E works
on science for policy challenges in the areas of space, security and migration and, thus, contributes
to the political priorities of the Commission to improve societal resilience and security in a changing
geopolitical context. Areas of work in Directorate E include crisis management and anticipating
future risks; strategic infrastructures; enhancing sovereignty in emerging and critical technologies
for space and security; safety and sustainability of the built environment, and trends in migration
and population dynamics in a socio-economic framework. Specifically, the vacancy is in the Unit
JRC.E.4, Transport and Border Security, which has the mission to provide standards, tools and
services which can be deployed to enhance security at borders and throughout the transport sector.
This includes research into new technologies to improve border management and to facilitate
cross-border travel and to contribute to improving transport safety levels in the EU in a growing,
and increasingly complex transport system, including drones. In our activities we work in close
collaboration with the respective Commission Directorate Generals Migration & Home Affairs (DG
HOME), Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), as well as the
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Border and Coast Guard Agency
(Frontex), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), the European
Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), the Member States authorities and many other relevant stakeholders.
https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/scientific-activities-
For
z/bordersecurity_en

information:

further

The post is located in Geel, Belgium. More detail can be found at: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en

(Reference: Selection reference TA COM/2025/1560

WE PROPOSE

The selected candidate will assist in the running of the Transport and Border Security Unit
laboratories in Geel. These laboratories contain detection and screening equipment used at airports
as well as field responder equipment used to detect drugs, explosives, and other threats. The
selected candidate will ensure the smooth operation of laboratories adhering to safety and
environmental requirements. Such activities include keeping inventory of chemicals and equipment
updated, planning maintenance of equipment, operating the equipment, ordering consumables for
information can be found here: https://jointresearch-
waste managements, etc. Further
centre.ec.europa.eu/laboratories-and-facilities/aviation-security-laboratory_en

WE LOOK FOR

We look for a technically minded and skilled person who has minimum 3 years of experience
working as a laboratory technician, preferably in scientific research, in an area of chemistry,
engineering or physics, and 1 year of working experience in quality control and data auditing. The
job holder should be able to operate and maintain various scientific instruments and equipment
used in an analytical chemistry lab. He/she must have experience in inventory management, and
knowledge of safety protocols and waste management practices in laboratory settings. This person
should also have a keen interest in relating to how this kind of equipment is being used by first
responders. Familiarity with quality management systems and accreditation standards such as ISO
17025, and knowledge of safety protocols and waste management practices in laboratory settings,
and with procurement are essential. Excellent command of English, and a very good command of
another official EU language are required. The job requires physical presence on site. The post
requires a security clearance and as such the selected candidate will be subject to a security
clearance procedure.

HOW TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST?

You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:
1. your CV;
2. completed application form;
3. a copy of your diploma.

Please send these documents by the publication deadline to HR-JRC-GEE-SELECTION-
[email protected] indicating the selection reference TA COM/2025/1560 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.

(Reference: Selection reference TA COM/2025/1560

ANNEX

1. Selection

 Am I eligible to apply?

You must meet the following eligibility criteria when you validate your application:

Our rules provide that you can only be recruited as a temporary agent at the European Commission
if you:

General criteria:

• Are a citizen of a Member State of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service;
• Are physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post;
• Produce the appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the

duties.

Qualifications:
In order to be recruited for this position, you must have at least either a level of post-secondary
education attested by a diploma, or a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving
access to post-secondary education, and appropriate professional experience of at least three
years.

Only qualifications issued or recognised as equivalent by EU Member State authorities (e.g. by the
Ministry of Education) will be accepted. Furthermore, before recruitment, you will be required to
provide the documents that corroborate the eligibility criteria (diplomas, certificates and other
supporting documents).

Languages:

• have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1) of one of the 24 official languages of the

EU2

• AND a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2) of a second official language of the EU,

to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

2 The official languages of the European Union are: BG (Bulgarian), CS (Czech), DA (Danish), DE (German), EL
(Greek), EN (English), ES (Spanish), ET (Estonian), FI (Finnish), FR (French), GA (Irish), HR (Croatian), HU
(Hungarian), IT (Italian), LT (Lithuanian), LV (Latvian), MT (Maltese), NL (Dutch), PL (Polish), PT (Portuguese),
RO (Romanian), SK (Slovak), SL (Slovenian), SV (Swedish).

(Reference: Selection reference TA COM/2025/1560

 What about the selection steps?

The post was published internally within the Commission, inter-institutionally, and brought to the
attention of competition laureates.

In accordance with Article 29 of the Staff Regulations, applications from Commission officials,
officials from other Institutions, and laureates of competitions have priority3. If these candidates do
not best fit the requirements for the position, the Commission can recruit a temporary agent.

A selection panel will choose a limited number of candidates for interview, based on the CV and
application form that they submitted. Due to the large volume of applications, we may receive,
only candidates selected for the next step of the selection phase will be notified.

For operational reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in
the interest of the candidates and of the institution, the selection procedure will be carried out in
English and possibly in a second official language.

2. Recruitment

The candidate selected for recruitment will be requested to supply documentary evidence in
support of the statements made in their application.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a mandatory pre-recruitment medical check-
up, carried out by the Commission. Candidates are required to undergo a security vetting that is
conducted with the national administration of the Member State.

 Type of contract and working conditions

The place of employment will be Geel.

In case the successful candidate is not an official or a competition laureate, they will be recruited
as a temporary agent under Article 2(d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants,
in function group AST.

3 Officials from the Commission or other Institutions are invited to use the standard channels (Sysper or
inter-institutional vacancy portal).

(Reference: Selection reference TA COM/2025/1560

 Grade

The recruitment grade, as well as the step in that grade, will be determined in accordance with
Commission Decision C(2013)9049 on policies for the engagement and use of temporary agents
and with Commission Decision C(2013)8970 laying down the criteria applicable to classification in
step on engagement.

The recruitment grade will be that of similar competitions in the field that have been recently
published or already planned. Otherwise, recruitment will be at the level of AST1, AST2 or AST3. The
recruitment grade will be that of similar competitions in the field published or already planned. The
maximum recruitment grade is AST4, which may be granted under very exceptional circumstances,
based on the assessment of the needs of the service, notably the nature of the profile sought, the
level of responsibility to be exercised, or the labour market conditions for the profile in question,
and the duration of the candidates’ previous appropriate professional experience.

The duration of the 1st contract will be of 1 to 3 years. The contract might then be extended
only once for a maximum of 2 years and in the interest of service. The duration of the extension
will be defined according to the General Implementation Rules in force at that moment, in
accordance with Commission Decision C(2013)9049 on policies for the engagement and use of
temporary agents.

All new staff have to successfully complete a 9-month probationary period.

The pay of staff members consists of a basic salary supplemented with specific allowances,
including, where applicable, expatriation and family allowances. The provisions guiding the
calculation of these allowances can be consulted in the Conditions of Employment of Other
Servants. As a member of staff of the European institutions, your pay is subject to a tax raised by
those institutions.

The European Commission applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in
accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations.

Should you need further information on working conditions, please refer to Working conditions and
benefits of EU Careers.

For information related to Data Protection, please see the Specific Privacy Statement under “7.
Information to data subjects on their rights”, to find your rights and how to exercise them in
addition to the privacy statement, which summarises the processing of your data.

(Reference: Selection reference TA COM/2025/1560