JOB DESCRIPTION

Policy Officer
in DG HERA of the European Commission

Job title*: Policy officer
Domain**: Health
Where: HERA.4, Emergency Office
Function Group: FG IV
Contract Type: 3b
Express your interest until: 21.11.2025 – 12.00 (noon, Brussels time)

WE ARE

The European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) is the Directorate
General of the European Commission responsible for preparedness and response to serious cross-
border threats in the area of medical countermeasures (MCM), in particular by:

•
strengthening health security coordination within the Union involving all relevant actors
during preparedness and crisis response times and bringing together the EU Member States,
industry and relevant stakeholders in a common effort;

addressing vulnerabilities and strategic dependencies within the Union related to the

•
development, production, procurement, stockpiling and distribution of medical countermeasures;

•

contributing to reinforcing the global health emergency response architecture.

The HERA shall be responsible for the following tasks which shall be exercised in close cooperation
with the Member States:

assessment of health

•
countermeasures;

threats and

intelligence gathering

relevant

to medical

promoting advanced research and development of medical countermeasures and related

•
technologies;

addressing market challenges and boosting the Union’s open strategic autonomy in medical

•
countermeasures production;

•

•

swift procurement and distribution of medical countermeasures;

increasing stockpiling capacity of medical countermeasures;

strengthening knowledge and skills in preparedness and response related to medical

•
countermeasures.

HERA.04 “Emergency Office” is in charge of management of Health crisis. HERA’s Emergency Office
has been established to ensure that HERA can provide a fast, efficient and effective EU coordinated
response to cross-border health emergencies, by ensuring the provision of key medical
countermeasures throughout the European Union, bringing together the EU, Member states,
Industry and relevant stakeholders. The Emergency Office’s main purpose is to respond and
proactively prepare for response to Emergencies as defined by the draft council regulation on “An
Emergency framework for public health emergencies” which is a framework of measures for
ensuring the supply of crisis-relevant medical countermeasures in the event of a public health
emergency. The Emergency Office will also be ready and prepared to respond to events that do not
necessarily meet the formal threshold of a “public health emergency”, but nevertheless requires an
in accessing the necessary medical
intervention by HERA, to support member states
countermeasures. The emergency office will also be responsible for identifying Lessons learned, for
reporting, including producing the final emergency report and for HERA.

HERA’s website: : https://ec.europa.eu/health/hera/overview_en

WE PROPOSE

We propose a policy officer position for a highly motivated colleague in the “Emergency Office”
within DG HERA (Unit 04). This role will focus on addressing chemical, biological, radiological, and
nuclear (CBRN) threats, alongside challenges stemming from armed conflicts.

The appointed officer will play a crucial role in developing and implementing EU policies and
activities in response to these threats with a focus in particular on civil military cooperation.
Responsibilities include contributing to policy elaboration, drafting necessary procedures and
guidelines, and coordinating with various Directorates-General to ensure alignment with EU
priorities.

The position requires maintaining a robust network with stakeholders such as other Commission
services, EU agencies, Member States and NATO. The officer will also be involved in active policy
implementation during crises, including health threat management and the preparation for future
emergencies. This dynamic role entails significant engagement across institutional levels,
potentially requiring participation in events outside regular working hours during crisis situations.

WE LOOK FOR

We look for a person who demonstrates a genuine interest and, ideally, possesses practical
experience and extensive knowledge in one or more of the following areas: defence, civil-military
cooperation, hybrid threats, and countering CBRN threats. This role requires experience interacting
with defence ministries and NATO representatives. The ideal candidate should have the ability to
think strategically, work proactively, prioritize political
imperatives, and possess a good
understanding of EU institutions.

The successful applicant will be adept at analysing and prioritizing tasks and collaborating
effectively within diverse teams. Essential qualities include flexibility in both working hours and
task assignments, resilience, and the capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Strong

drafting, communication, and public speaking skills are necessary, along with the ability to produce
high-quality written documents. The candidate should be proficient in participating in internal and
international meetings
Commission
and conferences, and must be adaptable to changing responsibilities and eager to learn about
various topics related to the role. A very good command of English is required.

conferences

behalf

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The applicant must have a security clearance.

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:

1.

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.
2. You should send your documents in a single pdf in the following order:

2. completed application form.

1. your CV
Please send these documents by the publication deadline to Anne Simon – Anne-
[email protected] and [email protected] indicating the
call for interest reference EC-2025-HERA.4- 499721 in the subject.

No applications will be accepted after the publication deadline.