European Union Administrator

Also known as:

Administrator, European Union
Civil Service Administrator, European Union

Introduction

European Union (EU) AD grade administrators work in institutions of the EU including the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and the Court of Justice. They are involved in drawing up and putting into practice policies in all areas, including external relations, transport, environment and science.

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Work Activities

European Union (EU) administrators have frequent contact with individuals and organisations throughout Europe. In the course of their work, they may have to liaise with people within their own institution, other European institutions and officials from EU member states.

They may support the work of ministers from EU member states, for example, when they meet to approve or reject proposals from the European Commission. The proposals put forward by the Commission and other EU institutions have a direct impact on life in all the EU countries, so administrators need to be very familiar and up-to-date with the current topic of discussion.

Administrators work on a very wide range of tasks and projects. To give just a few examples of the type of work they do: an administrator may work in support of EU negotiations with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), or study the trading patterns between countries. Other administrators may work on policy issues affecting the environment, for example, negotiating an agreement with car makers to cut emissions of greenhouse gases.

In order to carry out this wide range of tasks, EU administrators have to handle a great deal of information. They collect information from a number of sources, interpret it and use it to help them form policies and legislation. They might use it to write reports or to give verbal presentations.

EU administrators perform a management role within their department. They supervise junior staff and carry out personnel duties. They might also be involved in deciding on new administrative procedures, for example choosing a new computer system.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a European Union administrator, you will need strong intellectual ability to understand complex ideas and concepts, and you must be confident in using your initiative. You should have a keen interest in European and international current affairs, and a good general knowledge of the history of the European Union.

To get through an EU recruitment competition, you will need a thorough working knowledge of one other official language of the EU besides your mother tongue.

For some jobs you need specialist skills such as law, accounting, IT or economics.

You need to be able to make important decisions and work to tight deadlines. You will need thorough and methodical research skills, as well as strong communication skills to explain facts and ideas clearly to other people.

A willingness to live and work in a multicultural, multilingual environment is essential.

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Pay and Opportunities

Salary information is published in the advertisements for open competitions. Starting scales and pay arrangements vary with the department.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Administrators (graduate, grade 5) earn around 4,000 - 4,500 Euros a month. Assistants (non-graduate, grade 3) earn around 2,500 - 3,000 Euros a month. Higher salaries are possible.

EU institutions such as the European Commission, European Parliament and the European Court of Justice employ administrators.

Administrators work normal office hours, but may be required to work longer, for example, to meet important deadlines or during negotiating sessions.

You are likely to work in Brussels or Luxembourg if you work directly for one of the EU institutions. However, services that deal with external relations may employ you in an EU delegation anywhere in the world.

The Vacancy Information Service is a database, run by the EU Staffing Team, to keep civil servants and members of the public informed about vacancies in the EU institutions. Details of vacancies can be found on their website. The service can also send out candidates' guides and reading lists to help applicants through competitions.

There are a limited number of specialist temporary posts on short-term contracts for Administrator and Assistant grade jobs. Self-employment as a consultant is highly unlikely, except after substantial experience.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

The Open University has a degree in European Studies, by distance learning.

Preparatory study materials and online tests for EU competitions are available on the eutests website. People intending to study European/international studies at higher education level can apply for financial assistance from the Gilbert Murray Trust.

• 47% of people in occupations such as European Union Administrator have flexible hours.

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