- S&D Group
- Brussels, Belgium (Remote)
- Full-time
Administrator (Latvian-speaking)
- S&D Group
Brussels, Belgium
Full-time
Published:
Application Deadline: April 2, 2025
- S&D Group
Brussels, Belgium
Full-time
Published:
Application Deadline: April 2, 2025
INTRODUCTION:
General
The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D Group) opens a procedure for 1 post for Latvian-language administrator (F/M), Temporary Agent at grade AD 5, pursuant to article 2(c) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS), for its secretariat in Brussels.
Equal opportunities
The S&D Group is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from qualified men and women candidates who fulfil the conditions for admission, excluding any discrimination. Explain your special requirements on the application form. We will require proof of a candidate’s disability.
Place of employment
Brussels. Frequent travel outside Belgium is required, in particular during the plenary session in Strasbourg.
Recommendations
Before filling in the application form with due care and attention, candidates are requested to please read the notice of recruitment carefully. Under no circumstances should candidates approach any members of the Selection Board, either directly or indirectly. The Appointing Authority empowered to conclude contracts of employment (AECE) reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.
NATURE OF THE DUTIES AND PROFILE:
The administrator provides assistance and support to the Members of the European Parliament of the S&D Group in the carrying out of tasks, which may include:
The post of administrator demands availability and flexibility, a methodological approach, discretion, loyalty, confidentiality and a capacity for rapid adaptation to varying duties in a political environment. Candidates must show initiative, both independently and while working in a team, and be able to adapt to a multicultural environment. Lastly, they must be ready to carry out professional training throughout their career.
ELIGIBILITY:
At the closing date for applications, under article 12 (2) of the CEOS, candidates must:
In addition, to fulfil the qualifications and professional experience required, candidates must have:
Qualifications and professional experience
Knowledge of languages
For the requirements of the post (Article 12(2) CEOs), candidates must have a thorough knowledge Latvia (C1 level). For the requirements of the post, a thorough knowledge of English (C1 level) and good knowledge of one of the following working languages of the S&D Group: Spanish, French or German is required (B2 level). Knowledge of other official languages of the EU will be an asset.
PROCEDURE:
General conditions
The selection procedure will be held on the basis of qualifications and tests. Candidates will be eliminated automatically if they:
Pre-selection based on qualifications
Among applicants meeting the conditions for eligibility under point II, the pre-selection procedure will select candidates who have the best qualifications and the most relevant professional experience with regards to the criteria described under Point I “Nature of the duties and profile”. In particular, the selection is carried out based on applicants’ supporting documents and CV, with the following criteria:
Essential
Advantageous
The top 15 best candidates resulting from this evaluation of qualifications will be selected to take part in the written tests.
APPLICATION:
Before applying, candidates should carefully check whether they meet all the eligibility criteria.
Candidates must use the official form on the website of the S&D Group https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/working-with-us/jobs/competitions where more information can be found on the supporting documents required. They will receive an acknowledgement email confirming their application. Should this not be the case, please make sure to check the spam folder. Any urgent communication from the candidates must be transmitted to s-d.AD-03-2025-lv@europarl.europa.eu.
Candidates must fill in the application form and enclose supporting documents to show that they meet the conditions governing admission to the selection procedure to enable to verify the claims made on the application form. If the candidates fail to do so, they will be disqualified.
Supporting documents required
With regard to the qualifications and diplomas outlined in point II, submission of an official translation in either English, French, German or Spanish would be appreciated.
With regard to professional experience, this must be justified by one or more supporting documents from among those listed for guidance below:
Languages and their levels must be referred to on the application form.
In addition, a Curriculum Vitae is required in English and in EUROPASS format.
The candidates' attention is drawn to the fact that it is up to the candidate himself/herself alone to decide which supporting documents to attach to his/her application form.
The application form and supporting documents must be uploaded by 02 April 2025 at the latest.
The S&D Group cannot be held responsible for delays in electronic mailing or platform access.
Admission
The Selection Board will consider the application files and draw up a list of candidates who meet the conditions set out in Section III.A and B and will therefore be admitted to the procedure.
If, at any stage in the procedure, it is established that the information given in the application form is incorrect or is not substantiated by supporting documents, or that all the conditions set out in the recruitment notice are not met, candidates will be disqualified.
Assessment of qualifications
The Selection Board will consider the applications on the basis of the supporting documents enclosed in the candidate's application file and select those candidates whose qualifications and duly attested periods of professional experience best match the duties to be carried out, as described in point II: “Job Description”. The Selection Board’s evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
Only the 15 best candidates resulting from this evaluation of qualifications and having reached the minimum of 25 points will be selected to take part in the written tests.
WRITTEN TESTS:
Candidates are informed that the language options for test 1 is English and test 2 is Latvian. For test 3 the language option shall be one of the following languages: French, German or Spanish. The language options have been laid down in the interest of the service, by virtue of the duties involved. Candidates must indicate the languages chosen for these tests in their application form.
Test 1: Drafting test
From general subjects in areas relevant to the European Union and its policies, candidate will choose one out to two possible topics.
This test aims to assess:
Test 2: Multiple Choice Questions
Candidates must respond to 60 questions. This test aims to assess the knowledge of the Latvian political system in relations with the EU, the Community mechanisms and the European institutions.
Test 3: Linguistic skills
Candidates will receive instructions based on a text in one of the following languages: Spanish, French or German.
The 5 best candidates that obtain the minimum mark required in each of the three tests will be invited to take part in the oral test.
ORAL TEST:
The oral test will take the form of a structured interview to assess the applicant’s motivation, her/his competences, knowledge and suitability to perform the tasks listed under Point I within the secretariat of the S&D Group.
The interview will be primarily in English, Latvian and languages as declared in the application form:
NB: The reimbursement of part of travel and accommodation costs will be calculated according to the guidelines provided by EPSO and based on the postal address as indicated in the application form1.
INCLUSION ON THE LIST OF SUITABLE CANDIDATES:
The list of suitable candidates will include, in order of merit, taking into account the overall scores in the written and oral tests, the names of those candidates who have obtained at least 50% of the total points available and have passed each test. Candidates will be informed individually of their inclusion of the list of suitable candidates. Once established, the validity of the list will be two years; it may be extended. The successful candidates will be informed individually of their results, and the list of suitable candidates will be posted on the S&D website.
Inclusion on the list of suitable candidates does not confer any right to or guarantee recruitment.
CONDITIONS OF RECRUITMENT:
The vacant post will be filled following the order of merit of the list of suitable candidates.
Candidates who are not selected for the vacant post of this notice will remain included on a reserve list and will be eligible to be recruited in the event of further vacancies. The AECE (Authority Empowered to conclude Contract of Employment) will select from the candidates on the reserve list, the person best fitting the post to be filled.
The selected candidate for the post will be recruited as a temporary agent in the AD5 grade, pursuant to article 2(c) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). The salary step in which they will be appointed (by the administration) will depend upon the provisions in force in this regard.2.
If the successful candidate is a European civil servant of one of the EU institutions, the S&D Group will request his/her secondment to the S&D Group in the interest of the service, in accordance with articles 37 and 38 of the Staff Regulations of the European Institutions.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Selection Board
A selection board is appointed for the selection procedure. Please note that the selection board’s internal proceedings are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Under no circumstances should candidates approach the selection board, either directly or indirectly, concerning the selection procedure. Any infringement of this rule will lead to the disqualification from the selection procedure.
Job environment
The place of employment is Brussels. Travel outside Belgium is required, in particular during the plenary sessions in Strasbourg. The successful candidates will work in a multicultural, respectful and inclusive environment where collaboration and open and constructive dialogue is encouraged. Working time is based on a 40-hour working week. The S&D Group offers flexible working arrangements such as teleworking, part-time schemes and flexible working hours.
Remuneration
The staff member’s remuneration consists of a basic salary and allowances, according to the Staff Regulations of officials and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.
Requests for review
Candidates may ask the selection board to review its decision when it has decided:
Requests for review must be sent within ten calendar days from the date of notification of the email containing the results3 . The request must be sent to the following address : s-d.AD-03-2025-lv@europarl.europa.eu.
Your request will be forwarded to the Chair of the selection board and you will receive a reply as soon as possible.
A decision adopted following a request for review will replace the original decision. For this reason, if a candidate decides to submit a request for review of a decision of the selection board, he or she is asked to wait for the selection board’s decision before lodging any complaint or judicial appeal against the decision adversely affecting him or her.
Complaints and judicial appeals
If you consider that you have been adversely affected by a decision of the selection board or the appointing authority, you may lodge a complaint, at any stage of the competition/selection procedure, under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.
The complaint may be addressed by post to:
You may file a complaint by email to s-d.AD-03-2025-lv@europarl.europa.eu If you opt to submit your complaint via email, you accept that all communications and the final decision will be sent to your email address. Furthermore, please note that if you send your complaint by email, it is not necessary to also send it by post.
You should note that the Appointing Authority/AECE does not have the power to amend the decisions of a selection committee. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by selection committees is not subject to review by the Court unless the rules which govern the proceedings of selection committees have clearly been infringed.
Candidates have a right to submit a judicial appeal to the General Court, under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations.
Like all citizens of the European Union, you can make a complaint to:
Note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging administrative complaints or for submitting judicial appeals.
Protection of personal data
Any personal data generated in connection with the recruitment procedure shall be processed pursuant to 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 Union institutions and bodies, offices and agencies, and on the free movement of such data. Any personal data shall be processed only for the purpose and in the framework of the present recruitment procedure.
Closing date for applications: 02 April 2025.
General
The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D Group) opens a procedure for 1 post for Latvian-language administrator (F/M), Temporary Agent at grade AD 5, pursuant to article 2(c) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS), for its secretariat in Brussels.
Equal opportunities
The S&D Group is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from qualified men and women candidates who fulfil the conditions for admission, excluding any discrimination. Explain your special requirements on the application form. We will require proof of a candidate’s disability.
Place of employment
Brussels. Frequent travel outside Belgium is required, in particular during the plenary session in Strasbourg.
Recommendations
Before filling in the application form with due care and attention, candidates are requested to please read the notice of recruitment carefully. Under no circumstances should candidates approach any members of the Selection Board, either directly or indirectly. The Appointing Authority empowered to conclude contracts of employment (AECE) reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.
NATURE OF THE DUTIES AND PROFILE:
The administrator provides assistance and support to the Members of the European Parliament of the S&D Group in the carrying out of tasks, which may include:
- Support to the legislative work of parliamentary committees, draft proposal for amendments and resolutions;
- Provide political advice; conduct analysis and formulation of policies in the fields of European Union action;
- Follow and contribute proactively to policy implementation in specific sectorial policies, drafting policy analysis notes and political assessments, explanatory papers on areas of competence for S&D Members at committee level, for Group bodies and for the Secretariat;
- Draw up politically and technically coherent parliamentary positions in the main fields of activity of the European Union;
- Manage the contacts between the S&D Group and the member parties of the PES and its parliamentary groups in the Member States;
- Manage, organise and follow-up of meetings;
- Contribute to external communication as well as to internal reporting and communication.
The post of administrator demands availability and flexibility, a methodological approach, discretion, loyalty, confidentiality and a capacity for rapid adaptation to varying duties in a political environment. Candidates must show initiative, both independently and while working in a team, and be able to adapt to a multicultural environment. Lastly, they must be ready to carry out professional training throughout their career.
ELIGIBILITY:
At the closing date for applications, under article 12 (2) of the CEOS, candidates must:
- Be a national of a Member State of the European Union;
- Enjoy full rights as citizens;
- Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws on military service;
- Produce the appropriate character references as to the suitability for the performance of their duties.
In addition, to fulfil the qualifications and professional experience required, candidates must have:
Qualifications and professional experience
- A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma officially recognised in one of the Member States of the EU;
- At least two years' professional experience acquired after a university degree relevant to the activities listed in the duties and profile;
- Very good knowledge of Community mechanisms and the European institutions;
- Proven ability to carry out conceptual and analytical work;
- Capacity for team work in a multinational and multicultural environment;
- A very good knowledge of the Latvian and European legal, institutional and political systems.
Knowledge of languages
For the requirements of the post (Article 12(2) CEOs), candidates must have a thorough knowledge Latvia (C1 level). For the requirements of the post, a thorough knowledge of English (C1 level) and good knowledge of one of the following working languages of the S&D Group: Spanish, French or German is required (B2 level). Knowledge of other official languages of the EU will be an asset.
PROCEDURE:
General conditions
The selection procedure will be held on the basis of qualifications and tests. Candidates will be eliminated automatically if they:
- Forward their application after the closing date (as evidenced by the application date);
- Do not use and duly complete the official application form and/or;
- Do not fulfil the general conditions for eligibility.
Pre-selection based on qualifications
Among applicants meeting the conditions for eligibility under point II, the pre-selection procedure will select candidates who have the best qualifications and the most relevant professional experience with regards to the criteria described under Point I “Nature of the duties and profile”. In particular, the selection is carried out based on applicants’ supporting documents and CV, with the following criteria:
Essential
- Suitability to perform the tasks described under Point I;
- Proven experience of at least two years linked to the job profile described under Point I;
- Thorough knowledge of Latvian (level C1);
- Thorough knowledge of English (C1 level);
- Good knowledge of either French, German or Spanish (B2 level).
Advantageous
- Professional experience acquired in functions performed in international and multicultural environments;
- Professional experience in working in administrator positions in the EU institutions;
- Good knowledge of other EU languages.
The top 15 best candidates resulting from this evaluation of qualifications will be selected to take part in the written tests.
APPLICATION:
Before applying, candidates should carefully check whether they meet all the eligibility criteria.
Candidates must use the official form on the website of the S&D Group https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/working-with-us/jobs/competitions where more information can be found on the supporting documents required. They will receive an acknowledgement email confirming their application. Should this not be the case, please make sure to check the spam folder. Any urgent communication from the candidates must be transmitted to s-d.AD-03-2025-lv@europarl.europa.eu.
Candidates must fill in the application form and enclose supporting documents to show that they meet the conditions governing admission to the selection procedure to enable to verify the claims made on the application form. If the candidates fail to do so, they will be disqualified.
Supporting documents required
With regard to the qualifications and diplomas outlined in point II, submission of an official translation in either English, French, German or Spanish would be appreciated.
With regard to professional experience, this must be justified by one or more supporting documents from among those listed for guidance below:
- Employment contracts, indicating the exact nature of the activity performed and the dates on which the professional experience began and, where relevant, ended;
- Proof of activity as self-employed (for example register of commerce);
- Knowledge of languages must be confirmed by a diploma or an official certificate.
Languages and their levels must be referred to on the application form.
In addition, a Curriculum Vitae is required in English and in EUROPASS format.
The candidates' attention is drawn to the fact that it is up to the candidate himself/herself alone to decide which supporting documents to attach to his/her application form.
The application form and supporting documents must be uploaded by 02 April 2025 at the latest.
The S&D Group cannot be held responsible for delays in electronic mailing or platform access.
Admission
The Selection Board will consider the application files and draw up a list of candidates who meet the conditions set out in Section III.A and B and will therefore be admitted to the procedure.
If, at any stage in the procedure, it is established that the information given in the application form is incorrect or is not substantiated by supporting documents, or that all the conditions set out in the recruitment notice are not met, candidates will be disqualified.
Assessment of qualifications
The Selection Board will consider the applications on the basis of the supporting documents enclosed in the candidate's application file and select those candidates whose qualifications and duly attested periods of professional experience best match the duties to be carried out, as described in point II: “Job Description”. The Selection Board’s evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
- Profile of the candidates with regard to the post to be filled;
- Knowledge and aptitude of the candidates:
- Knowledge of the EU institutions 0 - 10 points;
- Knowledge of Latvian and European political systems 0 - 10 points;
- Capacity to work in a multicultural environment 0 - 5 points.
- Linguistic knowledge:
- Languages of the competition tests: Latvian, English, French, German and Spanish, each language: 0 - 2 points;
- Other EU languages: (global) 0 - 2 point.
- Total: Maximum possible: 12 points.
Only the 15 best candidates resulting from this evaluation of qualifications and having reached the minimum of 25 points will be selected to take part in the written tests.
WRITTEN TESTS:
Candidates are informed that the language options for test 1 is English and test 2 is Latvian. For test 3 the language option shall be one of the following languages: French, German or Spanish. The language options have been laid down in the interest of the service, by virtue of the duties involved. Candidates must indicate the languages chosen for these tests in their application form.
Test 1: Drafting test
From general subjects in areas relevant to the European Union and its policies, candidate will choose one out to two possible topics.
This test aims to assess:
- Structuring and organizing content;
- Analytical, summarizing and communication skills;
- Political sensitiveness;
- Strategic and prioritization skills in writing;
- Quality of expression;
- Duration of test: 2.5 hours;
- Marking: 0 to 50 points;
- Minimum pass mark: 25 points;
- Language: English.
Test 2: Multiple Choice Questions
Candidates must respond to 60 questions. This test aims to assess the knowledge of the Latvian political system in relations with the EU, the Community mechanisms and the European institutions.
- Duration of test: 40 minutes;
- Marking: 0 to 20 points;
- Minimum pass mark: 10 points;
- Language: Latvian.
Test 3: Linguistic skills
Candidates will receive instructions based on a text in one of the following languages: Spanish, French or German.
- Duration of the test: 1 hour;
- Marks: 0 to 20 points;
- Minimum pass mark: 10 points.
The 5 best candidates that obtain the minimum mark required in each of the three tests will be invited to take part in the oral test.
ORAL TEST:
The oral test will take the form of a structured interview to assess the applicant’s motivation, her/his competences, knowledge and suitability to perform the tasks listed under Point I within the secretariat of the S&D Group.
The interview will be primarily in English, Latvian and languages as declared in the application form:
- Professional knowledge and aptitude to carry out the duties described in chapter I.
- Marks: From 0 to 50 points;
- Minimum pass mark: 25 points.
- Soft skills and, in particular, ability to work under pressure, to work in a team, capacity of reasoning and judgement, precision and resilience, interpersonal skills, capacity to adapt to technological changes, motivation and ability to adapt to a multicultural environment.
- Marks: From 0 to 50 points;
- Minimum pass mark: 25 points.
- Knowledge of languages as indicated in the application form.
- Marks: From 0 to 10 points.
NB: The reimbursement of part of travel and accommodation costs will be calculated according to the guidelines provided by EPSO and based on the postal address as indicated in the application form1.
INCLUSION ON THE LIST OF SUITABLE CANDIDATES:
The list of suitable candidates will include, in order of merit, taking into account the overall scores in the written and oral tests, the names of those candidates who have obtained at least 50% of the total points available and have passed each test. Candidates will be informed individually of their inclusion of the list of suitable candidates. Once established, the validity of the list will be two years; it may be extended. The successful candidates will be informed individually of their results, and the list of suitable candidates will be posted on the S&D website.
Inclusion on the list of suitable candidates does not confer any right to or guarantee recruitment.
CONDITIONS OF RECRUITMENT:
The vacant post will be filled following the order of merit of the list of suitable candidates.
Candidates who are not selected for the vacant post of this notice will remain included on a reserve list and will be eligible to be recruited in the event of further vacancies. The AECE (Authority Empowered to conclude Contract of Employment) will select from the candidates on the reserve list, the person best fitting the post to be filled.
The selected candidate for the post will be recruited as a temporary agent in the AD5 grade, pursuant to article 2(c) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). The salary step in which they will be appointed (by the administration) will depend upon the provisions in force in this regard.2.
If the successful candidate is a European civil servant of one of the EU institutions, the S&D Group will request his/her secondment to the S&D Group in the interest of the service, in accordance with articles 37 and 38 of the Staff Regulations of the European Institutions.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Selection Board
A selection board is appointed for the selection procedure. Please note that the selection board’s internal proceedings are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Under no circumstances should candidates approach the selection board, either directly or indirectly, concerning the selection procedure. Any infringement of this rule will lead to the disqualification from the selection procedure.
Job environment
The place of employment is Brussels. Travel outside Belgium is required, in particular during the plenary sessions in Strasbourg. The successful candidates will work in a multicultural, respectful and inclusive environment where collaboration and open and constructive dialogue is encouraged. Working time is based on a 40-hour working week. The S&D Group offers flexible working arrangements such as teleworking, part-time schemes and flexible working hours.
Remuneration
The staff member’s remuneration consists of a basic salary and allowances, according to the Staff Regulations of officials and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.
Requests for review
Candidates may ask the selection board to review its decision when it has decided:
- Not to admit him/her to the competition/selection procedure;
- Not to invite him/her to a (written or oral) test;
- Not to include him/her on the list of suitable candidates.
Requests for review must be sent within ten calendar days from the date of notification of the email containing the results3 . The request must be sent to the following address : s-d.AD-03-2025-lv@europarl.europa.eu.
Your request will be forwarded to the Chair of the selection board and you will receive a reply as soon as possible.
A decision adopted following a request for review will replace the original decision. For this reason, if a candidate decides to submit a request for review of a decision of the selection board, he or she is asked to wait for the selection board’s decision before lodging any complaint or judicial appeal against the decision adversely affecting him or her.
Complaints and judicial appeals
If you consider that you have been adversely affected by a decision of the selection board or the appointing authority, you may lodge a complaint, at any stage of the competition/selection procedure, under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.
The complaint may be addressed by post to:
- Ms LE TEXIER Emmanuelle, Head of Human Resources, S&D Secretariat;
- ZWEIG 5L036 - Rue Wiertz 60 - B- 1047 Brussels.
You may file a complaint by email to s-d.AD-03-2025-lv@europarl.europa.eu If you opt to submit your complaint via email, you accept that all communications and the final decision will be sent to your email address. Furthermore, please note that if you send your complaint by email, it is not necessary to also send it by post.
You should note that the Appointing Authority/AECE does not have the power to amend the decisions of a selection committee. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by selection committees is not subject to review by the Court unless the rules which govern the proceedings of selection committees have clearly been infringed.
Candidates have a right to submit a judicial appeal to the General Court, under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations.
Like all citizens of the European Union, you can make a complaint to:
- European Ombudsman;
- 1 avenue du President Robert Schuman;
- CS 30403;
- F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex;
- https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/home.
Note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging administrative complaints or for submitting judicial appeals.
Protection of personal data
Any personal data generated in connection with the recruitment procedure shall be processed pursuant to 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 Union institutions and bodies, offices and agencies, and on the free movement of such data. Any personal data shall be processed only for the purpose and in the framework of the present recruitment procedure.
Closing date for applications: 02 April 2025.
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