Employment – Graduate administrators competition (AD5)

The European Union is looking for talented graduates across all fields of study to join its civil service. The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is launching an open competition to draw up a reserve list from which the institutions, bodies, and agencies of the European Union can recruit new members of the civil service as administrators (grade AD5).

The general role of administrators is to support decision-makers in fulfilling the mission of their institution or body, contributing to policies and programmes that impact millions of people across Europe. Successful candidates typically work in one of the following areas as part of a multicultural team:

• policy development and formulation
• policy implementation and operational delivery
• resource management

Requirements

To apply for the Graduate administrators competition (AD5), you must meet the following requirements:

• Be an EU national and enjoy the full rights of an EU citizen.
• Have a thorough knowledge of one official EU language and a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language.
• Hold a level of education corresponding to completed university studies of at least three years, attested by a diploma awarded no later than 30 September 2026.
• No professional experience is required.

Testing

The selection process includes online reasoning tests, as well as tests on EU knowledge, digital skills and a free-text essay on EU matters.
Full details are available in the Notice of Competition.

Candidates may choose any two of the 24 official EU languages for testing.

Once on a reserve list, successful candidates may be contacted by the recruiting services of the EU institutions and bodies interested in their profile, for targeted recruitment interviews. Such interviews, and any other related procedures, are outside the selection process conducted by EPSO. Recruitment interviews are conducted by the relevant recruiting services usually in English and/or French. Other languages may also be used during the interviews, based on the needs of the recruiting services and the knowledge expressed by candidates in their applications.

Dates

The application period opens on 5 February 2026 and the deadline is 10 March 2026, at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.

Candidates must upload a scanned copy of their valid identity card or passport by 10 March 2026 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time, and scanned copies of the documents supporting the declarations made in their application by 7 October 2026 at 12:00 (midday), Brussels time.

More information: European Personal Selection Office