The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is one of the seven institutions of the European Union. It has been the judicial authority of the European Union since 1952. It consists of two courts – the Court of Justice and the General Court, which hand down more than 1 600 decisions per year in extremely varied areas of law – and various administrative departments which provide those courts with the necessary support to carry out their tasks.

In order to promote the dissemination of EU law and understanding of its role in the service of the rule of law, the Court is an open institution, which welcomes more than 16 000 people – national judges, legal professionals, academics and students – per year in connection with formal or official events, training seminars, and visits.

Description of the department

The Protocol and Visits Directorate (PVD), which currently consists of around thirty people, is responsible for planning and organising formal and official events, as well as activities representing the institution which call for a particular degree of formality, such as formal sittings, official visits or courtesy visits from high-level dignitaries, and other official events.

It is also responsible for holding high-level meetings and seminars welcoming judges from the courts of the Member States (such as the annual Meeting of Judges), non-Member States or international courts, as well as visits – including virtual visits – organised for legal professionals, students or the general public.

Lastly, the directorate manages the works of art – whether in the form of pieces on loan from the Member States or temporary exhibitions – in the guardianship of the CJEU.

Attached, from an operational point of view, to the Registrar of the Court of Justice, the directorate carries out its activities horizontally, and cooperates closely with all the departments of the institution which contribute to the proper organisation of those events.

Job description

The Director of Protocol and Visits, who is part of the Court’s senior managerial staff, takes on the role of the institution’s Head of Protocol. As such, he or she works alongside and advises the Members of the institution, interfaces with and welcomes guests received by the institution, and ensures that official, diplomatic and formal events are rigorously planned, coordinated and overseen. He or she also ensures that such events are properly conducted, in accordance with the protocol rules and the values of a judicial institution.

In addition, he or she contributes to strategic thinking concerning the promotion of the CJEU’s external relations, the development of all forms of welcome activities, the maintenance and enhancement of judicial dialogue, and the strengthening of synergies and links with partner networks and organisations. To this end, he or she ensures that the organisation and working arrangements of, and use of resources made available to, the PVD are in line with the guidelines of the institution. He or she identifies the opportunities and anticipates the challenges which the directorate may face, prepares it for any necessary changes, and supports it as it develops.

Required profile

We are looking for someone with the ability not only to meet the challenges which a multicultural judicial institution faces in its external relations, in particular in the context of its dialogue with the wider judicial world, but also to help to generate strategic responses in line with the priorities defined by the institution.

In order to lead the directorate successfully, the future holder of the post must be able to rely on his or her excellent management skills, which combine rigorous financial management and strong interpersonal relations. Secure in his or her ability to create and maintain constructive relationships, both within and outside the directorate, he or she will stand out not only because of his or her openness to dialogue but also because of his or her ability to rally his or her teams around the strategic objectives of the department and to support them in the context of an ever-changing work environment.

Capable of adapting easily to extremely varied cultural environments, he or she will distinguish him- or herself not only through his or her sense of etiquette and mastery of diplomatic codes, but also though his or her ability to embody and promote the values of a European judicial institution. With a keen eye for detail, as well as flexibility and creativity in the face of unforeseen developments, he or she will demonstrate strong resilience to stress and a highly developed ability to anticipate events.

Having an inquiring and open mind, the Director of Protocol and Visits will also cultivate a taste for artistic questions and the development of both the cultural works of the Member States and the seat of the Court called upon to host those works of art.

Conditions for eligibility

The post of Director of the PVD will be filled pursuant to Article 29(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (1).

In order for their applications to be admitted to the evaluation stage, candidates must satisfy the conditions for appointment of an official laid down by the Staff Regulations. In particular, a candidate must be a national of a Member State of the European Union.

In addition, candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:

Salary and conditions of employment

Salaries and conditions of employment are those laid down in the Staff Regulations for officials at Grade AD 14 or AD 15 (2). Candidates should note the requirement under the Staff Regulations for all new officials to complete successfully a nine-month probationary period.

Recruitment policy

The CJEU guarantees equal opportunities, subject to comparative assessment of the merits of candidates, and equal treatment of all persons who express an interest in a vacant post. It actively encourages the submission of diverse applications from candidates with varied experience, skills and knowledge, from the broadest possible geographical basis among nationals of Member States of the European Union.

In this context, any candidate with a disability or whose state of health is likely to have an effect on his or her ability to take part in the assessment stage of the present selection procedure is invited to contact the Talent Selection Unit in the Directorate for Human Resources (candidatures.DIR.DPV@curia.europa.eu) when submitting his or her application, so that that unit can make, in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations, the necessary arrangements to enable that candidate to participate fully in the assessment stage. To that end, the candidate may be invited to send the medical department of the CJEU a medical certificate or a statement issued by a national authority, which will be examined for the purpose of making the necessary arrangements.

For information on any processing of personal data carried out for the purposes of the present selection procedure, candidates are invited to refer to the Information Notice (3) concerning recruitment to the administrative departments of the CJEU.

Submission of applications

Candidates for this post are invited to send their applications by email exclusively to candidatures.DIR.DPV@curia.europa.eu by 17:00, Luxembourg time, on 3 January 2025 .

In order to be regarded as complete, the application must be accompanied by:

(1)   https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20240101

(2)  By way of guidance, the monthly basic salary of an official at Grade AD 14, step 1, is EUR 17 237, while that of an official at Grade AD 15, step 1, is EUR 19 502.

(3)   https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2020-02/data_protection_recruitment_en.pdf