GENERAL INFORMATION

Department	ORG.1.E Healthcare and Social Services
Place of work	Brussels, Justus Lipsius Building
Title of post	Head of Unit
Function group and grade	AD 9
Security clearance required	none
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS	1 July 2026 – 12:00 (noon) Brussels time

We are

The General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) assists the European Council and the Council of the EU and their preparatory bodies in all fields of their activities. Under the authority of the Secretary-General, it provides advice and support to the European Council and the Council and to their Presidencies in all areas of activity, including policy and legal advice, coordination with other institutions, drawing up of compromises and drafting, supervising as well as attending to all the practicalities that are necessary for the smooth preparation and running of the European Council and the Council.

The Directorate-General for Organisational Development and Services (DG ORG) is responsible for the overall strategic management of organisational development and services in the GSC. The Directorate-General currently consists of five Directorates (Human Resources, Protocol and Events, Buildings and Logistics, Finance, and Safety and Security). The Human Resources Directorate (ORG.1) is a team of over 200 colleagues dealing with HR policies. The Directorate is composed of six Units, each responsible for a specific area: staffing and mobility (ORG.1.A), staff development (ORG.1.B), working conditions and staff support (ORG.1.C), missions, finance and HR IT (ORG.1.D), healthcare and social services (ORG. 1.E) and legal advice to the administration (ORG.1.F). It also comprises the Diversity and Inclusion Office.

The mission of the Healthcare and Social Services Unit (HSS) is to support staff health and wellbeing within a positive working environment, and to provide medical standby services during summits and high-level events. The unit consists of four services responsible for providing medical support and psychosocial assistance; ensuring management of medical absences and support for return to work; and providing social services including ensuring childcare services for GSC staff and preparation for retirement. These services work in cooperation with each other, alongside other Human Resources services, as well as managers and staff throughout the GSC.

We propose

We offer a motivating Head of Unit post with high responsibility in an interesting and fast-moving environment. You will lead a highly motivated and diverse 40+ strong staff including medical and health care providers professionals.

Under the authority of the Human Resources Director, you will manage the HSS unit’s resources in a professional manner, organise its activities and support and motivate staff in their work. You will ensure the quality of the services and products delivered by the Unit, as well as effective communication and cooperation within the Unit and the Directorate, across the Directorate-General and with other GSC services. As a member of the ORG.1 management team, you will take part in strategic discussions and support the shaping of the directorate’s priorities.

You will also be responsible for initiating and supervising policy updates and their implementation that fall under the remit of your responsibility. You will be asked to provide expert advice for various areas with an impact on the whole organisation, for example on duty of care and prevention of psycho-social risks. You will provide support and coordination in situation concerning individual staff or teams to ensure coherence of the medical and the administrative realm in full respect of the medical secrecy.

You will be able to plan and organise work in a flexible manner, subject to working hours and to the schedule of meetings in the Directorate’s field of activity. You and your staff will be able to benefit from the GSC’s working arrangements, including teleworking.

We look for

We look for a versatile leader with excellent managing skills who can steer several diverse sectors (finance and operations, psychosocial support, management of medical absences and medical service, social services etc.) and motivate staff in these teams, while proactively ensuring the improvement of the services offered, making efficiency gains, including through digitalization, and contributing to organizational development.

You will be able to maintain an open, trust-based environment within the unit. You will be able to drive change by proactively identifying and implementing improvements to processes, and ways of working, within the area of your responsibility. You will also be a real team player, working in excellent collaboration with your peer managers in ORG.1. You will be an organisational thinker, critical in your analysis and assessment of new solutions, digitally minded, and skilled in using data effectively.

You will have excellent communication skills, at interpersonal level and to broader audiences. You will be stakeholder- and client-driven and you will be able to build positive relationships with inter-institutional stakeholders.

You will have experience in handling complex projects or coordinating tasks and in providing advice and input to management and key stakeholders. You will have financial and budgetary knowledge, experience with project management and change management skills. You will also be able to manage sensitive staff cases with utmost discretion and, where necessary, work closely with the relevant GSC services to ensure effective and coordinated solutions.

You will be able to demonstrate understanding of the field of activity of the unit. Holding a degree in medicine, psychology or equivalent is a requirement for this post. Furthermore, you should be familiar with the Belgian health system, the Staff Regulations and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union. You should also have a good understanding of the role and functioning of the European Union institutions in general and of the Council of the EU and the European Council in particular.

The GSC competency framework for managers provides guidance on the skills all managers are expected to develop and have (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/nrehuprg/competency-framework-for-managers-booklet-a5_en-for-web.pdf).

In particular, the jobholder will need to demonstrate the following competencies:

STRATEGIC THINKING

—	understand how different parts of the GSC function, the constraints they face, and how they impact one another;

ADVISING

—	listen and respond actively to stakeholder views and needs, and guide them towards constructive outcomes;

LEADING

—	facilitate collaborative work on cross-cutting projects and issues, including with staff from other units, and ensure coherence in different strands of work that cut across the entire organisation;

—	manage change and support staff through change;

EMPOWERING

—	give guidance, motivate and empower staff in a multicultural and diverse environment with a strong emphasis on staff development;

—	promote diversity and inclusion;

—	engage in open dialogue with staff to create a positive and inclusive working atmosphere;

—	actively foster innovation and listen to staff members’ ideas on new approaches, novel working methods and applying the latest technologies;

MANAGING RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY AND FLEXIBLY

—	plan proactively, including on staffing, finance, budget and logistics;

—	prioritise, coordinate and organise work across a considerable number of parallel activities;

REPRESENTING AND BEING ACCOUNTABLE

—	take responsibility for their own and their team’s performance, as well as for decisions taken, acting as a role model and managing their own development;

—	represent the unit internally and the GSC in interinstitutional discussions.

Given that the GSC has a policy of mobility for its managers, who are expected to have broad experience, candidates should be willing and able to work in different areas of activity during their careers at the GSC.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

Applicants must meet the following requirements on the closing date for applications:

(a)   General conditions

—	be nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union;

—	enjoy their full rights as citizens;

—	have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the laws concerning military service.

(b)   Specific conditions

—	hold a university degree in medicine, psychology or equivalent (1);

—	have at least 12 years of relevant professional experience. Proven experience in coordinating roles is also required;

—	given that English and French are used extensively for communication within the GSC and with other institutions, an excellent knowledge of one of the two languages and a good knowledge of the other is required. Knowledge of other official languages of the EU would be an asset.

NB:	The successful candidate must be prepared to follow the GSC management training programme.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

—

In choosing the successful candidates, the Appointing Authority shall be assisted by an advisory selection board. The advisory selection board will be supported by an assessment centre, run by external recruitment consultants. Reports established by the assessment centre for the same type of post will cease to be valid two years after the date on which the relevant exercises took place or upon termination of the framework contract between the GSC and the assessment centre in question – whichever date is the earliest.

—

The advisory selection board will initially evaluate and compare the qualifications, experience and motivation of all the applicants, on the basis of their applications. Based on that comparative assessment, the advisory selection board will shortlist those candidates who, in its opinion, are most suitable to be invited to a first interview. As this first selection is based on a comparative assessment of the applications, the fulfilment of the requirements of this vacancy notice does not guarantee an invitation to the first interview. From among the interviewed candidates, the advisory selection board will pre-select candidates to attend the assessment centre, as well as a second interview with the advisory selection board.

The provisional planning for the selection procedure is as follows:

—	it is expected that candidates selected for the interviews will be informed during the second week of July 2026;

—	the first interviews are foreseen to take place in mid-July 2026;

—	the assessment centre is expected to take place in the end of July 2026;

—	the second round of interviews is foreseen for the first half of September 2026.

NB:	The above schedule is purely indicative and may be modified.

LEGAL BASIS

This post is published in all institutions of the European Union and outside the institutions, in conformity with Article 29, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (2).

HOW TO APPLY

The closing date for applications is 1 July 2026 at 12:00 (noon) Brussels time.

Applications will be only accepted by email and must be sent to

applications.management@consilium.europa.eu  (3)

no later than the closing date and time. Late applications will not be considered.

The email address indicated above must be used for any correspondence concerning the selection procedure (the email must have the following reference in the subject line: CONS/AD/206/26 ORG.1.E Healthcare and Social Services).

Before submitting their application, candidates should carefully check whether they meet the requirements listed above under ‘Recruitment policy’, in order to avoid automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.

To be valid, the application file must include the following documents in pdf (NB: locked, password protected or electronically signed documents will not be accepted):

(a)

the application form duly completed and dated (file to be named ‘XXX (YOUR FAMILY NAME) – Application form.pdf’); to download the electronic application form (EN or FR) click on the appropriate link below or copy/paste it into your browser (4):   https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/68640/gsc-application_form_senior_management_en.docx   https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/68641/gsc-application_form_senior_management_fr.docx;

(b)

a detailed curriculum vitae in English or French (no photographs included), preferably in the Europass format (https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv; https://europa.eu/europass/fr/create-your-europass-cv), covering the applicant’s entire career, listing, inter alia, the applicant’s qualifications, language knowledge, experience and current duties (file to be named ‘XXX (YOUR FAMILY NAME) – CV.pdf’);

(c)	a motivation letter, in English or French (file to be named ‘XXX (YOUR FAMILY NAME) – Motivation letter.pdf’).

Failure to include these documents will render the application invalid.

NB:	Copies of diplomas certifying education and copies of documents and certificates relating to professional experience will be requested from the preselected candidates invited for the first round of interviews. Supporting documents must have been issued by a third party.

The supporting documents should be numbered (Annex 1, 2, etc.) and must be grouped together in a single pdf document (file to be named ‘XXX (YOUR FAMILY NAME) – Supporting documents.pdf’). This should include an index.

Failure to submit all supporting documents at the latest the day before the first interview, may be considered as grounds for disqualification.

Applications that arrive by post or via cloud-based data storage solutions or file-share platforms will not be considered.

The successful candidate will be asked to provide the originals of the above documents.

Candidates will receive an email acknowledging receipt of their application. However, technical difficulties affecting the sending of emails can occur. Therefore, if no email acknowledging receipt of the application is received, candidates are asked to contact applications.management@consilium.europa.eu. Since the advisory selection board will begin its work shortly after the closing date for applications, any correspondence about the receipt of the application should be made in the week following that date.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The GSC is committed to diversity and inclusion. For more information, please see the relevant statement:

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/general-secretariat/jobs/diversity-and-inclusion/.

REEXAMINATION OF APPLICATIONS

For information about the procedures relating to requests for complaints, appeals and referrals to the European Ombudsman, you may consult:

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/56631/complaint-en.pdf.

DATA PROTECTION

The rules governing the processing of personal data in connection with this selection procedure are spelled out in the privacy statement:

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/s0rleii2/jobs-data-protection-083r02-en.pdf.

---

(1)  Article 5(3)(c) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (the Staff Regulations) require applicants to have at least:

(i)	a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or

(ii)	a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years.

(2)  Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and the Conditions of Employment of other servants of the European Union, laid down by Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68, (OJ L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 1), consolidated text available at

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20260101.

(3)  This email address is linked to a functional mailbox and can only process messages with sensitivity option set to ‘Normal’; emails sent with other sensitivity options (e.g. ‘Personal’, ‘Private’, ‘Confidential’ or encrypted mails) cannot be processed. Please therefore select the ‘Normal’ sensitivity option. Your email must not be greater than 25 MB. If your email, together with its attachments, exceeds this maximum size, please split your attachments over a number of emails.

(4)  If you need more information and/or encounter technical problems, please send an email to: applications.management@consilium.europa.eu.