– **Announcement Number:** Brussels-2026-022
– **Hiring Agency:** Embassy Brussels
– **Position Title:** Economic Specialist (open to all)
– **Open Period:** 03/23/2026 – 04/22/2026
– **Vacancy Time Zone:** GMT+1
– **Series/Grade:** LE – 1505 10
– **Salary:** EUR €6,440 /Per Month
– **Work Schedule:** Full-time – 38 hours per week
– **Promotion Potential:** LE-NA
– **Duty Location(s):** Brussels, BE
– **Telework Eligible:** No
– **For More Info:** HR Section 000-000-0000 [email protected]
## Overview
– **Hiring Path:** Open to the public
– **Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency:** This position is open to: All Interested Applicants / All Sources For USEFM – FP grade is FP-05. Actual FP salary authorized by Washington D.C.
– **Security Clearance Required:** Public Trust – Background Investigation
– **Appointment Type:** Permanent
– **Appointment Type Details:** Indefinite subject to successful completion of initial one-year contract.
– **Marketing Statement:** EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO): The U.S. Mission provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation.
– **Summary:** The U.S. Mission in Belgium is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Economic Specialist in the Political-Economic (POLEC) Office.
– **Supervisory Position:** No
– **Relocation Expenses Reimbursed:** No
## Duties
The incumbent develops and maintains an extensive range of economic and government contacts. Provides timely, succinct, analytical and predictive written and oral briefings on Belgian economic developments. Conducts research and contributes to the section’s reporting, including daily reporting to Washington.
### Contact and Issue Management:
The incumbent serves as advisor to senior Embassy officials, including the Chief of Mission, on the full range of matters pertaining to the political economy of Belgium. The Economic Specialist gauges the probable reaction of the Belgian government and industry leaders to U.S. views and proposals. He/she briefs visiting U.S. officials and academics on economic policies and developments in Belgium, including the political-economic environment and attitudes and views of Belgian officials and industry leaders.
Working independently, the incumbent will develop and maintain an extensive range of contacts including key, high-level (e.g. chief of staff, director general, etc.) policy makers in government agencies, banks, political parties, the economic and financial press, industry and associations, academia and other private organizations concerned with the Belgian economy and Belgian domestic and international economic policies. In making contacts and meeting official and private sector counterparts, the economic specialist is expected to be familiar with basic United States Government (USG) positions on a wide range of foreign and economic policy issues. Furthermore, the incumbent should be able to state or explain the positions if asked, and to facilitate meetings between stakeholders and Embassy officials to discuss the policies in more detail.
The incumbent often accompanies Embassy officials and visiting U.S. delegations to meetings with Belgian government and industry leaders, acting as a substantive advisor as well as an interpreter in Dutch or French language as needed. The incumbent often organizes meetings and events for Embassy officials and visiting U.S. delegations. He/she plays a key role in identifying good candidates for the International Visitor program sponsored by the Public Affairs section.
### Economic Reporting:
Serves as the senior expert advisor on the full range of economic matters handled by the Embassy in a host country that is one of the United States’ largest trading partners, a major recipient of U.S. foreign direct investment, and a member of the European Union, NATO, WTO, G-7, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, OECD, United Nations, and Paris Club. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the structure and functioning of the Belgian economy and Belgium’s role as a member of the European Union. Based on contact work, attendance of meetings and seminars, and media monitoring, the incumbent provides POLEC with timely, well-written, analytical and predictive reports in English on Belgian and international economic subjects. This includes written contributions each morning to POLEC’s daily report to Washington. Topics include: macroeconomic trends, fiscal and monetary policy, telecommunications, civil aviation, nuclear energy, ports and maritime issues, critical minerals, and how Belgian legislation, policies, and plans in these areas affect U.S. economic interests. He/she compiles annual reports for Congress on trade, investment, export controls, money laundering, intellectual property rights, and trade compliance disputes. Reporting and evaluating reports prepared by various Belgian government ministries, ECB, EU, OECD, IMF and WTO, other IFIs, political party think tanks, academia and the private sector also forms an important element of the reporting duties.
The incumbent reviews on a daily basis Belgian media and independently choses items to brief U.S. officers on significant economic and business developments. When briefing senior Embassy officials and USG visitors, the incumbent identifies and places in context these developments and notes possible implications for the United States. He/she prepares factual and analytical reports, contributes to biographical reporting on key economic leaders, and maintains a library of reference materials on Belgian economic and business developments, including choosing new publications as available.
## Qualifications and Evaluations
**Requirements:**
– All selected candidates must be able to obtain and hold a Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) certification.
– All selected candidates will be subject to a background investigation and may be subject to a pre-employment medical exam.
– Selected candidate must be able to begin working within a reasonable period of time (15 weeks) upon receipt of agency authorization and/or clearances/certifications or their candidacy may end.
**Education Requirements:** University degree in economics, political science, business, international relations, journalism, or related, with special emphasis on Belgian internal affairs, international relations, history. Please address this factor in your ERA application under Education.
**Evaluations:**
– You will be evaluated against the qualifications and requirements in this vacancy announcement.
– You may be asked to complete a pre-employment language or skills test.
– You must complete the application form and provide the required documents. Your application must address all the position qualifications and requirements including education, experience, language, and any knowledge/skills/abilities listed. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.
**Qualifications:**
– **Experience:** Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in research and analytical reporting on complex economic issues; report writing which affords a firm grounding in writing on Belgian domestic economic questions. Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.
– **Language:** Fluency in English. Fluency in Dutch or French. (This may be tested.) Please address this language requirement in your ERA application.
– **Job Knowledge:** A strong knowledge of modern economic principles and theory, both at the macro and micro level. Thorough understanding of Belgium’s economy, economic structure and institutions, both political and economic, as well as Belgium’s role and membership in the European Union. An in-depth knowledge of the inner workings and relationship of the Belgian political and social fabric and of Belgium’s foreign and domestic economic policies, including in relation to the EU. Knowledge of U.S. economic policies in relation to Belgium and the EU. Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.
– **Skills And Abilities:** Ability to plan, organize and execute complex research projects and to prepare precise and accurate analytical reports. Ability to render advice with detachment and objectivity. Ability to plan, organize and execute complex research projects; draft and organize written reports logically, and to do so in clear English. (This may be tested.) Please address this factor in your ERA application under Major Duties and Responsibilities.
## Benefits and Other Info
**Benefits:**
**Agency Benefits:** The U.S. Mission offers a competitive compensation and benefits package for local employees that may include: life insurance, hospitalization insurance (family included), meal tickets, transportation reimbursements, seniority leave, special holidays, training, Employee Assistance Program, etc. For Eligible Family Member (EFM) applicants, benefits should be discussed with the HR Office. The pay plan is assigned by the HR Office and confirmed by Washington, D.C.
**Other Information:**
**HIRING PREFERENCE SELECTION PROCESS:** A hiring preference is extended to eligible and qualified applicants in the order listed below. It is essential you accurately describe your status in your application, failure to do so may result in a determination that you are not eligible for a hiring preference.
**HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER**
– Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM) / U.S. citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) who is a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran*
– AEFM / USEFM
– Foreign Service (FS) on Leave without Pay (LWOP) and Civil Service (CS) with reemployment rights **
– IMPORTANT: US citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM) applicants who claim status as a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran must submit a copy of their most recent DD-214 (“Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”) preferably Member Copy 4, Letter from Veterans’ Affairs which indicates the present existence of a service-connected disability, equivalent documentation, or certification. A “certification” is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions within 120 days after the certification is submitted by the applicant. The certification letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. Acceptable documentation must be submitted in order for the preference to be given.
** ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS The following apply to EFMs, USEFMs, and AEFMs only:
– Current employees who used a hiring preference to gain employment who are within their first 90 calendar days of employment are not eligible. This does not apply when the hiring mechanism is TEMP or the work schedule is intermittent or irregular.
– Candidates with a hiring preference who have already accepted a conditional offer of employment may NOT be extended a second conditional offer of employment unless and until they withdraw their candidacy for the first position in writing.
The following apply to Locally Employed (LE) staff only:
– Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible.
– Current employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement, Unsatisfactory, or an MBC score of less than 100 points on their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible.
## How to Apply
**How to Apply:** Click the “Apply to This Vacancy” button at the top of the page to begin your application. For an instructional video on how to apply click [here](https://vimeo.com/712399857). Please address all relevant experience, education, language skills (including English), and job related skills or requirements in your application. You may edit your application any time before the vacancy closing date. If you fail to submit a complete application by the vacancy closing date of this vacancy, then your application may be disqualified for this position. For a copy of the complete position description, please contact the HR Office. To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the HR Office.
**Required Documents:** Please upload all applicable documents to your application. If you fail to submit a complete application, then your application may be disqualified for this position.
