Post: Temporary agent – Administrator – Spokesperson (grade AD.8) – EN/FR- 1 post
Based in: Brussels, but short missions to the other places of work and to other Member States.
Context
The LEFT Group in the European Parliament brings together MEPs from a range of European left and progressive parties – ecological, socialist, communist, and independent. In virtually all policy areas, it argues against the mainstream neoliberal prescriptions for the EU and focusses on presenting progressive policy alternatives. Staff must be comfortable in this environment and both capable of, and fully at ease with, supporting our MEPs in their policy objectives.
As staff of a political group, which has a different function to that of a public administration, the appointees must hold the trust and confidence of the appointing authority (the Group Chair(s) and Secretary General), they are expected to generally reflect the values of the group, and to be capable of readily producing research and proposals which fit with the outlook of the group’s MEPs.
Although temporary-agent contracts are of indefinite duration, the work of the Group is generally organised in 5-year legislative cycles. This means that, at the beginning of each legislative period, the staff organigram must be reorganised to reflect the changed composition and political priorities of the Group, which may mean that some contracts will not be continued.
This vacancy is expected to attract applications from staff (Temporary & Contract Agents and Officials) already within the Left, in other political groups and the European Parliament administration as well as from external candidates who meet the qualifying conditions.
Equal opportunities
The LEFT group is an equal-opportunities employer and encourages applications from qualified candidates who fulfil the conditions for admission, excluding all discrimination.
Candidate profile
The LEFT Group is looking for a Spokesperson for the Group. The successful candidate will have solid experience in Communications and substantial management skills.
S/He will be adaptable and able to accommodate the varying needs of a political group in terms of: the changing volume and intensity of the workload; the type of contribution required ranging from high-level advice to administrative support; and, a work schedule determined by the parliamentary and political calendar.
S/He will be committed to advancing the Group’s policy programme and political objectives, ready to propose options and strategies with those in mind while always recognising that ultimate decisions in these areas are the responsibility of the group’s political leadership.
Duties
The successful candidate will be the Spokesperson of the Left Group.
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Develop the short, medium and long-term strategic communication planning of the group
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Represent the Group when needed, communicate with the press, and organise press points
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Supervise and coordinate the work of the team (8 staff) to ensure its smooth running and good internal organisation of all activities.
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Advise and liaise with the group’s management and ensure smooth running of the Communications activities and related budget.
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Closely follow European Parliamentary work and plenary sessions.
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Maintain relationships with MEPs and related staff both in Brussels and member states.
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Supervise communication support for events and launch of publications.
General conditions for admission
Before appointment, the successful candidate will be required to prove compliance with the conditions laid down in Article 12(2) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union of the Staff Regulation regarding nationality, military service, appropriate character for the performance of the duties, physical fitness and linguistic knowledge.
This selection procedure is open to any candidate provided that they have:
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(i) a level of education which corresponds to a complete cycle of university studies of at least four years attested by a diploma, or (ii) a complete cycle of university studies of three years sanctioned by a diploma followed by at least 1 year of relevant professional experience; the professional experience requested in (ii) will not count for the calculation of the years of relevant professional experience required in the next indent;
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at least 6 years of relevant professional experience in the tasks described above in the chapter “Duties” following acquisition of the diploma mentioned in the first indent;
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for operational reasons, very good knowledge of English and French is required; knowledge of other EU languages will be considered an asset;
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a thorough knowledge of the institutional structure of the EU, including the role and activities of the EP and its political groups.
The role of Spokesperson is a position of responsibility within the Left structure which requires availability and flexibility, a methodological approach, discretion and adaptation to varying duties.
For these reasons, the successful candidate shall have:
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The 6 years of professional experience required above shall include some in the EP or similar institutions and include management experience with responsibility for staff and output.
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very good knowledge of project management and communication practices, notably of the European Parliament and of its political and communications activities.
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knowledge of parliamentary debates, working of EP bodies and plenary organisation
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knowledge of the LEFT’s legislative work and the policy orientation of its MEPs and constituent member parties.
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sufficient empathy with the political outlook and objectives of the Group to be able to instinctively anticipate policy positions on new topics and build communication strategies.
Position to be filled
Post available from November 2025
Application Procedure
Applications should be sent by email in a single attached .pdf file, not later than 12h00 noon on 13 October 2025, to [email protected]
Applications should have the SRN IRC number in the email subject line and include: a signed application/motivation letter, indicating the Reference Number of the position being applied for; a completed Left Europass CV (downloadable from www.left.eu / the Group) including a current email contact address; and photocopies of the documents necessary to demonstrate fulfilment of the experience and qualifications requirements prescribed for the post or claimed by the applicant.
Such documentation should include the nature of professional duties and the duration of professional experience. Justifying documents could take the form of employment contracts or certificates provided by former employers or hierarchical superiors, letters of employment stating the tasks performed, job descriptions provided by the employer, extracts of staff reviews listing tasks etc.
In the case of self-employment, candidates should submit evidence of professional activity such as tax forms, VAT forms, trade register, social security documents to establish the length of self-employment.
Applications may be made in any of the official EU languages; however, the application dossier must include an English version of the application letter, the CV and an itemised list of numbered attachments. Candidates who fail to fulfil any of these conditions will be eliminated.
Selection procedure
The selection procedure shall be on the basis of qualifications and oral and written tests. The selection board will draw up the list of candidates who meet the eligibility and application conditions.
It will then establish a list – normally maximum 4 per post – of those eligible candidates whose qualifications and experience best match the duties to be carried out and who will be called for tests.
Written tests will be in English. The maximum time allowed will be 75 minutes and 30% max of the marks will be available. Some questions will require essay-style answers, others may be multiple-choice or general knowledge in format. More detail on this part will be provided with the invitation to interview.
Interviews with the selection board will be in English, with optional questions in other languages to test linguistic competence, lasting from 15-20 minutes; 70% of the marks will be available for this test which will also take account of the answers to the general knowledge part of the written test as well as the information in the applicant’s application file.
Following these tests, the selection board will establish a list of suitable candidates to be placed on a reserve list. Future appointments would be made by the AECE of the group according to the needs of the Group. The reserve list shall remain valid until 30 June 2029.
Communication with the candidates about arrangements at each stage of the selection procedure will be via the Group’s website and by email. Applications will always be confirmed by return. Enquiries, for information not on the website, should be by email only.
