Director of Political Affairs and External Relations

The Directorate of Political Affairs and External Relations (DPAER) is the central hub for all political advice, reporting on political developments in member and neighbouring states, managing political relations with key international partners – particularly the European Union – and overseeing engagement with non-member states, including observers and countries in neighbouring regions.

The Council of Europe protects the foundations of democratic life in Europe. Across 46 member states, we uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law as daily, lived guarantees. As the world order unravels – and populism, democratic backsliding and disinformation spread – our role is to hold the line, set the standard, and strengthen the systems that safeguard freedom. We stand for democratic security built upon a robust framework of functioning democratic institutions and mechanisms.

This is the context in which you will lead a team of 20-30 professionals responsible for delivering proactive and strategic political advice to the Secretary General and other Council of Europe bodies, shaping the Organisation’s political strategies.

The Director of Political Affairs and External Relations is entrusted by the Secretary General to:

Programme and Resource Management

• proactively provide political advice to the Secretary General on issues concerning European and non-European states and international organisations;
• help shape the Council of Europe’s political strategies;
• deliver political analyses and actionable proposals for the Secretary General on policy priorities and current developments;
• build and maintain strong ties with national authorities, representatives of member, observer and non-member states, and international organisations;
• promote co-operation and strategic partnerships;
• draft discussion papers and strategic documents, including concrete proposals for Council of Europe action.

Communication and Representation

• represent the Secretary General at national and international forums – particularly with the EU, OSCE, and in dialogue with national authorities;
• champion the Council of Europe’s values both within the Organisation and externally;
• proactively propose communication narratives in liaison with the Council of Europe Media Department.

Leadership and Team Management

• lead, motivate, and guide staff within the Directorate;
• define their objectives, provide direction, assign responsibilities, and evaluate their performance;
• foster effective team communication, teamwork, and a positive, collaborative work environment with a view to increasing efficiency.

• Managerial - Vision and Strategic Insight
• Managerial - Leadership
• Managerial - Management of teams
• Interpersonal - Negotiating
• Interpersonal - Communication

• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Analysis and problem solving
• Operational - Results orientation

This job vacancy is for an international external recruitment. You can consult the conditions of employment (salaries, allowances, pension scheme, social insurance, etc.) on the webpage What we offer. Candidates appointed to grade A6 by way of international external recruitment shall initially be appointed for a fixed-term period of one year. The appointment may be extended for one or more periods each not exceeding five years.

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page Our recruitment process. This recruitment is carried out in accordance with Article 490 and 4140 of the Council of Europe Staff Rules. The deadline for applications is indicated in the General information section of this vacancy notice (see above) and is fixed at 23:59:59 (CET/CEST). When applying, make sure your motivation shows how your competencies make your profile the best for the role.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunity policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade. At the time of appointment, preference between suitable people shall be given to the person of the gender which is under-represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact us at [email protected], we will ensure that your request is handled.

The information published on the CoE’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication of the vacancy notice. Any changes to these conditions during the recruitment process will be updated on our Portal and will apply at the time of the job offer. Our career's website is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. Should you have remaining questions, please contact us at [email protected].