Role purpose

The Directorate General of Administration (DGA) is a key strategic partner, delivering essential services across the entire Council of Europe and actively supporting its ongoing organisational transformation. Its dedicated teams work collaboratively to enable the Organisation to meet its ambitious goals by providing expertise and innovation in the following areas:

• Human Resources – shaping a modern, inclusive and high-performing workforce through talent acquisition, social and occupational protection, professional development, and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Information Technology – driving digital transformation with reliable IT support, robust IT infrastructure protection, and the advancement of innovation, including artificial intelligence.
• General Services – ensuring an efficient and safe working environment by overseeing the maintenance and transformation of buildings and installations, safety and security, managing publications and the Organisation’s visual identity as well as providing high-quality translation services.
• Interpretation, Travel, Events and Multimedia – facilitating the Council's international engagements and communication through comprehensive interpretation services, event management, travel co-ordination, and multimedia solutions.
• Treasury – safeguarding financial stewardship through efficient and optimised management of treasury, payments, accounting and assets.
• Legal support – providing legal guidance, particularly with respect to the drafting of regulations and ensuring compliance with relevant legal frameworks.
• Internal communications – promoting staff cohesion and engagement, facilitating organisational change through effective communication across all levels of the Organisation.
• Procurement and Finance – supporting the management of resources, including procurement processes and financial oversight, thereby contributing to the efficient and transparent administration of the Directorate General’s operations.

These services form the backbone of the Organisation, empowering the Council of Europe to operate efficiently, adapt to emerging challenges, and lead in the transformation of a public administration at the international level. DGA also ensures the continued development and harmonisation of the Organisation’s governance system, notably in the field of ethics, data protection, internal control, risk management, business continuity and crisis management.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

As the next Director General of Administration, you will play a pivotal role in accelerating the transformation of the Council of Europe into a future-ready public organisation. You will also ensure good governance, manage risks and potential crises, and give leadership to the teams in making sure that services are provided timely and efficiently. You will communicate closely with the permanent representatives of the member states.

You will support the Secretary General in setting ambitious and innovative strategic objectives, ensuring the Organisation is agile, results-focused, sustainable, and committed to excellence in public service delivery. Your vision and drive will empower the Organisation to continuously adapt, innovate, and deliver tangible results with maximum impact, ensuring we are equipped to fulfil our mission: protecting human rights, democracy and the Rule of Law in Europe.

You will:

• Champion and drive organisational transformation, leading the definition and implementation of strategic priorities that align with our core mandate and the Reykjavik Declaration adopted by member states.
• Ensure forward-thinking and innovative management of people, financial resources, technology and digital infrastructure, and real estate.
• Lead comprehensive and evolving support services: linguistic, events, official travel, general administration, and more.
• Establish and embed a culture of continuous improvement by shaping, implementing, and promoting good practices across the Organisation, upholding the highest standards of governance, integrity and results-based management.
• Enhance and drive strategic initiatives, delivering change and long-term value from digital transformation, strategic people management, capital investment, and sustainable development.

Profile

• Hold a higher education degree or qualification equivalent to a master’s degree (2nd cycle of the Bologna process Qualifications Framework for the European Higher Education Area) in business/public administration or a related field; the degree requirement may be waived if the candidate has at least 15 years of the experience described below.
• Have at least 12 years of relevant professional experience at a senior leadership level, including in a national or international public administration.
• Demonstrate a successful track record in leading successful organisational change and innovation, particularly in the context of a large public sector transformation.
• Demonstrate proven senior experience in managing large teams and budgets.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills and ability to interact and negotiate with high-level officials.
• Have a very good knowledge of the two official languages of the Council of Europe (English and French).

You must also:

• Be a citizen of one of the member states of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state.
• Have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable).
• Not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe.
• Be under the age of 65 years.

Your application must demonstrate to what extent you have the competencies listed below. To help you doing so, feel free to consult our competency framework.

Key competencies:

• Managerial – Vision and Strategic Insight, Leadership, Decision Making
• Operational – Creativity and Innovation
• Interpersonal – Communication

Desirable competencies:

• Managerial – Organisational and Contextual Awareness, Management of Teams
• Interpersonal – Initiative

Terms of Appointment

The position is grade A7. For non-French nationals, an additional 10% allowance may apply, and the salary is exempt from national income tax. The role offers the possibility of remote working for up to 50% of working time, operating on a two-week rolling basis. However, due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate must be based in or near Strasbourg and should expect to spend a significant amount of time working on-site at the duty station.

Role Location

Strasbourg, France

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below by 16 July 2026 (23:59 hrs, GMT +1). It is essential that you submit your CV in English or French, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB.

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by Council of Europe to undertake this assignment.