Career Development and Ethics Unit

If you would like to gain experience in the field of human resources within a large multicultural organisation such as the European Parliament, apply for one of the traineeships in DG PERS!

The Directorate-General for Personnel (DG PERS) is broadly responsible for managing the human resources of the European Parliament's Secretariat, so that it can provide the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) with the assistance they need to fulfil their mandate.

More specifically, the DG PERS manages the different groups of staff throughout their career, in areas such as:

• Selection, recruitment, entry, training, career development;
• Management of rights and obligations, salary, allowances, pension rights;
• Protection and well-being at work;
• Strategies to improve and promote equality, diversity and inclusion;
• Management of trainees;
• Internal communication in the institution.

We are the Career Development and Ethics Unit and we are in charge of three key HR areas:

• Administrative management of various procedures related to the career progression of staff (e.g. job transfers, change of administrative position, unpaid leave, secondments, termination of activities, etc.);
• Staff assessment and promotion - managing the annual staff assessment procedure, merit points, and promotions, including language proficiency verification;
• Ethics compliance - management of the ethical statutory obligations of the staff, such as requests for authorisation for outside activities, notifications of publications, declarations of standing for elections or holding a mandate, as well as prevention of conflict of interest.

In 2026, the regulatory framework governing the Ethics and Staff Assessment Services will undergo significant changes. These changes will require substantial follow-up work, such as the development of new guidelines and procedures, the organisation of information sessions and training activities, the preparation of communication materials, the provision of enhanced support and advice to staff and managers during the transition.

In this context, we are looking for a trainee to support both the Staff Assessment and Ethics services, who will participate in the implementation of these changes by:

• Assisting in the review, update, and preparation of guidance documents; 
• Updating and modernising intranet pages and FAQs;
• Preparing presentations and communication materials;
• Organising information sessions and training activities;
• Coordinating follow-up activities related to the reforms;
• Supporting the Staff Assessment Service’s communication efforts by modernising and developing new communication channels for stakeholders (HR units in the Directorates-General and Political groups, the EP managers acting as assessors, etc.). If successful, this approach could be extended to the Ethics Service in a second phase;
• Improving knowledge management practices in the Staff Assessment service, with potential extension to the Ethics Service in a second phase.

We are looking for a trainee who:

• Demonstrates strong analytical and synthesis skills, with a rigorous and organised approach to tasks;
• Has a background in knowledge management and communication, with proven interest in modernising information channels and improving knowledge-sharing practices;
• Possesses excellent communication skills (written and verbal) in English and French (other EU languages are an asset);
• Has obtained/will obtain a university degree (level 6 of EQF or higher) at least three months before the starting date of the traineeship;
• Is proactive, responsible, and with a high sense of confidentiality and discretion; 
• Is proficiency in IT tools, particularly MS Office;
• Works autonomously while collaborating effectively in a team;
• Shows interest in the European Parliament’s ethical framework and staff assessment and promotion policies.

The European Parliament is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace. We welcome all candidates, regardless of their geographical, racial or ethnic origin, political or religious beliefs, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, civil status, or family situation.