The Secretariat of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA 2006) was established in Brussels, Belgium, on 8 September 2008.

The Secretariat supports the Joint Committee and all the CEFTA Bodies established by the Joint Committee, in accordance with the mandate of the Secretariat. The CEFTA Parties and the European Commission currently finance the Secretariat and its activities.

The CEFTA Joint Committee in recent years has agreed on an ambitious agenda to further contribute to economic growth. This includes additional liberalisation and trade facilitation, as well as advancing investment related issues outlined in the Agreement.

CEFTA plays an important role in delivering regional economic integration agenda set out in the Common Regional Market (CRM) Action Plan 2025-2028 and translated each year into annual Chairmanship Priorities and work programmes of the CEFTA Bodies. CEFTA activities have three important pillars: trade in goods (free movement of goods), trade in services (free movement of services), and horizontal trade measures which are relevant for both goods and services. These include, but are not limited to: trade dispute settlement, competition, state aid, public procurement, statistics, trade-related aspects of environmental policies and intellectual property rights and transparency.

Furthermore, the CEFTA Secretariat plays an important role in securing and managing additional financing for the functioning of the Secretariat and for CEFTA related activities. To date, the Secretariat has secured substantial funding under the EC’s IPA programme. Much of these funds are used to provide technical assistance and targeted expertise to assist the CEFTA Parties in implementing the Agreement and the various decisions of the Joint Committee. Thus, the Secretariat has an important role to play in the project management of technical assistance activities.

As the number of CEFTA structures has expanded, so too has the scope of the work programme. The Secretariat has adapted accordingly to support this broader mandate. In line with the Joint Committee Decision No. 10/2024 Amending Decision 1/2018 on the Functioning of the Secretariat, the core team of the CEFTA Secretariat is comprised of a Director, Trade Experts and administrative staff. Since July 2015, the Secretariat has also benefited from a rotating system of secondments from the CEFTA Parties, which continues to this day.

Under the mandate of the CEFTA Secretariat and under the overall leadership and supervision of the Senior Trade Expert, the Trade Expert leads or supports assigned files and deliverables within the Trade in Services portfolio.

The position contributes to the implementation and further development of CEFTA 2006, Additional Protocol 6, relevant Joint Committee acts, CEFTA-led actions under the Common Regional Market Action Plan and the Annual Work Programme of the Subcommittee on Trade in Services.

The initial allocation may include files falling under CEFTA-led CRM actions 2.3 “Financial and related services”, 2.4 “Audiovisual services” and 2.6 “Electronic commerce and related information society services”, as well as other services-related matters arising from Additional Protocol 6 or the Annual Work Programme.

The allocation of files will take account of the Trade Expert’s professional specialisation, the distribution of workload within the team and evolving CEFTA priorities.

Depending on the annual allocation of responsibilities, the Trade Expert may lead or support files concerning:

• Financial and related services, including insurance and Motor Third Party Liability insurance, payment services, digital payments, and regulatory and supervisory cooperation;
• Audiovisual services, including relevant Additional Protocol 6 commitments, regulatory cooperation and the EU framework for audiovisual media services;
• Electronic commerce and related information society services, including electronic-commerce facilitation, online-platform regulation, unjustified geo-blocking, parcel delivery, electronic trust services and relevant telecommunications regulatory matters;
• Other Trade in Services matters falling within Additional Protocol 6 or the Annual Work Programme of the Subcommittee on Trade in Services, as assigned by the Senior Trade Expert.

The main tasks and responsibilities include the following:

Set Goals

• Formulate and provide input on policy objectives, implementation plans and technical roadmaps for assigned Trade in Services priorities within the Common Regional Market Action Plan and the EU integration process;
• Support the preparation of the Annual Chairmanship Priorities and the Annual Work Programme of the Subcommittee on Trade in Services and manage the implementation of components falling within the assigned portfolio;
• Translate agreed priorities into concrete deliverables, milestones, responsibilities and follow-up actions;
• Propose and develop initiatives supporting the implementation and further development of Additional Protocol 6 and relevant sectoral and horizontal measures affecting trade in services;
• Maintain an up-to-date implementation plan for the assigned portfolio, covering deadlines, responsible institutions, dependencies, risks and required follow-up, and promptly flag matters requiring the attention of the Senior Trade Expert or management. 

Reporting

• Maintain complete and verifiable information on the implementation of assigned CRM deliverables, Annual Work Programme priorities and relevant CEFTA acts, including milestones, supporting documentation, risks and outstanding follow-up;
• Prepare timely and evidence-based inputs for the annual reports of relevant CEFTA bodies, CRM monitoring, reports to the European Commission, technical-assistance project reports and internal management briefings;
• Coordinate reporting inputs with the Senior Trade Expert and other responsible experts and ensure consistency between narrative reports, monitoring tools, meeting conclusions and supporting documentation. 

PR and External Communication

• Provide input for press releases, website and social-media content, awareness-raising campaigns and other communication materials promoting the work and achievements of the CEFTA Secretariat;
• Represent the CEFTA Secretariat, when authorised and within the assigned portfolio, at relevant technical meetings, seminars, workshops and other events;
• Support the Senior Trade Expert and management in preparing for relevant political-level meetings. 

Manage the Assigned Portfolio of Priorities and Official CEFTA Bodies

Elaboration of Policy Documents and Decisions

• Conduct analyses, regulatory mappings, needs assessments and state-of-play reviews in the Trade in Services areas assigned to the position, with a view to preparing evidence-based policy and implementation recommendations;
• Prepare draft Joint Committee acts, recommendations, background materials, technical non-papers, discussion documents, implementation plans and other policy or technical documents within the assigned portfolio, ensuring consistency with CEFTA rules, relevant EU acquis and guidance provided by the Senior Trade Expert;
• Lead or support technical consultations with the CEFTA Parties and relevant stakeholders on assigned files, facilitate consensus-building and prepare technical proposals consistent with the broader Trade in Services objectives and relevant EU and international rules and practices;
• Coordinate the technical preparation, consultation and follow-up of policy instruments within the assigned portfolio, from initial analysis through consideration by the competent CEFTA bodies and, where applicable, submission to the Joint Committee, in consultation with the Senior Trade Expert and management;
• Translate adopted acts, agreed recommendations and meeting conclusions within the assigned portfolio into measurable implementation activities, milestones and follow-up actions for inclusion in the Annual Work Programme and relevant monitoring tools;
• Act as a technical liaison, within the assigned portfolio and in coordination with the Senior Trade Expert, with relevant European institutions and international and regional partner organisations, including RCC, GIZ, ITC and the World Bank. 

Organise Meetings in Support of the Annual Work Programme

• Support the organisation of meetings of the Subcommittee on Trade in Services and other official CEFTA bodies in relation to the assigned portfolio, including the preparation of proposed agenda items, draft and annotated agendas, background documents and speaking points for the Chair;
• Prepare draft minutes, operational conclusions and follow-up tables and coordinate the implementation of conclusions falling within the assigned portfolio;
• Maintain the relevant meeting and deliverables calendar;
• Organise and, where authorised, chair or facilitate technical and expert-level meetings, workshops and consultations concerning assigned files, in coordination with the Senior Trade Expert;
• Define meeting objectives and formats, prepare supporting documentation, coordinate the participation of experts and stakeholders and monitor agreed follow-up. 

Provide Support to the Parties

• Prepare responses to technical queries received from the CEFTA Parties concerning the assigned portfolio, in coordination with the Senior Trade Expert where a response may establish or interpret a CEFTA policy position;
• Draft technical documents and background materials and review or adapt documents prepared by external experts;
• Prepare proposals for new technical-assistance activities based on identified implementation needs;
• Organise workshops, seminars and other activities supporting implementation of the Annual Work Programme;
• Consult the CEFTA Parties and partner organisations concerning technical-assistance activities relevant to the assigned portfolio;
• Engage with relevant public- and private-sector stakeholders, international organisations, academia and civil society to support implementation and raise awareness of CEFTA priorities. 

Coordinate Contractors and Other External Experts

• Identify needs for external expertise within the assigned portfolio and prepare the necessary request for consideration by the Senior Trade Expert and management;
• Draft Terms of Reference, contract notices, evaluation criteria and other technical procurement documentation;
• Participate in the evaluation of offers, as required;
• Brief contractors and external experts on expected results, technical requirements, methodology and applicable CEFTA standards;
• Provide regular technical guidance and coordinate the delivery of contracted outputs;
• Review deliverables and technical reports and recommend their acceptance, revision or rejection to the Senior Trade Expert or another authorised person;
• Confirm whether contracted outputs and milestones have been completed satisfactorily and provide the necessary technical confirmation for invoice processing;
• Ensure that approved deliverables and related documentation are properly stored in the Document Management System;
• Coordinate with external experts engaged through partner organisations and technical-assistance projects. 

Other Tasks

• Perform other related duties as assigned by management.

Reporting Line: The position is part of the Trade in Services team and reports to the Senior Trade Expert

Leadership and Supervision: The Trade Expert works under the overall leadership and supervision of the Senior Trade Expert.

Allocation of responsibilities: The annual allocation of files, expected outputs and key milestones is agreed with the Senior Trade Expert, taking account of the Annual Work Programme, workload requirements and the expertise available within the team.

Reporting and escalation: The Trade Expert provides regular progress updates and promptly escalates policy, legal, institutional or delivery-related risks.

Collaboration: The Trade Expert may coordinate technical contributions from National Experts and other colleagues for activities within the assigned portfolio, subject to the allocation of work agreed by the Senior Trade Expert and management. The position does not exercise line-management authority over National Experts unless such authority is expressly delegated.

Internal Relations

• Maintain regular coordination with the Senior Trade Expert on priorities, progress, emerging issues and the allocation of work, and provide timely inputs for consolidated portfolio monitoring and reporting;
• Collaborate with the Finance Officer by forwarding technically verified invoices from external contractors and travel claim forms for further processing;
• Submit procurement and travel requests to the Procurement Officer and collaborate throughout the relevant procedures;
• Collaborate with the Coordination and Communication Expert by providing input for communication activities and agenda items for official CEFTA meetings. 

External Relations

• Maintain technical relations, within the assigned portfolio and in coordination with the Senior Trade Expert, with relevant European institutions, international and regional organisations, specialised regulatory networks, public authorities, business organisations and other stakeholders (e.g., UNCTAD, ITC, WTO, WCO, OECD, World Bank, RCC, WB CIF).

Operational authority:

Within the approved Annual Work Programme and the guidance provided by the Senior Trade Expert, the Trade Expert may: 

• Plan and manage the day-to-day implementation of assigned files and deliverables;
• Determine the technical approach and working methods for approved activities within the assigned portfolio;
• Lead technical drafting, analysis and consultations on assigned files;
• Organise technical meetings and coordinate external expertise within approved objectives, timelines and budgets;
• Review technical deliverables and recommend their acceptance, revision or rejection;
• Prepare technical recommendations for consideration by the Senior Trade Expert, management and the competent CEFTA bodies. 

Prior consultation required:

Prior consultation with the Senior Trade Expert is required for:

• Annual priorities, work programmes and the allocation or material reallocation of files;
• Draft Joint Committee acts, formal conclusions, policy positions, non-papers and other outputs with policy, institutional or legal implications;
• Terms of Reference, contract notices and material changes to external assignments;
• Matters affecting other Trade in Services files, other Secretariat units or cross-cutting CRM actions;
• Formal external representation involving new or sensitive CEFTA policy positions;
• Politically, legally, institutionally, financially or reputationally sensitive matters.

Required:

• A Bachelor’s degree in law, economics, political science, public policy, European studies, international relations or another field relevant to international trade, trade in services or sectoral services regulation.

Preferred:

• An advanced university degree in international or EU law, international trade, economics, public policy, financial-services regulation, insurance, audiovisual or media regulation, digital regulation, electronic communications, transport policy or another field relevant to the duties of the position will be considered an advantage.

Required:

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in international trade policy, trade in services, EU internal-market regulation, sectoral services regulation or another closely related field;
• Demonstrated experience in policy or regulatory analysis, preparation of legal, policy or technical documents, stakeholder consultation, implementation and monitoring of work programmes, or management of technical-assistance activities;
• Demonstrated ability to analyse EU or international regulatory frameworks and translate them into practical policy, cooperation or implementation measures.

Preferred:

Specialised professional experience or demonstrated sectoral expertise in one or more of the following areas will be considered an asset:

• Financial and related services, including insurance and Motor Third Party Liability insurance, payment services, digital payments, and regulatory or supervisory cooperation;
• Audiovisual services and the regulation of audiovisual media services;
• Electronic commerce and related information society services, including online-platform regulation, electronic trust services, parcel delivery, unjustified geo-blocking or telecommunications regulation;
• Transport services and related regulatory cooperation.
• Prior experience with CEFTA, another Regional Trade Agreement or a regulatory-integration framework involving alignment with EU rules will be considered an advantage. 
• Experience in managing complex deliverables, consultancy contracts, multi-stakeholder technical processes or donor-funded technical-assistance projects will also be considered an advantage.

Required

• Advanced knowledge of international trade in services, including the GATS framework, modes of supply, market access, domestic regulation and regulatory cooperation;
• Sound understanding of CEFTA, Additional Protocol 6 or comparable regional trade-in-services frameworks;
• Sound knowledge of EU internal-market rules and policies affecting trade in services and the ability to assess their relevance for regional regulatory cooperation;
• Ability to conduct regulatory and policy analysis and prepare high-quality legal, policy and technical documents;
• Ability to manage consultations, monitor implementation, coordinate deliverables and work effectively with public authorities and international partners;
• Familiarity with the functioning of governmental institutions and international organisations;
• Fluency in written and spoken English at C1 level.

Assets

• Specialised knowledge in one or more of the following areas: financial and related services, including insurance and MTPL; audiovisual services; electronic commerce and related information society services; or transport services;
• Prior practical experience with CEFTA and the implementation of Additional Protocol 6;
• Knowledge of one or more CEFTA languages.

• Results orientation: Consistently aligns actions with the Secretariat’s mission, delivers timely and high-quality work, demonstrates perseverance and initiative, seeks to add value, operates independently while recognising limitations, and remains resilient under pressure.
• Working with people: Demonstrates proactive communication and knowledge sharing within the team, consistently treats colleagues with respect, offers support, addresses issues openly, avoids non-constructive behaviours, and contributes to a positive team environment by recognising collective achievements.
• Planning and organising: Plans and organises work strategically in line with objectives, taking into account timelines, contingencies, and the workload of others, while setting clear standards and adhering to internal principles and procedures.
• Integrity: Prioritises the organisation’s interests over individual or unit interests, promotes fairness, upholds the Secretariat’s external image, adopts a constructive approach in conflict situations, and maintains confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Communication: Communicates effectively by presenting information clearly and concisely, simplifying complex topics, actively listening to ensure understanding, and adapting messages based on audience needs and feedback while emphasising key points.
• Learning and development: Actively identifies and addresses personal knowledge and skill gaps, seeks feedback and adjusts behaviour accordingly, pursues continuous professional development, and applies lessons learned to future actions.
• Diplomacy: Demonstrates empathy towards stakeholders’ perspectives, approaches sensitive issues with tact, maintains composure in challenging situations, seeks collaborative and mutually beneficial outcomes, and exhibits flexibility in the pursuit of shared goals.
• Analytical thinking: Analyses complex information and problems, anticipates the impact of potential solutions, develops innovative approaches, applies analytical reasoning to practical scenarios, and proactively identifies and mitigates risks.

• The place of employment is Brussels. The position is based on an effective 40-hour work week (38 hours per week on average taking into account compensatory time off). The role requires approximately 10% travel.The monthly salary for this post (regular employee) is paid on a basis of 13.92 months per year. The salary is subject to Belgian social security contributions (with a potential opt-out) and taxes. The minimum gross salary is EUR 5,992 per month (equivalent to EUR 83,400 annually).

  The salary is supplemented by a competitive benefits package.

  Employees are entitled to 20 days of annual leave per year, plus one additional day per month worked (compensatory time-off so as to respect an average working time of 38 hours per week), and 10 official public holidays observed in Belgium, as well as those observed by the European Commission.

  The position allows for telework, subject to organisational needs, and based on prior approval by the Director of the CEFTA Secretariat.

  The type and duration of the contract is a fixed-term contract of three years, with the possibility of a one-time extension of up to three additional years, based on the needs of the service and availability of funds. The exact duration of any extension will be determined in accordance with the respective Joint Committee decision.

  All new staff must successfully complete a six-month probationary period.

  The Secretariat is an equal opportunities employer.

Applications must be submitted through the CEFTA Secretariat’s designated online Application Form, accessible at the following link: https://forms.grworktech.com/f/trade-expert-trade-in-services-cefta-secretariat-HhSXK6.

Applications must be received by the CEFTA Secretariat no later than the deadline specified in this vacancy notice. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. Receipt of all applications will be confirmed by an email acknowledgment.

The Director of the CEFTA Secretariat will establish a Selection Committee in accordance with CEFTA Joint Committee Decision No. 2/2019 and applicable internal rules. The Committee is chaired by the Director and composed of a representative of the Secretariat and a representative of the contracted recruitment consultancy.

The Selection Committee will assess the applications received in order to make an initial selection of candidates who meet all eligibility criteria. The Committee will examine the qualifications, experience, and skills of these candidates against the selection criteria set out in the vacancy notice. The Selection Committee will invite a shortlist of the five highest-scoring candidates, who also meet the minimum requirements outlined in the vacancy notice, to the next phase. All candidates with a score equal to that of the fifth highest-scoring candidate will also be included among the invited candidates.

The final evaluation will consist of technical and competency-based interviews, written technical tests, and psychometric assessments. This evaluation will be conducted to assess the candidates’ experience, qualifications, and whether they possess the key skills required for the role.

Applicants must be able to provide, upon request, professional references attesting to their ability to perform the duties of the position.

The CEFTA Secretariat and/or CEFTA Parties may request documentary evidence supporting the information provided in the application (e.g. diplomas, certificates, and employment records), particularly from shortlisted candidates.

The Selection Committee may establish a reserve list of qualified candidates who meet or exceed a minimum-score threshold agreed at the inception phase. Activation of the reserve list is subject to Selection Committee validation. The reserve list remains valid for a period to be confirmed by the Selection Committee. Following the selection procedure, the Selection Committee will identify the successful candidate, who will be informed by the CEFTA Secretariat.

Candidates must:

• Produce appropriate character references attesting to their suitability for the performance of their duties (an extract from the judicial record or a certificate of good conduct will be requested prior to recruitment);
• Have no personal interest (financial, family relationship, or other) that could conflict with the impartial discharge of their duties within the Secretariat;