Executive Director of Europol

1. About Europol

The European Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is an Agency of the European Union (EU) located in The Hague, the Netherlands. Europol was established in 1995 by a Convention under Article K of the Treaty on European Union and set up as an entity of the Union in 2009 by the Council Decision 2009/371/JHA. Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 (the ‘Europol Regulation’) on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), amended by Regulation (EU) 2022/991 of 8 June 2022, established Europol as an EU Agency.
Europol’s objective is to support and strengthen action by the competent authorities of the Member States as well as their mutual cooperation in preventing and combatting serious crime affecting two or more Member States, terrorism and other forms of crime which affect a common interest covered by a Union policy.
In order to achieve its mission, Europol currently has a workforce of over 1150 staff, next to around 260 contractors as structural service providers. For 2025, Europol was allocated a budget of around EUR 245 million.
Europol hosts a large community of over 300 law enforcement liaison officers from EU Member States and third countries, who are an integral part of Europol’s dynamic work environment.

Europol’s main tasks are to:
• collect, store, process, analyse and exchange information, including criminal intelligence received from Member States, European Union (EU) institutions, third countries and international organisations, in accordance with the Europol Regulation and applicable data protection provisions;
• notify the Member States without delay of any information and connections between criminal offences concerning them;
• support Member States' cross-border investigations and operations, by facilitating and coordinating the exchange of information, and by providing operational, technical and financial support; as well as participating in, or supporting Joint Investigation Teams (JITs);
• coordinate, organise and implement investigative and operational actions to support and strengthen the efforts of the competent authorities of the Member States;
• provide information and analytical support to Member States and EU institutions, in connection with major international events and crises;
• prepare and disseminate threat assessments, strategic and operational analyses and situation reports, including the European Union Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) and the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA); as well as the Terrorism Situation & Trend Report (TE-SAT);
• develop, share and promote specialist knowledge concerning crime prevention methods, investigative procedures and technical as well as forensic methods, and to provide expert advice and operational guidance to Member States;
• provide and support specialised training for Member States’ law enforcement authorities in coordination with the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), next to offering financial assistance for such training activities;
• cooperate closely with other EU bodies and Agencies, including the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust), the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), CEPOL, the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems (eu-LISA), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), the European Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), by exchanging information and providing analytical and technical support in their areas of competence;

• support EU crisis management structures and missions established under the Treaty on European Union, within the scope of Europol's objectives;
• develop and host specialised competence centres and innovation hubs, such as the Operational and Analysis Centre (OAC), the European Serious and Organised Crime Centre (ESOCC), the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC), the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC), the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling (ECAMS) and the Innovation Lab, to strengthen EU expertise in key areas of crime;
• support Member States in preventing and combatting crime facilitated, promoted or committed via the internet, through the European Union Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) and cooperate with private parties in particular for the referral and removal of illegal online content;
• process personal data received directly from private parties and from Member States or third countries under specific conditions, in order to identify relevant Member States and support their investigations;
• support research, innovation and the development of new technologies relevant to law enforcement cooperation, ensuring that innovation benefits the EU’s security interests while respecting fundamental rights, including the right to data protection.

2. Background, main purpose and tasks of the post

The Executive Director shall manage and ensure the efficient day-to-day functioning of Europol. He or she shall be the legal representative and financial authorising officer of the Agency. The Executive Director shall be accountable to the Management Board and to the European Parliament as well as the Council as budgetary and discharge authority. Without prejudice to the powers of the Management Board, the Executive Director shall be independent in the performance of duties and shall neither seek, nor take instructions from any government or any other body. The Executive Director shall provide leadership and direction in fulfilling Europol’s objectives and shall be responsible for the implementation of the tasks entrusted to Europol.

The specific responsibilities of the Executive Director include to:
• drive the strategic development of Europol with a view to supporting cooperation among law enforcement authorities in the EU;
• ensure Europol’s operation in accordance with its objectives and tasks as set out in the Europol Regulation;
• prepare the budgetary and planning documentation submitted for the decision of the Management Board, and implement the multiannual programming and annual work programmes of Europol and other planning documents;
• implement decisions adopted by the Management Board, and inform the Management Board on a regular basis regarding the implementation of Union strategic and operational priorities for fighting crime;
• prepare the draft consolidated annual activity report on Europol's work and presenting it to the Management Board for adoption;
• maintain cooperative relations with other Union bodies, including Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Agencies, authorities of third countries, international organisations and private parties, to the extent required for the accomplishment of Europol’s tasks;
• prepare an action plan following up conclusions of internal or external audit reports and evaluations, as well as investigation reports and recommendations from investigations by OLAF, the EPPO and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS);
• protect the financial interests of the Union by applying measures to prevent fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity;
• report on the performance of duties upon invitation by the Council or by the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group (JPSG) and appear before the JPSG to discuss matters relation to the activities of the Agency;

• submit any information required for the smooth application of the annual discharge procedure on the implementation of the budget to the European Parliament.

3. Requirements - Eligibility criteria

a. Candidates must:
• be a member of a competent authority within the meaning of Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation;
• be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union, and enjoy their full rights as a citizen;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• produce appropriate character references as to the suitability for the performance of the duties;
• be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as specified in Article 12(2)(d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union (see footnote 1) and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties. The Selection Committee will verify during the selection process whether candidates comply with the requirement of a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language. This may include (part of) the interview being conducted in this other language.
• be able to complete, as from 2 May 2026 (see footnote 2) , the full term of office of 4 years before reaching the retirement age. For temporary staff of the European Union, the retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 years (as provided for in Article 47 of the CEOS) (see footnote 3).

b. Candidates must have a:
• University degree, either at:
- a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more; or
- a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least 1 year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years (this 1 year of professional experience may not be included by candidates in the postgraduate professional experience required below).
• Professional experience: At least 20 years of postgraduate professional work experience (see footnote 4) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission (gained after the award date of the educational degree, which must be attested by a diploma).
• Management experience: At least 5 years of the above referred post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a senior executive management function (see footnote 5), in a leadership position within a competent authority in the meaning of Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation.

4. Requirements - Selection Criteria

a. Professional experience:
• Extensive professional experience in law enforcement, internal security at both strategic and operational levels, acquired in a national and preferably in a European and/or international context, particularly in areas such as serious and organised crime, terrorism, cybercrime and emerging digital threats.
• Proven ability to inspire, lead and motivate diverse, multicultural and multidisciplinary teams in a dynamic and fast-evolving environment, by providing clear strategic direction and promoting a culture of integrity and operational excellence.
• Experience leading innovation and digital transformation in law enforcement or internal security contexts.
• Strong administrative, governance and strategic resource management skills, with proven experience in budgetary, financial and human resources management.

b. Professional knowledge:
• Comprehensive understanding of international and European police cooperation mechanisms at a senior management level, including the roles, mandates and operational interlinkages of EU Agencies, national authorities and international partners in addressing cross-border crime and security challenges.
• Strategic understanding of current and emerging internal security threats in Europe along with relevant EU operational instruments, partnerships and policy framework designed to mitigate them.
• Knowledge of the functioning and interaction of EU institutions, bodies and national administrations, including a good knowledge of the EU legislation in the field of internal security, data protection, information exchange and criminal justice cooperation.
• Good understanding of digital and technological developments impacting law enforcement cooperation, including data-driven policing, artificial intelligence, interoperability of information systems and the secure exchange and protection of operational data within the EU legal framework.

c. Leadership competencies:
• Develop vision and strategy – developing a compelling mission, vision and strategy that has mid and long-term impact and can be understood and accepted by staff as meaningful for their daily work.
• Drive performance – proactively and energetically implementing Europol’s mission, vision and strategy in such a way that Europol meets its organisational objectives.
• Enterprising – identifying and realising opportunities for innovation that strengthen Europol’s relevance as a key actor in its field.
• Networking – establishing effective relationships within Europol and building strategic alliances with the external environment.
• Managing the business – demonstrating a deep understanding of the business and taking commitment to act upon these insights to secure operational excellence.
• Inspiring people – inspiring long-term motivation and organisational loyalty by acting as a role model and by complying with the organisation’s mission and values.

d. Management skills and competencies:
• Ability to set and revise objectives within the overall strategic framework and priorities of the Agency.
• Ability to determine and focus on priorities and to monitor and evaluate the progress made towards achieving the objectives set.
• Ability to organise, assign and manage the Agency’s deliveries by setting challenging but realistic objectives.
• Ability to empower staff while ensuring that they understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the Agency’s objectives.
• Ability to choose co-workers and to build strong teams with complementary strengths suited to the efficient pursuit of the Agency’s objectives.
• Ability to motivate members of the team to achieve the desired results and also to provide regular feedback, acknowledge success and the need for improvement in order to enable them to achieve their objectives and greatest potential.
• Ability to develop and support career development and learning opportunities for staff.

e. Personal qualities
Communication skills:
• Ability to communicate clearly and present complex subjects simply, both orally and in writing, including to staff;
• Ability to solicit inputs from and listen to staff, partners, and stakeholders.
Interpersonal skills:
• Ability to deal with people effectively, respectfully and courteously;
• Ability to build productive and cooperative working relationships with hierarchy and other Directorates and colleagues.
Negotiation skills:
• Ability to steer discussions and generate the best possible results without compromising productive working relationships with the other parties involved.

Living diversity:
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with co-workers in an international and multi-disciplinary work environment.

5. Selection and appointment procedure

The legal framework for this recruitment procedure is provided by the Europol Regulation, the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS) of the European Union, as well as the Management Board Decision of 1 May 2017 adopting the Rules for the selection, extension of the term of office and removal from office of the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Directors, as revised by the MB on 10 December 2025, and the Management Board Decision of 3 October 2018 on the appraisal, probationary period and management trial period of the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Directors.

The Management Board shall set up a Selection Committee composed of a Commission representative and of six members representing the Member States, which shall be determined by drawing of lots by the Management Board.

The Selection Committee shall:
a. make an initial assessment of the applications received to identify all candidates who, on the basis of the criteria set out in the vacancy notice, are eligible for the post;
b. review all eligible candidates’ applications taking into account their professional qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and character references in order to identify and decide which ones should be further assessed by the Selection Committee;
c. invite up to 6 highest scoring candidates to competency-based interviews, with a view to assessing their qualifications and skills against the criteria set out in the vacancy notice (see footnote 6). All candidates invited to the interviews shall undergo an evaluation by an external assessment centre to provide advice to the Selection Committee;
d. draw up a duly reasoned report on the applications received and the procedure followed, which shall include the list of eligible candidates indicating among them those interviewed by the Selection Committee, and a list of candidates, ranked in order of merit, who meet all the eligibility criteria and are considered to match best the selection criteria set out in the vacancy notice.

The Management Board may decide to interview the candidates on the ranked list of the Selection Committee and any other eligible candidate interviewed by it.

On the basis of the report submitted by the Selection Committee, the Management Board shall adopt a reasoned opinion:
- presenting the list of eligible candidates;
- setting out a shortlist of at least three suitable candidates ranked in order of merit; and
- confirming that the applicants on the shortlist meet the relevant conditions of engagement and the eligibility criteria set out in the vacancy notice, as well as the conditions of engagement under Article 12(2) of the CEOS, notwithstanding the specific provisions foreseen in Article 12(2)(d) and Article 13 of the CEOS regarding the medical examination.

The Chairperson of the Management Board shall forward the reasoned opinion, including the proposed shortlist of candidates and the full application file of each shortlisted candidate, to the Council to enable the latter to take its decision as foreseen in Article 54(2) of the Europol Regulation.

Before appointment, the candidate selected by the Council may be invited to appear before the competent committee of the European Parliament, which shall subsequently give a non-binding opinion.

Candidates who attended the selection procedure may request feedback on their performance within three months after the selection procedure. Europol will not be in a position to respond to feedback inquiries received outside this time frame.

The Selection Committee’s work and deliberations are confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the members of the Selection Committee or for anyone to do so on their behalf.

The secretariat of the Management Board shall provide the secretariat of the Selection Committee, which may invite the Head of the Human Resources Unit to take part in the proceedings of the selection procedure as advisor. All enquiries or requests for information or documentation in relation to the selection procedure should be addressed to MBSELECTION@europol.europa.eu.

Once the appointment has been made by the Council, every candidate who applied for the post shall receive from the secretariat of the Selection Committee a formal letter notifying the outcome of the procedure. The three-month time limit for lodging a complaint pursuant to Article 90(2) of the EU Staff Regulations (EUSR) shall run from the date of notification of this letter.

6. Compensation and benefits

Scale: Grade AD15
The basic monthly salary is specified in Article 66 of the EUSR.

The step in the grade is determined on the basis of professional experience gained after the education required for the position and in line with the applicable implementing rules.

Salaries are subject to EU tax but exempt from national taxation. Compulsory deductions are made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

Subject to the applicable conditions being met, as defined in the EUSR and CEOS, further specified in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, allowances such as expatriation allowance (16% of basic gross salary) or foreign residence allowance (4% of basic gross salary), household allowance, dependent child and/or education allowance may be granted.

Staff enjoy worldwide insurance coverage by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and are insured against sickness, the risk of occupational disease and accident.

Europol offers flexible working arrangements, a comprehensive provision for annual leave as well as parental leave supporting a healthy work-life balance.

7. Terms and Conditions

Security screening and certificate of good conduct
Candidates who have been recruited to a post at Europol are required to furnish a valid “certificate of good conduct” before the start of their employment. The “certificate of good conduct” must be provided to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract, must be issued by the relevant authorities of the country of nationality of the candidate and must not be older than three months at the time of submission to Europol. Europol reserves the right not to proceed with the signature of the contract based on the content of the certificate or if the candidate fails to provide the certificate to Europol.

The “certificate of good conduct” does not substitute a valid security clearance required for all Europol staff at the level indicated in the vacancy notice. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the employment contract.

Candidates who currently hold a valid security clearance at the level indicated in the vacancy notice or above do not need to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a new security clearance and must provide a copy of the current security clearance certificate to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract.Europol shall verify and confirm the continued validity of the security clearance. In case Europol determines that the security clearance is not valid, the candidate will be required to provide a valid certificate of good conduct prior to the signature of the employment contract.

Europol may at any time terminate the employment contract if the result of the security screening is not positive and the necessary clearance level is not granted or extended.

The requested level of security clearance for this post is: TRES SECRET UE/EU TOP SECRET.

Conditions of engagement
Before the employment contract is concluded by Europol, the successful candidate will have to:
- declare any conflict of interest;
- undergo a pre-employment medical examination to confirm that he/she is physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post or, alternatively, receive the confirmation from Europol that he/she fulfils the conditions laid down in the Decision of the Deputy Executive Director of the Capabilities Directorate on the pre-employment medical examination available on Europol's ;
- provide confirmation of his/her membership of a competent authority in one of the Member States within the meaning of Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation.
The place of employment will be The Hague, the Netherlands.
For further information, please consult Europol’s website .

Contract of employment
The successful candidate will be engaged for the post of Executive Director as a Temporary Agent at grade AD15 pursuant to Article 2(a) of the CEOS. The successful candidate will be appointed for an initial mandate of 4 years (full-time – 40 hours a week). The contract may be renewed once, for no more than 4 years.

Probation period
Engagement for this post is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period of 9 months in accordance with Article 14 of the CEOS and the Decision of the Management Board of Europol of 3 October 2018 on the appraisal, probationary period and management trial period of the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Directors.

The contract of employment may be terminated during, or at the end of the probation period in accordance with Article 14 of the CEOS.

Managerial trial period
The newly appointed Executive Director shall serve a management trial period of nine months, unless he or she has already successfully passed such a trial period in a previous function in any other EU institution or body.

8. Additional Information

Diversity and inclusion
Europol is committed to ensuring equal opportunities, including gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds, across all abilities and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications, experience and skills. Assistance can be provided to persons with disabilities during the recruitment procedure. Europol pursues a strategic objective of achieving gender equality at all management levels and applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations encouraging applications that could contribute towards gender equality.

Europol lives diversity and provides an inclusive work environment to all. Europol strives to recruit, develop and retain a diverse and talented workforce through application of equal opportunity and impartiality.

Privacy Notice
Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and Agencies and on the free movement of such data and repealing

Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC applies to the processing of personal data carried out in the process of selection and recruitment of staff at Europol, following the application of this Regulation to all administrative personal data held by Europol in accordance with Article 27a of the Europol Regulation.

For additional information, please consult the applicable privacy notice available on Europol’s also inserted in the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES.

Statutory obligations upon leaving the service
Pursuant to Article 16 of the EUSR, EU officials and, by analogy, temporary agents, continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits after leaving the service. Those staff members intending to engage in an occupational activity within two years of leaving the service shall inform their institution, so that it may take an appropriate decision in that respect. In cases where the intended activity is related to the work carried out by the staff member during the last three years of service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of the institution, the decision to be taken may include forbidding the staff member from undertaking it or giving its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.

Main dates
Publication date: 17 February 2026
Deadline for application: 31 March 2026
Recruitment procedure: 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarter 2026

Application process
Candidates must submit their applications in writing, electronically via Europol’s e-recruitment system. Please refer to the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES available on Europol’s website for further details on the application process and the selection procedure, insofar as these are not altered by the specific provisions foreseen in the Management Board Rules for the selection, extension of the term of office and removal from office of the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director.

Contact details
For further details on the application process, please contact:
MBSELECTION@europol.europa.eu.

Footnotes:
1.https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01958R0001-20130701
2. The term of office of the current Executive Director comes to an end on 1 May 2026: Council Decision (EU) 2021/1798 of 7 October 2021 extending the term of office of the Executive Director.
3. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20250513
4.Professional experience is only taken into consideration if it represents an actual work relationship defined as real, genuine work, on a paid basis and as employee (any type of contract) or provider of a service. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the certified percentage of full-time hours worked. Maternity as well as parental leave, or leave for adoption is taken into consideration if it is in the framework of a work contract. PhDs are assimilated to professional experience, even when unpaid, but for a duration of three years maximum, provided that the PhD has been successfully completed. A given period may be counted only once.
5. In their applications, candidates should indicate for all years during which senior executive management experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of the positions held; (2) staff overseen; (3) size of the budget managed; and (4) hierarchical layers above and below.
6. As applicable, candidates having a score equal to the sixth highest scoring application will be invited to the interviews.