Expert - Gender Equality IPA

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)¹ is organising a call for applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for the post of Expert – Gender equality IPA.

The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)² provides financial support to pre-accession countries aiming to help prepare for their potential future EU membership. The project currently covers cooperation with Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo³, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) and Türkiye.

The registration of applications will begin on 21 October 2025 and will close on 20 November 2025 at 13:30 Eastern European Time.

The Agency

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives envisaged to contribute and strengthen the promotion of gender equality.

To achieve its goals, the Agency collects and analyses comparable and reliable information at EU level and develops appropriate methodological tools for the integration of gender equality into all EU policies. It fosters the exchange of good practices and dialogue between stakeholders and raises EU citizen awareness of this policy area by providing technical assistance to EU institutions, in particular the European Commission, as well as the authorities of the Member States. This includes providing support to EU Institutions on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in EU accession and candidate countries.

In the course of its work to promote and strengthen gender equality, EIGE supports policy-makers with high quality research and comparable data relevant to their work.  

Job profile and duties

Reporting to the Head of the Outreach & Engagement Unit and working in close collaboration with the Research and Policy Support Unit, the jobholder will enhance the research and analytical capacity of the Agency.

The post requires a deep knowledge of gender equality, including good understanding of gender-based violence and gender mainstreaming, experience in applying quantitative and qualitative research methods, analytical skills, excellent drafting and editing skills in English and very good communication skills.

The post demands a team player who is self-critical towards their own performance and who shares learning and information as part of a multicultural and multidisciplinary team.

The following tasks and activities related to IPA III beneficiary countries are relevant to the duties of this post:

• Coordinate and implement IPA related activities, related to the development and update of national Gender Equality Indices including technical guidance on EIGE’s Index methodology;
• Coordinate and implement project activities for data collections and analyses, based on EIGE’s work i.e. CARE survey, Women and men in decision making in the Gender statistics database, Administrative data on violence against women and domestic violence;
• Coordinate and implement project activities with the collection of gender mainstreaming good practices and preparation and organisation of the gender mainstreaming thematic workshops;
• Support project management activities and processes working in close cooperation with IPA project coordinator and researchers/experts of the Research and Policy Support Unit;
• Collect, analyse and disseminate relevant data and information on related project areas;
• Engage in drafting policy-oriented publications in cooperation with the Agency’s research and communications teams;
• Support the IPA team in organising/facilitating expert and regional coordination meetings.

Formal requirements & selection criteria

Formal requirements

To be considered eligible for selection, an applicant must, by the closing date of this call:

• have a university degree⁴ which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;
• have a good command, both spoken and written, of at least two official EU languages;
• be a national of a Member State of the EU;
• enjoy full rights as an EU citizen;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the national laws concerning military service, and
• be physically fit to perform duties⁵.

Selection criteria

Essential

• At least three years professional experience gained after the award of the relevant qualification and at a suitable level corresponding to performance of the duties as defined above.
• Experience in research on gender equality, including gender-based violence and gender mainstreaming.
• Proven record of work with statistical data, gender statistics and/or gender sensitive indicators at a national, EU or international level and practical experience with using quantitative data analysis software, e.g. Excel, SPSS and/or Stata.
• Ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, negotiation skills and ability to liaise effectively with people at all levels of the organisation and externally;
• A proactive and engaging approach to work that includes initiative, flexibility, reliability and willingness to accept responsibilities;
• Ability to work in a multinational and diverse environment;
• Proven ability to draft analytical reports, policy papers and/or other publications in excellent English, which should be substantiated in the applicant’s application.

Advantageous

• Knowledge of EU legal, policy and institutional framework related to gender equality, including gender-based violence and gender mainstreaming;
• Experience with managing research projects;
• Work experience in an international or European organisation;
• Knowledge of a language of the EU candidate country and/or potential candidate country.
• Post-graduate qualification in either economics or sociology or statistics or gender studies.

Selection procedure

The selection procedure includes the following:

• Only duly completed applications submitted electronically within the deadline will be taken into consideration.
• Each duly completed application will be examined with a view to establishing that the candidate meets all eligibility criteria.
• Eligible applications will be evaluated by the appointed selection committee based on selection criteria defined in this vacancy notice. Depending on the number of applications received, the selection committee may apply stricter requirements within the selection criteria noted above.
• The best-admissible candidates will be short-listed for interviews.
• Interviews and written tests will be in English.
• During the interview, the selection committee will examine the candidates' profiles and assess their relevancy for the post in question. On the day of the interview, candidates may also be required to undergo a competency assessment exercise.
• On the day of interviews, candidates will be requested to present valid documents detailing citizenship in particular a copy of identity card, passport or other official document specifying citizenship.
• If at any stage of the procedure, it is established that information in the application has been knowingly falsified, the candidate shall be disqualified from the selection process.
• Successful candidates will be included in a reserve list which will be valid for 12 months. The validity of this list may be extended. Each candidate will be informed by letter whether or not s/he has been placed on the reserve list. However, inclusion of candidates on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment.
• EIGE’s Director will appoint the selected jobholder from the reserve list, taking into account a gender balanced, geographically diverse organisation.

The internal proceedings of the selection committee are confidential and any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Soliciting on behalf of a candidate can lead to immediate disqualification.

For applications to be valid, candidates must complete an EIGE application form available at the bottom of this page. It is to be forwarded electronically to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu. The subject title should include the vacancy reference number.

Applicants are requested not to attach any supporting documents at this stage. Only candidates invited to an interview will be asked to present copies of documents for verification. Applications will not be returned to candidates but will be kept on file by the Institute in line with its data protection obligations.

Please note that the time between the closing date for the submission of applications and the end of the process to short list candidates for the interview may be several weeks.

Due to the large volume of applications only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted.

Conditions of employment

The place of employment is Vilnius Lithuania. EIGE operates from a modern and fully computerised office space based in the city’s Old Town.

The jobholder shall work in a multicultural environment where social dialogue is considered very important. EIGE applies a participatory approach to its work and encourages an open dialogue between management and staff. Colleagues work closely together as much of the work is organised around cross-unit project teams. EIGE is committed to the principle of zero tolerance towards harassment at work.

Working time is based around flexitime and core working hours, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations. In addition to training opportunities, EIGE offers various support and well-being measures for staff members and their families such as contributions to schooling costs.

For reasons related to the Institute’s operational requirements, the chosen candidate will be expected to be available at short notice. An FG IV Contract Agent contract under Article 3a pursuant to the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union shall be offered, subject to nine months’ probation. The duration of the contract will be three years.

Remuneration consists of the basic salary as well as various allowances⁶ depending on personal situation of the jobholder. For information, the current gross basic salary before deductions and the correction coefficient weighting of 86.7% for Lithuania, starts at approximately €4,319 for grade 13, €4,887 for grade 14 and €6,256 for grade 16, depending on years of experience. Salaries are exempt from national taxation and subject to tax at source. Deductions are also made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

Independence & declarations of interest

The jobholder will be required to enter into a commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make complete declarations of any direct or indirect interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Equal opportunities

The Institute applies a policy of equal opportunities in line with the formal requirements noted above.

Applications are accepted without distinction on any grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

EIGE is committed to promote diversity and inclusion in its working environment and organisational culture. This includes Reasonable Accommodation for applicants with a disability⁷.

Appeal procedures

If a candidate considers that s/he has been adversely affected by a particular decision, s/he can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, by writing to The Director, European Institute for Gender Equality, Gedimino Prospektas 16, Vilnius, Lithuania LT01103.

The complaint must be lodged within three months. The time limit for initiating this type of procedure (see Staff Regulations as modified by Council Regulation No 723/2004 of 22nd March 2004 published in the Official Journal of the European Union L 124 of 27th April 2004) starts to run from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting her/him.

Pursuant to Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the Staff Regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties, published in Official Journal of the European Union L 113 of 4 May 1994, it is also possible to write to: The European Ombudsman, 1 Avenue du Président Robert Schuman, CS 30403 67001 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

Further details on appeals

Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, the EIGE ensures that applicants’ personal data are processed as required by 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. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Personal data shall thus be processed solely for the purpose of the selection procedure.

Lithuania and life in Vilnius

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Area and it borders Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Its western coastline - noted for its fine beaches, dunes and majestic pines - straddles the Baltic Sea.

Vilnius has an estimated population of just over 542,000 people. In addition to ample green spaces, it is beautifully situated on the banks of the river Neris, offering excellent opportunities for outdoor activities. Vilnius has impressive Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance and Russian architecture as well as one of Europe's largest medieval old towns, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. It has been a university city since the Middle Ages.

Today it is the centre of the country's politics, business, science, culture and entertainment and it attracts an increasingly varied assortment of local and international events. The city centre of Vilnius is compact, clean and safe. In addition to hosting a number of international schools, Vilnius has a well-developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.

The city is easy to get around, has a good standard of living and an excellent working environment. EIGE’s premises are situated in the Europe House on the main thoroughfare of Vilnius City, Gedimino Prospektas, with easy access to amenities, both leisure and educational.

Further information is available from the websites of Vilnius Tourism and Invest Lithuania.