This selection procedure is intended to establish a reserve list of successful candidates. It is envisaged to start using the reserve list in Q3/Q4 of 2026.
Europol retains the right to make use of the reserve list to select candidates for similar posts within the organisation, should business needs require so.
1. Organisational context
Organisational setting:
The post of Specialist - Cybercrime Strategy & CSE is located in the Prevention & Outreach Team, in the EC3 Expertise & Stakeholder Management Unit, Europol Cybercrime Centre (EC3), Operations Directorate.
The Operations Directorate deals with the core business of Europol, improving the effectiveness and cooperation of the competent authorities in the Member States (MS) in preventing and combating serious and organised crime, as well as terrorism
affecting the MS. This requires close cooperation with the Liaison Bureaux at Europol
and via them with the Operational Teams in the MS.
Europol delivers a number of products and services to national law enforcement agencies to support them in their fight against international serious and organised crime, as well as terrorism.
The Operations Directorate hosts five distinct Departments: Operational and Analysis
Centre, European Serious Organised Crime Centre, EC3, European Counter Terrorism
Centre and the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre.
EC3 serves as the centre for the MS fight against cybercrime in the European Union, delivering operational and investigative support on complex cybercrime investigations.
EC3 also provides support to the EU institutions and MS in building operational and analytical capacity for investigations and cooperation with external partners. EC3 is the collective voice of European cybercrime investigators across law enforcement and the knowledge hub of law enforcement on how to tackle Cybercrime.
The Centre comprises of three Units, each with their own area of responsibility.
The Expertise & Stakeholder Management Unit is responsible for collecting information about new developments and technologies and provides advice on how to efficiently and effectively tackle new phenomena in the field of cybercrime. The Unit is actively involved in coordinating work with external partners such as government entities, private parties, academia and industry partners. Furthermore, the Unit is responsible of coordinating and delivering strategic products such as Europol’s flagship report on Cybercrime, the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). Other areas of responsibility include the support of Europol to MS LE in the lawful access to data domain, expert groups assessing relevant new technology trends, external liaison and stakeholder management including the four EC3’s Advisory Groups, cooperation with Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), development of pan-European cybercrime offender prevention campaigns, and capacity building activities.
Purpose of the post:
The Specialist – Cybercrime Strategy & CSE will be pivotal in advancing Europol's mission to protect children from sexual exploitation. This role involves developing and implementing strategic initiatives, fostering international collaboration and leveraging innovative solutions to identify victims and address transnational threats in combating child sexual exploitation (CSE).
The Specialist will provide expert feedback and support to Europol initiatives and will contribute to the development of policy documents. This role requires a strategic mindset, operational expertise and a deep commitment to protecting children from sexual exploitation. The Specialist will shape Europol's approach to combating CSE, ensuring that strategies are effective, innovative and aligned with broader EU priorities.
Reporting lines:
The incumbent reports to the Head of Team Prevention & Outreach/Head of Unit - EC3 Expertise & Stakeholder Management.
2. Functions and duties
The incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:
- Establish and maintain close contacts with the MS and Third Parties’ Liaison Officers to encourage and support operational activities in the field of child sexual exploitation;
- Develop and maintain activities with partners within and beyond the MS to combat the activities of transnational child sexual offenders;
- Monitor trends in child sexual abuse and conduct research to develop innovative tools and solutions for the identification and protection of victims of child sexual abuse;
- Deliver presentations and briefings on Europol’s role, strategies and initiatives in combating Child Sexual Exploitation;
- Analyse information provided by MS and prepare reports identifying potential opportunities for joint intelligence-sharing and operational cooperation with Europol;
- Observe and assess criminal trends and emerging threats against children’s safety and sexual integrity (TCSO, LDCA, sexual extortion, grooming, CSAM), and contribute expertise and knowledge to Europol’s briefings and strategic documents;
- Review and track developments in national and international legal frameworks related to child sexual abuse (CSA);
- Perform any other duties in the area of competence as assigned by the line management.
3. Requirements - Eligibility criteria
a. Candidates must
- Be a member of a competent authority within the meaning of the Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation and enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State;
- Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
- Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties;
- Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as further specified in Article 13 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 and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.
b. Candidates must have
- A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma;
OR
- Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area (e.g.Police Officer’s School) and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:
Duration of professional training Additional professional experience required for equivalency
More than 6 months and up to 1 year 3 years
More than 1 year and up to 2 years 2 years
More than 2 years 1 year
- In addition to the above at least 3 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.
4. Requirements - Selection criteria
Selection criteria:
a. Professional experience:
Essential:
- Preferably at least 3 years of experience in law enforcement teams fighting child sexual exploitation and investigating transnational child sexual offenders;
- Experience in international initiatives and projects against child sexual exploitation;
- Experience in writing strategic reports.
Desirable:
- Experience dealing with technical investigations including computer forensic and investigations of online environments;
- Experience in identifying child victims of online sexual abuse, using victim identification software and working with the INTERPOL ICSE database.
b. Professional knowledge:
Essential:
- Excellent knowledge of investigative techniques in the field of child sexual exploitation;
- Excellent knowledge of international projects and initiatives related to child sexual exploitation;
- Knowledge of writing strategic reports and briefing notes;
- Sound knowledge of international law enforcement legislation and CSA legal frameworks (CSA EU Regulation, CSA Directive recast, Europol Regulation, former Ad Interim Regulation on Privacy, UN Cybercrime Convention, DSA, AI Act, etc.).
c. General competencies
Essential:
Communicating:
- Very good communication skills in English, both orally and in writing;
- Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.
Analysing & problem solving:
- Keen eye for detail with the ability to maintain standards of accuracy under pressure of tight deadlines;
- Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills;
- Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.
Delivering quality and results:
- High degree of commitment and flexibility;
- High level of customer and service-orientation.
Prioritising and organising:
- Good administrative and organisational skills.
- Very good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work well, both independently and in a team;
Resilience:
- Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.
- Ability to handle exposure to disturbing child sexual abuse content while maintaining professional judgement and personal wellbeing.
Living diversity:
- Ability to work effectively in an international and multi-cultural environment.
d. Additional conditions:
Fulfil the condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary Agents, on the start date of the possible contract of employment which may be offered.
5. Selection procedure
All applications for Temporary Agent posts must be submitted through the online recruitment system accessible via Europol’s website. For further information, please consult the Europol Recruitment Guidelines.
The Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC) sets up a Selection Committee, composed of at least three members, consisting of one chair and at least one member from the administration and one member designated by the Staff Committee.
For restricted posts (including restricted - Annex II posts), the AACC designates up to two additional members of the Selection Committee if so requested by the Chairperson of the Management Board. The additional members shall consist of a representative of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union or one representative of the Presidency and one representative of another Member State.
The selection criteria, set out in this Vacancy Notice, will be assessed by the Selection Committee throughout the different stages of the selection procedure. Before the start of the selection procedure, the Selection Committee will decide which selection criteria will be used at each stage of the selection procedure. Certain selection criteria will be assessed only for shortlisted candidates during a written test and/or a competency-based interview.
The Selection Committee will assess the applications received in order to make an initial selection of those candidates meeting all eligibility criteria and matching best the selection criteria (suitability).
In case of candidates shortlisted for restricted posts (including restricted - Annex II posts), who had indicated membership of a competent authority in one of the Member States, Europol will seek confirmation from the relevant Europol National Unit to ensure that those candidates indeed belong to a competent authority.
The minimum pass-mark for being shortlisted, i.e. invited to participate in a post-related selection procedure, consisting of a written test and a competency-based interview, is established as 60% of the total maximum score.
The Selection Committee will shortlist the 10 highest scoring candidates. All candidates having a score equal to the highest scoring candidate will be invited to take part in the first stage of the selection 10th procedure (written test). At shortlisting stage, the Selection Committee will also establish the pass-mark for the selection procedure.
The Selection Committee will assess the written test against the selection criteria. Those candidates who do not reach the pass-mark for the test will be informed that they do not qualify to participate in the interview. All candidates who reach the pass-mark for the test will be invited to the second stage of the selection procedure (interview).
It is intended for the selection procedure to be conducted remotely. Should the Selection Committee consider it necessary to conduct the selection procedure on-site at Europol, either in part or in full, in the interest of the proceedings, and subject to budget availability, the candidates invited to participate in the selection procedure will be informed accordingly.
After the selection procedure has taken place, the Selection Committee will establish a list of successful candidates, i.e. those scoring above the pre-defined pass-mark, which is shared with the AACC, for establishment of a Reserve list. A Reserve list is valid for 24 months.
Candidates who participated in the interview will be informed of the outcome, i.e. whether they have been successful or not.
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.
All enquiries related to a selection procedure should be addressed to the Europol HR Operational Support Team at the following email address: [email protected]. Detailed information on the selection procedure- including enquiries, measures of redress and their applicable deadlines is available in the Europol Recruitment Guidelines, which can be found on Europol’s website www.europol.europa.eu.
6. Compensation and benefits
Scale: AD6
The gross basic monthly salary is EUR 6,961.29 (step 1) or EUR 7,253.84 (step 2).
The step in grade is determined on the basis of professional experience gained after the education required for the post and in line with applicable implementing rules.
Staff pay EU tax at source but salaries are exempt from national taxes. Compulsory deductions are made for health insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.
Subject to the applicable conditions being met, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations (EUSR)/CEOS and 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.
Indicative net salary sample calculation AD6/1:
a) Staff member (single) in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 7240
b) Staff member with two dependent children in their custody in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 9436
The above information is indicative and for information purposes only. It is merely meant to give an indication of the possible net salary in light of the currently applicable amounts of the related allowances and the level of taxation. It has no legal value and no rights can be derived from it.
The information is based on figures applicable as of July 2025.
7. Terms and conditions
Contract of employment
The successful candidate will be engaged in the type of post Administrator and function group AD, grade 6 pursuant to Article 2(f) CEOS and Annex I to the EUSR.
The initial contract will be concluded for a period of 5 years (full-time – 40 hours a week). The contract may be renewed only once, in principle, for a period of 5 years.
The overall duration of the contracts on restricted posts of Europol staff members will be taken into account if they are successful in the selection procedure.
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 www.europol.europa.eu;
- in case of candidates for restricted posts (including restricted - Annex II posts) who had indicated membership of a competent authority in one of the Member States, provide confirmation of his/her membership of a competent authority in one of the Member States within the meaning of the Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation.
The place of employment will be The Hague, The Netherlands.
For further information on terms and conditions, please consult the EUSR/CEOS available on Europol’s website www.europol.europa.eu
Probation period
Engagement for this post is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period of 9 months.
Europol reserves the right to terminate the contract of employment during or at the end of the probation period in accordance with Article 14 CEOS.
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. The certificate of good conduct 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: CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL.
8. Additional information
Equal opportunity
Europol is an equal opportunity employer. Europol accepts applications without distinction on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, national, ethnic or social origin, religion or beliefs, family situation, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications, experience and skills.
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 website, 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: 10 June 2026
Deadline for application: DEADLINE EXTENDED Until 22 July 2026, 23:59 CEST
Selection procedure: August - September 2026
Application process and selection procedure
For further details on the application process and the selection procedure, please consult our FAQs or refer to the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES available on Europol’s website.
Contact details
In case of further questions please call +31 (0) 70 302 5276 or +31 (0) 70 353 1152.
