The Council of Europe is hiring an Administrative Support Assistant for the Register of Damage for Ukraine in The Hague, on a fixed term contract running to 31 December 2027, with applications closing on 21 September 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the full vacancy notice so you know what the role covers, which conditions are non negotiable and how the selection is actually decided.
This is a Grade B3 local recruitment, which means the entry bar is a high school diploma plus four years of experience rather than a university degree. If you have run diaries, travel and events inside an international organisation, this vacancy is written for your profile.
The Institution Behind the Job
The Register of Damage for Ukraine was established in May 2023 through an Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe. It is based in The Hague, the Netherlands, with an office in Kyiv, Ukraine. It serves as a documentary record of claims and evidence on damage, loss or injury caused by the Russian Federation's internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine, and it receives claims from individuals, businesses and state and municipal entities in Ukraine.
The vacancy sits within the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI).
Where the Role Sits
You would join the Register's team in The Hague and work closely with the Executive Director, the Deputy and colleagues across the different teams. In practice this is a support role at the top of the structure, which is why the notice puts diary management and protocol communications next to each other.
What the Job Involves Day to Day
🗓️ Providing day to day administrative and organisational support to the Executive Director, including diary and agenda management, meeting arrangements and general office co-ordination.
✈️ Co-ordinating travel for the Executive Director, Board members and other relevant staff, covering transport and accommodation, visa requests and expense claims.
🎛️ Organising the administrative and logistical arrangements for in person and virtual meetings and events, including venues, live streaming, interpretation and translation, technical requirements, participant registration and hospitality.
🖊️ Contributing to the smooth running and follow up of meetings and events, welcoming participants, preparing notes, minutes and other records, and carrying out follow up actions.
🏛️ Maintaining administrative and protocol communications with embassies, international organisations and relevant authorities, acting as the primary point of contact for routine matters.
🗃️ Keeping administrative records, contact and participant lists and mailing lists accurate and up to date, along with digital systems and collaborative workspaces including DMS and CollabSpaces, and the related user access and permissions.
📦 Contributing to the day to day running of the office, including reception, supplies, filing and other general administrative requirements.
✅ Providing administrative support to other teams, including basic drafting, proofreading and editing of documents, and acting as backup for other administrative and support staff.
The Requirements You Must Meet
🎓 A completed full course of general secondary education, meaning a high school diploma.
🕔 A minimum of four years of professional experience, including experience in general administration and in planning or co-ordinating events and work programmes, ideally within a multinational environment.
🗣️ A very good knowledge of English, one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe. Knowledge of Dutch is highly desirable, and knowledge of French is listed as a desirable competency.
The Conditions That Rule People Out
These are the administrative conditions, and they are absolute rather than preferences.
🛂 You must be a citizen of one of the member States of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state.
📍 You must be currently present in the Netherlands. This is the condition that decides most applications before anything else is read.
🎖️ You must have discharged any obligation concerning national service, whether military, civil or comparable.
👪 You must not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe.
🔞 You must be under the age of 65.
The Competencies That Get Scored
Your application has to demonstrate the extent to which you hold the listed competencies, and the Council of Europe publishes a competency framework you can consult while writing it.
🧭 Operational competencies: planning and work organisation, analysis and problem solving, and concern for quality.
🤝 Interpersonal competencies: service orientation, and teamwork and co-operation.
💼 Professional and technical expertise: wide and in depth experience of management support duties and of the activities and procedures preferably of international organisations or diplomatic missions.
🖥️ Excellent computer skills for standard office tools, covering word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation software, Outlook and internet or intranet publications.
🌱 Desirable interpersonal competencies: resilience, adaptability and initiative.
Contract, Grade and Terms
📑 The vacancy is a local external recruitment based on fixed term contracts.
⌛ Employment is limited to 31 December 2027 and may be extended.
🏷️ The grade is B3, and the vacancy number is 1407/2026.
💼 No salary figure is published in the notice itself: the conditions of employment, covering salaries, allowances, pension scheme and social insurance, are set out on the Council of Europe's own "What we offer" page.
According to Youth Works Hub's review of this notice, the absence of a published figure is standard for Council of Europe local recruitments and not a red flag; the pay scale is public, just on a separate page.
How the Recruitment Runs
📅 The vacancy was posted on 7 September 2026 and the deadline is 21 September 2026, fixed at 23:59:59 CET or CEST.
📘 The recruitment is carried out in accordance with Rule No. 2/2025 on locally recruited staff members in duty stations outside France.
✍️ The notice is explicit about what wins: your motivation should show how your competencies make your profile the best one for the role, so mirror the competency list rather than writing a generic letter.
Equal Opportunity and Adjustments
⚖️ The Council of Europe states that it welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief.
👥 Under its equal opportunity policy it aims for gender parity in each category and grade, and at the point of appointment, preference between suitable candidates is given to the person of the gender that is under represented in the relevant grades.
♿ Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process.
How to Apply
Applications go through the Council of Europe's own recruitment portal, where you submit your profile against this vacancy number. There is no separate CV drop by email, and the motivation section is the part that carries the weight, because it is where you evidence each competency. Questions about the process or about accommodations are handled by the recruitment team by email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a university degree?
No. The stated requirement is a completed full course of general secondary education, a high school diploma, together with four years of relevant professional experience.
Can I apply if I am not in the Netherlands yet?
The notice requires you to be currently present in the Netherlands, so this is a local recruitment in the strict sense rather than a relocation offer.
Is Dutch mandatory?
No. English at a very good level is the requirement. Dutch is highly desirable and French is listed among the desirable competencies.
How long is the contract?
It is a fixed term contract with employment limited to 31 December 2027, which may be extended.
What is the grade and what does it mean for pay?
The grade is B3. The salary and allowances attached to that grade are published on the Council of Europe's conditions of employment page rather than in this vacancy notice.
What exactly is the Register of Damage for Ukraine?
It is a body established in May 2023 through an Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, based in The Hague with an office in Kyiv, which records claims and evidence on damage, loss or injury caused by the Russian Federation's internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine.
Deadline
⏳ 21 September 2026
Applications close at 23:59:59 CET or CEST on the day, so the last evening is a real cut off rather than a soft one. Find more opportunities like this, explained in plain language, on Youth Works Hub.
