Sr Specialist – Technology & Dvpment (Vulnerability Research), Forensics Team (AD7) – Job not limited to law enforcement cand – DEADLINE EXTENDED – Europol – The Hague

jobid=A.0.0616

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 2025.

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.

The post of Senior Specialist –Technology and Development (Vulnerability Research) is considered a restricted post that may be filled without limitation to candidates coming from a competent authority, as stipulated in Annex II of the relevant Decision of the Management Board of Europol of 13 September 2024. The Europol Recruitment Guidelines may be consulted for further details.

1. Organisational context

The post of Senior Specialist – Technology and Development (Vulnerability Research), is located in the Forensics Team in the Digital Support Unit, European 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 (EU), 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 coordinating and delivering strategic products such as the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA). Other areas of responsibility include assessing relevant technology trends, external liaison and stakeholder management including EC3’s advisory groups, developing pan-European cybercrime offender prevention campaigns, and capacity building activities.

The EC3 Operations Unit is responsible for delivering the operational services to MS of EU and other partners with whom Europol has operational agreements. The Unit consist of five teams: AP Cyborg (cyber-dependent crime), AP Terminal (payment fraud and on-line fraud schemes), AP Twins (child sexual exploitation), AP Dark Web (criminal use of anonymization services) and the J-CAT coordination team (operational support to the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce). 

Furthermore, the Unit is responsible for the provision of deconfliction within cases, enriching data sets, advising and participating in operational actions and delivering analytical support. 

The Digital Support Unit is assisting EC3 Operations and provides horizontal support to other Operations Centres of Europol by delivering intelligence products, facilitating technical assistance in handling large datasets and conducting forensic examination through three dedicated teams: Cyber Intelligence Team (CIT), Forensics Team (FT) and Cryptocurrency Team.

The Forensics Team provides decryption and digital forensic services, takes part in research and development activities supporting investigations and operations and also provides document forensic services.

Purpose of the post
The role of Senior Specialist – Technology and Development (Vulnerability Research) is to provide a wide range of technology and development services in the area of vulnerability research.
This includes making contributions to operational activities by means of, among others, scanning the environment for new technologies, identifying abuse of technology, analysing patterns, developing new toolsets and technical solutions for the purpose of supporting investigations and/or protecting digital infrastructure and telecommunication networks.

The Senior Specialist will in particular lead research and development efforts of new forensic data extraction methods from seized devices and criminal IT infrastructure in support of criminal investigations.

Detailed responsibilities include the research and development of new data collection and preservation methods, presentation of digital forensic information in cases related to cybercrime, serious and organised crime and terrorism, including support ‘on-the-spot’ in live cases in the field.

Reporting lines:
The incumbent reports to the Head of the Forensics Team/Head of the Digital Support Unit.

2. Functions and duties

The incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:

Provide digital forensic services by researching and developing new data extraction methods from seized devices and IT infrastructure used by criminals; apply those methods in house at Europol HQ and on-the-spot during action days in EU MS and third countries;

Perform reverse-engineering of hardware and software to improve law enforcement capabilities to access data and detect vulnerabilities;

Prepare technical reports summarising findings and compile technical information or documentation;

Serve as an expert witness in court, explaining complex access to data methodologies;

Mentor, train, and provide guidance to team members; monitor work quality and implement improvements as needed;

Stay updated on advancements in vulnerability research, digital forensics and related fields;

Build and maintain relationships with relevant authorities in EU MS, EU bodies, third countries, and other organizations in the fields of vulnerability research and access-to-data;

Lead or support projects, organise and chair meetings, training sessions, and conferences, and represent the organization at specialised European and international conferences.

Perform any other duties in the area of competence as assigned by line management.

3. Requirements – Eligibility criteria
a. Candidates must

Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen;

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 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 one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

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 Professional experience
More than 6 months and up to 1 year 4 years
More than 1 year and up to 2 years 3 years
More than 2 years and up to 3 years 2 years
More than 3 years 1 year
• In addition to the above at least 6 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.

4. Requirements – Selection criteria

a. Professional experience:
Essential:

Experience in the area of digital forensics;

Experience in software development (in the application form, please provide links to source code you have developed, for example on GitHub);

Experience in vulnerability research;

Experience in red-teaming activities;

Experience with reverse-engineering.

Desirable:

Experience in VHDL/VERILOG development;

Published Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure (CVEs).

b. Professional knowledge
Essential

In depth knowledge of Linux and Windows kernel architecture, system calls, process and memory management;

Proficiency in programming languages (C, Ruby and Rust);

In-depth knowledge of network protocols (TCP/IP, TLS/SSL, DNS);

In-depth knowledge in vulnerability research;

In-depth knowledge of reverse engineering

Desirable:

 Certifications such as OSCP, CEH, GPEN.

c. General competencies 
Essential:
Communicating:

Excellent communication skills in English, both orally and in writing;

Excellent presentation skills;

Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.

Analysing & problem solving:

Structured approach to work aimed at getting results;

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:

Excellent organizational skills including the ability to plan own work load, establish clear priorities and exercise initiative;

Ability to manage projects and familiarity with project management terminology and methodology.

Resilience:

Strong ability to work well both independently and in a team;

Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well as with external partners;

Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.

Living diversity:

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

Advising:

Ability to synthesise various data into a coherent and relevant whole, transforming it into a valuable and correct conclusion;

Building constructive relationships with clients, adequately identifying and managing their needs and expectations, and giving well-grounded advice.

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 8 highest-scoring candidates. All candidates having a score equal to the 8th highest scoring candidate will be invited to take part in the selection procedure. At shortlisting stage, the Selection Committee will establish the pass-mark for the selection procedure.

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: C2-12@europol.europa.eu. 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: AD7
The gross basic monthly salary is EUR 7261.98 (step 1) or EUR 7567.14 (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 AD7/1:
a) Staff member (single) in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 7455.62
b) Staff member with two dependent children in their custody in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 9545.82

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 April 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 7 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 46 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: 29 July 2025
Deadline for application: Deadline extended to 2 September 2025, 23:59 CET Selection procedure: September/October
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 1387.

Lees hier meer

Deel deze vacature: