COUNSELLOR FOR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, VESSEL CREW QUALIFICATION, AND MEASURES TO COUNTER THE QUALIFIED PERSONNEL SHORTAGE IN DANUBE NAVIGATION at the DANUBE COMMISSION (Budapest)

The Danube Commission (DC), an international organisation based in Budapest, announces that the position of "Counsellor for Professional Qualifications, Vessel Crew Qualification, and Measures to counter the Qualified Personnel Shortage in Danube Navigation" will open on 1 July 2027. The selection process will take place between May and December 2026.

Core responsibilities:

-     Works under the direction of the Chief Engineer

-     Advises the Commission and maintains continuous contact with authorities of the Member States, international organizations, and sector stakeholders

-     Prepares proposals, information materials, reports, and publications within the area of responsibility

-     Prepares the Expert Group Meetings on Personnel Matters and supports their execution in close cooperation with the chair (drawing up the agenda, taking minutes, preparing working documents); processes documents from the delegations, forwards them, and supports their discussion in the relevant Working Groups and at the Sessions; prepares draft resolutions as necessary 

-     Organises Expert Meetings to exchange experiences and opinions with the authorities of the Danube states and Danube shipping organisations and oversees their implementation, including the utilisation of the results of the events

-     Represents the Secretariat of the Danube Commission at CESNI meetings of the Working Group on Professional Qualifications (CESNI/QP) and its non-permanent working groups on crew regulations (CESNI/QP/Crew) and quality management (CESNI/QP/QM), and, where applicable, new permanent working and expert groups or ad hoc expert groups

-     Represents the Danube navigation at events organised by CESNI, and at events organised by other international organisations in the given area of responsibility

-     Supports member states in coordinating and implementing initiatives to secure skilled personnel in Danube navigation in relevant European initiatives

Core requirements:

-     University degree preferably in law, technical studies, European studies, or human resources management

-     At least 5 years of experience, if possible, in the specified field, either in public administration, a training and further education institution for inland waterway transport, or in a position in the shipping sector with an international focus and experience in human resources

-     Knowledge of inland waterway transport and its institutions is mandatory

−     Editorial skills, precise written and verbal communication.

−     Comprehensive IT skills, especially in Microsoft Office applications.

−     Good command of written and spoken English and knowledge of one of the official languages of the Danube Commission is obligatory.

−     High degree of teamwork, initiative, and motivation.

Post description

We offer:

-       Work in an international environment with the diplomatic privileges of an international organisation

-       Financial conditions

-       The term of office runs from 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2031 and may be extended for an additional four years

This call for applications is open exclusively to applicants who are citizens of Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, or Ukraine.

Please send your application documents, including a detailed CV (Europass format), a letter of motivation for the position of “Counsellor for Professional Qualifications, Vessel Crew Qualification, and Measures to counter the Qualified Personnel Shortage in Danube Navigation”, and copies of your qualifications, by 10 July 2026 at the latest, via email to the following address: [email protected] .

DC will be managing your application in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679. Submission of the application will be considered as consent to the processing of personal data relating to the applicant by the DC’s Secretariat and the member states representatives. If your application has been unsuccessful, DC’s Secretariat will delete your application and all records of your data within 1 year.