Jobs in Brussels — EU Affairs, Policy & International Careers

Brussels is the political capital of Europe and one of the continent's most international job markets. The European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU and the European External Action Service employ tens of thousands of officials, contract agents and trainees, while NATO's headquarters sits just across town. Around this institutional core operates a dense private ecosystem: public affairs consultancies such as FleishmanHillard, FTI Consulting and Rud Pedersen; trade associations like BusinessEurope, DigitalEurope and Cefic; international law firms; think tanks including Bruegel and CEPS; and hundreds of NGOs, regional offices and permanent representations of the member states.

Typical roles range from policy officer, EU affairs consultant and communications manager to legal adviser, programme manager and researcher. English is the default working language in most of this 'EU bubble', with French an asset for daily life and Belgian employers. Entry-level policy salaries typically start around €2,500–3,200 gross per month, consultancies and industry associations pay more with seniority, and EU institution posts follow the EU staff salary grades — an AD5 official starts at roughly €5,000+ per month plus allowances. For newcomers, the Commission's Blue Book traineeship and Parliament's Schuman traineeship remain the classic entry routes. If you want to work on European legislation, regulation or advocacy, Brussels is where the jobs are.