General service staff

International public service in an enriching environment

General service staff members comprise approximately 1,100 of the Agency's staff and provide the IAEA with administrative, technical and scientific support. Their organizational abilities, interpersonal skills and responsiveness to logistical and administrative requirements make an indispensable contribution to the smooth running of the Agency.

All general service candidates are recruited on a local basis, which means that they legally reside in the country of the duty station at the time of application.

Assignments and posts

General service staff positions are advertised through online vacancy notices. 

Temporary assistance assignments

To provide qualified candidates to divisions in need of temporary assistance (for example, for reasons of sick leave replacement or a heavy work load), the IAEA’s recruitment unit keeps a roster of suitable administrative support staff and secretaries .

Working for a short time at the IAEA is a great opportunity for learning about the Agency's work environment, as well as for enhancing chances for fixed-term appointments. Temporary assistance assignments are advertised through online vacancy notices.

Fixed-term posts

All general service fixed-term posts are advertised through online vacancy notices and filled on a competitive basis. The initial period of appointment is one year, the first six months of which are subject to a period of probation.

Career fields and qualifications

Applicants for positions in the general service category are required to have completed a secondary or higher education, depending on the position, as well as supplementary courses related to the functions of the position and the commensurate number of years of relevant working experience.

The IAEA normally hires general service staff members with relevant experience in the following fields:

Laboratory technician

The main duty of a laboratory technician is to provide assistance to senior laboratory staff. This could include:

• Assisting and supporting research activities;
• Management of experimental data; and
• Quality assurance and research analysis.

Necessary qualifications:

• Completed secondary education, post-secondary education, training in the relevant field;
• Average of five years of relevant laboratory working experience; and
• Such skills as: judgement to undertake laboratory activities, ability to carry out assigned tasks in a timely manner under minimal supervision, and a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

Secretary

The main duty of a secretary is to provide administrative and secretarial support to one or more senior staff. This could include:

• Handling of mail and drafting of correspondence;
• Scheduling appointments and making travel arrangements;
• Administering absence and travel plans for staff; and
• Preparing presentations.

Necessary qualifications:

• Completed secondary education;
• Average of five years of relevant secretarial or clerical working experience, preferably in an international environment;
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software;
• Such skills as: good communication skills, cooperation and teamwork skills, high level of tact and diplomacy, and excellent organizational skills.

Programme management assistant

The main duty of most assistant positions is to provide administrative support in the implementation of programmes. This could include:

• Processing actions related to one project component, such as training courses;
• Placement of fellows and recruitment of experts;
• Liaising with counterpart institutions in Member States; and
• Preparing contractual, travel and financial arrangements.

Necessary qualifications:

• Completed secondary education;
• Minimum of five years of relevant administrative working experience, preferably in an international environment;
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software; and
• Such skills as: good communication abilities and customer service orientation, cooperation and teamwork skills, abilities for the organization and coordination of implementation processes, and excellent organizational skills.

Administrative support staff

The majority of administrative support staff positions include both administrative and financial support to one or more senior staff. This could include:

• Handling of travel documents;
• Assisting in the monitoring of budget funds;
• Processing of procurement requests;
• Preparing reports, statistical data and presentations; and
• Assisting in the organization of various IAEA meetings.

Necessary qualifications:

• Completed secondary education;
• Minimum of five years of relevant administrative experience, preferably in an international environment;
• Knowledge of Automated Travel System, Financial Tracking System, and Microsoft Office software;
• Such skills as: good communication skills and strong customer service orientation, cooperation and teamwork skills, organizational skills and ability to deal with a large volume of work under time pressure with a high level of accuracy.

All candidates must possess the required relevant work experience in their field, preferably in an international work environment.

Good knowledge of both verbal and written English is essential; knowledge of another official Agency language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Russian) is an advantage. Testing may be part of the recruitment process.

Applying for a general service position

Before applying for a specific vacancy notice or submitting a general application, the IAEA advises applicants to ensure that their profile matches the requirements of the job they are applying for, as set out in the vacancy notice. 

Applicants should also check if the location of the vacant post corresponds to their place of residence. For example, applicants for a post at IAEA Headquarters in Vienna must reside in Austria.

Application status

The IAEA is unable to provide up-to-date information on the application status while the recruitment process is ongoing. All applications are carefully reviewed for the respective vacancies. Candidates can check their individual submission status by navigating as below:

1: Enter IAEAs Job Board (link)

2: Click on “My Jobpage” in the top bar

On the job page, you should be able to see the status of each of your application submissions and status of the vacancy notice.

In general, only selected candidates will be notified on the next steps of the recruitment process. All candidates should receive an update at the end of the process. On average, vacancies are processed approximately between six to nine months after the application deadline.