European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency Jobs

Mission and mandate

CINEA was established by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/173 of 12 February 2021 and started operations on 1 April 2021, replacing the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA, which had managed CEF, Horizon 2020 transport and energy, and parts of LIFE since 2014). The 2021 reorganisation of executive agencies redistributed portfolios across the agency network, with CINEA taking on the full LIFE programme (previously managed by EASME), the maritime and fisheries portfolio (also from EASME), and the Innovation Fund.

CINEA's role is delegated programme management: the parent Directorates-General (DG MOVE for transport, DG ENER for energy, DG CLIMA for climate and the Innovation Fund, DG ENV for environment, DG RTD for research clusters, DG CNECT for digital under CEF Digital, DG MARE for maritime and fisheries) define the policy and design the programmes; CINEA manages the implementation. That means publishing calls, organising proposal evaluations with external experts, signing grant agreements with successful beneficiaries, monitoring project execution, processing payments, recovering funds where needed, and feeding policy lessons back to the parent DGs.

The portfolio under CINEA management at the 2021 start was approximately €60 billion across CEF Transport (€25.8 billion), CEF Energy (€5.8 billion), CEF Digital (~€2 billion), LIFE (~€5.4 billion), the Innovation Fund (~€38 billion over the period from EU ETS auction revenues), Horizon Europe Cluster 5 (€15.1 billion), Cluster 6 (€8.95 billion), and the Just Transition Fund Public Sector Loan Facility. The size of the Innovation Fund makes CINEA the largest single manager of EU climate funding.

Structure and operational divisions

CINEA is led by a Director (Dirk Beckers from the agency's establishment) and structured into departments aligned with the funding programmes: Department A, Connecting Europe Facility Transport; Department B, Connecting Europe Facility Energy; Department C, LIFE and Just Transition; Department D, Innovation Fund; Department E, Horizon Europe Cluster 5 (climate, energy, mobility); Department F, Horizon Europe Cluster 6 (food, bioeconomy, environment, circular economy); and a Resources Department covering HR, finance, ICT, communications, and legal. Each programme department is further divided into units by funding sub-stream (e.g. CEF Transport has units for the core network corridors, for rail interoperability, for inland waterways, etc.).

Geographically CINEA is entirely concentrated in Brussels, with offices at White Atrium (rue de la Loi area) and Covent Garden. There are no field offices. The agency works closely with the European Investment Bank for the Innovation Fund's blending instruments and with national CEF and LIFE contact points across member states.

Hiring landscape over the last 12 months

CINEA hiring concentrates on three streams. First, project officers (FG IV most often), staff who manage portfolios of grant agreements across CEF, LIFE, the Innovation Fund, and Horizon Europe Clusters. These posts typically require a relevant master's degree (engineering, environmental sciences, energy, transport, economics, public policy depending on the stream), a few years of project or grant management experience, and English to C1. Second, financial officers (FG III to FG IV), staff handling payment files, eligibility checks, recovery orders, and audit follow-up. Third, call and evaluation coordinators (FG IV), staff organising annual call cycles, recruiting external evaluators, running evaluation sessions, and drafting evaluation summary reports.

A smaller stream of AD temporary agent posts opens for heads of unit, sector experts, and policy officers. The agency relies heavily on CAST Permanent for its contract agent recruitment, candidates register once in the relevant FG profile (project, finance, communication, IT, etc.) and are then drawn from the CAST pool as posts open. CINEA's volume of CAST recruitment makes it one of the most accessible EU institutions for early- and mid-career candidates.

Salary realism by grade and the Brussels coefficient

Brussels is the reference duty station under Article 64 of the Staff Regulations with a correction coefficient of 100.0. CINEA salaries therefore equal the nominal EU grid. An FG IV step 1 grosses €4,449 monthly basic at the 2024/2025 grid; an FG III step 1 grosses €3,225. With the standard 16% expatriation allowance (where applicable, for staff not from Belgium and not previously resident in Belgium long-term), a household allowance for a married hire, and a dependent-child allowance per child, an FG IV expatriate with one child typically lands around €5,700 to €6,200 gross monthly before tax. EU tax is progressive; net take-home is roughly 80 to 84% of gross at FG IV.

For AD grades the figures match Commission AD grades in Brussels: AD5 step 1 at €6,153, AD7 step 1 at €7,876, AD9 step 1 at €10,083. Brussels cost of living is moderate by EU duty-station standards, restaurants and groceries are reasonable, transport is cheap, housing is materially lower than Paris, Dublin, or Stockholm. The European Schools network in Brussels (four schools) means the education allowance fully covers schooling. Use the [salary calculator](/guide/salary-calculator/) to model an FG IV or AD5 take-home for Brussels.

Languages, security clearance, and competition profile

English is the working language across CINEA. French is dominant socially given the Brussels location and is useful for daily life but not required for the job. Knowledge of a second EU language is a regulatory minimum for AD and FG posts. Project officers managing portfolios with beneficiaries in particular regions benefit from additional languages (German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Romanian) but it is not a recruitment criterion in most cases.

Security clearance is not generally required at CINEA. Staff handling sensitive procurement or restricted programme information are subject to standard confidentiality undertakings, and a small number of posts in the Innovation Fund or CEF Defence-Dual-Use may be subject to a case-by-case clearance.

The competition profile for FG IV project officer posts favours candidates with a relevant master's degree (engineering, environmental sciences, energy systems, transport, economics, public policy, depending on the programme), 2 to 5 years of project or grant management experience (in EU programmes, national agencies, consultancies, NGOs, or the private sector), and C1 English. For AD specialist posts the bar rises to 5 to 10 years of relevant sector experience and a strong publication or policy track record.

Application paths

CINEA recruits via three routes. CAST Permanent, by far the dominant channel. Register on the EU Careers portal in the relevant FG profile (Project/Programme Management, Finance, Communications, ICT, Administrative Support) at the FG level (II, III, IV) matching your experience; once your profile is in the CAST pool, CINEA HR can pre-select your file for a specific vacancy and invite you to a written test and interview. The CAST test is a multi-stage CBT (computer-based test) covering verbal, numerical, abstract reasoning, and professional knowledge; passing CAST is the prerequisite for being invited to a CINEA-specific selection. CAST results are valid indefinitely (the test can be re-taken after a waiting period).

Direct temporary agent recruitment, for AD posts at the agency. Vacancy notices are published on cinea.ec.europa.eu/jobs and on the EU Careers portal. Applications are submitted via the EU Careers portal with CV, motivation letter, and supporting documents. Shortlisted candidates undergo a written test and structured interview.

Seconded national experts and traineeships, CINEA hosts a steady flow of SNEs from national environment, transport, and energy ministries, and runs the standard Commission Blue Book traineeship cycle (twice a year, five-month paid placements). The traineeship is a realistic entry route for early-career candidates targeting a subsequent CAST FG IV recruitment.