Occupational Physician - Head of Medical Service

We are seeking an Occupational Physician to lead the Council of Europe's Medical Service.

Our Medical Service currently comprises two Physicians (including the Head of the Medical Service), four Nurses, and a Social Advice Officer. The successful candidate will work closely with colleagues responsible for the administration of medical insurance and absences, as well as with other well-being actors. They will report directly to the Head of Administrative, Social and Financial Management of Staff within the Directorate of Human Resources, which is part of the Directorate General of Administration.

As an Occupational Physician, Head of Medical Service, you will perform the following duties:

• supervising and ensuring the effective management of the service, its activities and administrative procedures;
• dealing with medical emergencies and providing first-level care for all persons on our premises;
• performing or supervising medical examinations of new recruits, regular medical examinations, and medical examinations when staff return to work, at staff members’ request or as part of medical follow-up; performing specific medical supervision of staff members in high-risk posts;
• monitoring staff members on sick leave and long-term sick leave, in liaison with the colleagues responsible for administrative supervision and the Human Ressources (HR) Partners; as well as monitoring pregnancies, young mothers and staff members with disabilities;
• following up on and updating staff members’ vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis and whooping cough or in order to prevent certain particular risks (exposure to blood, exposure to other biological products, official journeys, etc.); organising annual flu vaccination;
• arranging the outsourcing of medical examinations for staff members in the , including contacting and negotiating with the service providers, monitoring the service provided, and proposing improvements;
• developing and implementing prevention policies within the Organisation, including in the event of health crises or particular threats; co-operating with colleagues from Directorate of Human Ressources (DHR) in charge of well-being activities and colleagues from the Directorate General of Administration (DGA)'s communication team in developing a communication strategy on medical issues and prevention;
• providing expertise on physical and mental health and hygiene, including sanitary facilities and catering services, as well as on work ergonomics and toxicology;
• proposing and conducting activities to improve working conditions and public health, analysing working conditions, studying and proposing adaptations of workstations to improve inclusion of persons with disabilities and in an industrial setting (in particular for those at the );
• organising and participating in meetings of the Invalidity Board, and sitting as a full member on the Boards for children with disabilities and on parents with severe medical conditions who are financially dependent on staff members;
• serving as an advisory member of the Committee on Workplace Safety and Security (CSST) and the Committee on Medical and Social Protection (CPMS);
• taking part in meetings with physicians from other international organisations and with occupational physicians from the region in which the Organisation is headquartered, and prompting the organisation of such meetings if necessary; 
• regularly reviewing internal regulations on occupational health and definitions of protocols, supervising updates and monitoring thereof.

• Managerial - Management of teams
• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Analysis and problem solving
• Interpersonal - Communication

• Professional and technical expertise:

• good knowledge of recent developments in workplace policy management and the ability to adapt and apply new concepts appropriately and innovatively in a multicultural setting;
• knowledge of standard IT tools (Microsoft Office) and ability to learn how to use new software quickly.

• Interpersonal - Relationship building
• Interpersonal - Adaptability

• Professional and technical expertise:

• knowledge of the French medical system and French social security legislation, in particular regarding workplace accidents and occupational diseases;
• knowledge of the medical situation in the other member states, in particular those where the ;
• knowledge of travel medicine.

This job vacancy is for an international external recruitment. You can consult the conditions of employment (salaries, allowances, pension scheme, social insurance, etc.) on the webpage . 

The position is to be filled as of June 1, 2026.

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page . This recruitment is carried out in accordance with . The deadline for applications is indicated in the General information section of this vacancy notice (see above) and is fixed at 23:59:59 (CET/CEST). When applying, make sure your motivation shows how your competencies make your profile the best for the role.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion or belief. Under its equal opportunity policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve gender parity in staff employed in each category and grade. At the time of appointment, preference between suitable people shall be given to the person of the gender which is under-represented in the relevant grades within the category to which the vacancy belongs.

Applicants with specific needs are encouraged to request reasonable accommodations at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact us at , we will ensure that your request is handled.

The information published on the CoE’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication of the vacancy notice. Any changes to these conditions during the recruitment process will be updated on our Portal and will apply at the time of the job offer. Our career's website is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. Should you have remaining questions, please contact us at .