Recruitment process

Here are the basic steps in the recruitment procedure for a position at the EPO. Some steps are different in the recruitment procedure for examiners and in the recruitment procedure for the Boards of Appeal.

Step 1: Application

Fill out the online application form included as a link in the vacancy notice. You will receive confirmation by email that your application has been received.

Step 2: Preselection

Applicants are preselected on the basis of how well they match the required profile, with the aim of deciding which candidates to invite for interview.

Step 3: Interview(s)

Preselected candidates will be invited to a Selection Board interview. They may also be invited to take part in one or more technical / HR virtual interviews beforehand. The interviews evaluate:

• whether they have the professional and soft skills required
• their language skills.

As part of the recruitment procedure, candidates might also be asked to sit tests.

Step 4: Decision

After the interviews, usually one or more candidates are found suitable for the post. The final decision is taken by or on behalf of the President of the EPO.

Step 5: Job offer

The selected candidate will be sent a job offer by post. The offer is conditional on passing a medical examination and a pre-employment screening check. This process is compulsory for all new recruits, meaning that they cannot start work at the EPO until it has been completed.

Screening begins as soon as the selected candidate has accepted our conditional job offer and provided us with a letter of authorisation to start the process.