Technical Manager of the Official Cars Garage - Security Driver

The Official Cars Garage falls under the Directorate of General Services within the Directorate General of Administration. The Official Cars Garage team ensures the official travel of high-profile personalities of the Council of Europe and its distinguished visitors. It is composed of experienced security drivers.

The post-holder is responsible for the technical oversight of the garage for official cars and for the duties of security driver for VIPs and officials.

As a Technical Manager of the Official Cars Garage, you will :

• provide support to the Head of the Garage in managing the team’s operations: schedules, monitoring of drivers’ journeys, on-call system, co-ordination of staff and any extra workers required, help with calls for tenders;
• plan and supervise the routine maintenance and periodic servicing of vehicles (saloons, minibuses, minivans and vans) within set timeframes;
• monitor, maintain and renew the garage’s tools and equipment;
• update activity-related documents and procedures and maintain accurate records of all work carried out and monitoring user satisfaction following the completion of assignments;
• stand in for the Head of the Garage in his absence and ensure continuity of service.

As a Security Driver, you will:

• transport VIPs and officials in Strasbourg and the surrounding area, as well as on some long-distance journeys in France and abroad;
• take part in the garage’s on-call system;
• ensure the safety of passengers during transport and in the vicinity of the vehicle; supplement a close protection detail if required;
• apply security driving techniques and prepare routes in advance (route reconnaissance, hazard anticipation, situational awareness);
• take care of the day-to-day maintenance of the vehicle (cleaning, tyres, fuel) and report any issues;
• demonstrate discretion, attentiveness and the ability to communicate across languages when dealing with an international passenger base; and
• adapt to changes in schedule and fluctuations in workload.

Specific conditions of employment:

• the post-holder will be required to work outside normal working hours, take part in the on-call duty system and make journeys lasting several days in France and abroad; and
• the wearing of uniform is mandatory.

You must:

• hold a valid B driver’s licence, with no restrictions;
• have no criminal record or history that would be incompatible with performing duties in proximity to VIPs;
• have at least 5 years’ experience as a professional driver, preferably in VIP transport, close protection, security or an institutional environment; and demonstrate a good command of security and defensive driving techniques;
• have knowledge of motor vehicle mechanics and/or fleet maintenance monitoring;
• have a very good command of French (working language) and a good working knowledge of English for communication with an international passenger base;
• have good computer skills in standard office tools (Word, Excel, Outlook) for maintaining schedules, journey logs, reports and inventories and command of GPS navigation tools and mapping applications.

You must also:

• be a citizen of one of the member states of the Council of Europe and fulfil the conditions for appointment to the civil service of that state;
• have discharged any obligation concerning national service (military, civil or comparable);
• not be the parent, child, stepchild or grandchild of a serving staff member of the Council of Europe;
• be under the age of 65 years; 

Your application must demonstrate to what extent you have the competencies listed below. To help you doing so, feel free to consult our .

• Operational - Planning and work organisation
• Operational - Analysis and problem solving
• Interpersonal - Service orientation
• Interpersonal - Teamwork and co-operation
• Interpersonal - Adaptability

• Professional and technical expertise:

• utmost discretion, smart appearance and courteous manner;
• high availability and flexibility with regard to working hours;
• composure, alertness and ability to remain calm under pressure;
• rigour, reliability and punctuality.

• Interpersonal - Communication
• Interpersonal - Initiative

• Professional and technical expertise:

• training or certification in security driving techniques/defensive driving (such as a close protection course, defensive and preventive driving, or equivalent);
• first aid qualification;
• experience in team and/or fleet management and co-ordination would be an advantage for the technical aspect of the role;
• basic knowledge of a third language (especially German, given Strasbourg’s location on the border);
• the ability to use fleet management or maintenance tracking software.

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 first assessments are scheduled for 8 July 2026.

For more information on how we recruit, you can consult the page . This recruitment is carried out in accordance with Article 490 of the Council of Europe Staff Rules. 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 .