OECD contracts and grades: the new job-family system explained

OECD job advertisements now use a job-family grading system. Applicants still encounter older A, B, C and L grades in staff data and documents, because the change applies according to appointment date. Mixing the two systems produces false equivalencies.

The Organisation recruits mainly in Paris, with some work attached to the International Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy Agency and other OECD bodies. The vacancy identifies the employer and framework.

Official, temporary and associated staff

Official Staff carry out the OECD programme of work. Senior Executive Leadership officials at EL1 through EL3 receive an initial fixed-term contract of up to three years. It may be renewed more than once, with each renewal lasting no more than three years.

Other officials receive either an open-ended contract or fixed-term contracts whose total continuous duration is no more than three years. A fixed-term offer should not be read as an assurance of an open-ended appointment.

Temporary Staff meet short-term needs such as specialized work or leave cover. They are normally employed for up to two years of continuous service and use a separate corporate salary framework with Policy and Support function groups.

Associated Staff include persons on loan and interns. A person on loan remains linked to a public or private institution and can be appointed for up to 36 months. Internships are initially up to six months and renewable to twelve months. Neither route is the same as Official Staff employment.

Current grades and legacy categories

Officials appointed after 1 October 2023 are classified in four job families. General Administration runs from GA1 to GA10. Corporate Functions runs from CF1 to CF7. Policy Analysis and Legal runs from PAL1 to PAL8. Executive Leadership runs from EL1 to EL3.

General Administration includes administrative support, project coordination and managerial guidance. Corporate Functions covers areas such as finance, HR and IT. Policy Analysis and Legal includes economics, statistics, policy advice, research and law. Executive Leadership steers directorates and the Organisation.

Officials appointed before the change remain in the older category structure: A1–A7, legal grades in the L structure, B1–B6 and C1–C6. The Staff Regulations contain the formal rules and salary scales. There is no sound reason to translate a new PAL grade into an old A grade unless an official document supplies the equivalence for that purpose.

Each grade has eight published salary steps in the current official framework. A step is a pay point within the grade, not a separate rank or job title. Use the scale for the current year and duty station. The published Paris scale is monthly and generally exempt from national income tax, although the OECD notes exceptions for some US, Canadian and Japanese nationals depending on personal circumstances.

Eligibility, location and work

The OECD application page says applicants normally must be nationals of an OECD member country, be under 67 and be fluent in English or French with knowledge of, or willingness to learn, the other. A vacancy may state an authorized nationality exception under the Staff Regulations.

Most positions are in Paris. A local or temporary arrangement should be assessed on its own terms rather than assumed to include expatriation benefits.

Beyond economists, the OECD hires statisticians, lawyers, tax and finance specialists, environmental and energy experts, education and social-policy analysts, digital-policy professionals, editors, translators, communications staff, project managers, HR, procurement, finance, IT and administrative support.

Recruitment and pay

Applications are made on the OECD SmartRecruiters platform. The official process begins with online application and screening, followed by assessments and interviews appropriate to the post. Recruitment for Official positions commonly takes four to six months.

For Official Staff, consult the current grade and step scale and then check allowances. Family, education, expatriation, installation and removal benefits depend on eligibility. Temporary Staff salaries are taxable and follow their separate framework; interns receive a living-expense contribution.

A legacy A-grade salary, a new PAL-grade salary and a temporary Policy-function salary may all describe policy work, but they belong to different employment systems.