Romania opens applications for 7,800 school leadership positions

Registration has opened for a national competition to fill over 7,800 vacant positions for school directors and deputy directors within Romania's state pre-university education system. Eligible candidates must be tenured teaching staff with at least five years of experience in the education sector.

The application process runs from September 14 until October 2, 2026, via a dedicated online platform. Following the verification of files, the competition includes several stages: a competency evaluation on October 13, a written exam on October 20, and administrative evaluations of managerial and action plans between October 21 and November 4. Final results are expected to be published on December 9, 2026.

In Neamț County, the School Inspectorate (ISJ) is specifically recruiting for 169 positions, consisting of 117 full directors and 52 deputies. Interim Minister of Education Mihai Dimian stated that filling these leadership roles through formal competition aims to provide greater stability to the education system and move away from temporary solutions.