Trusted Jobs

REF.: EASO/2020/TA/004                            

Title of function: Head of European Affairs Sector

Type of contract: Temporary Agent

Function Group-Grade: AD 8    

1. We are

The European Asylum Support Office (hereinafter referred to as "EASO"), established by Regulation 439/2010[1], strengthens European Union (EU) Member States’ practical cooperation on asylum, enhances the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and supports Member States whose asylum and reception systems are under particular pressure.

Specifically, EASO focuses on three main tasks:

1. Supporting practical cooperation among Member States on asylum mainly through training, quality activities, country of origin information (COI), statistics and analysis, specialised expert networks, practical cooperation workshops, thematic support on unaccompanied minors, trafficking in human beings and gender;
2. Supporting Member States under particular pressure through emergency support, including the deployment of asylum support teams to assist EU Member States in managing asylum applications and in putting in place appropriate reception facilities;
3. Contributing to the implementation of the CEAS by collecting and exchanging information on best practices, drawing up an annual report on the asylum situation in the EU covering the whole asylum procedure in EU Member States and adopting technical documents, on the implementation of the new EU asylum acquis.

The organisation chart of EASO can be consulted in the EASO Work Programme on EASO website (https://www.easo.europa.eu/about-us/easo-organisation-structure).

The headquarters of EASO are located at the Valletta Harbour (Malta).

1. We propose

The Head of European Affairs Sector will report to the Head of the European and International Cooperation Unit. The successful candidate will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Lead and manage the European Affairs Sector within the European and Internal Cooperation Unit (EICU);
2. Coordinate, in close liaison with other Units or Sectors as appropriate, strategic cooperation with EU stakeholders, including EU institutions, bodies and Agencies, and Member States;
3. Coordinate and supervise cooperation with civil society, including the work of the EASO Consultative Forum;
4. Manage, coordinate and maintain a horizontal overview of EASO’s relations with EU stakeholders;
5. Coordinate the drafting, negotiation and conclusion of Working Arrangements and  cooperation plans with EU stakeholders, and monitor and follow up on their implementation;
6. Coordinate and organise meetings, consultations and other activities with EU stakeholders;
7. Coordinate and supervise the drafting of briefing notes, concept notes, policy and position papers, speeches and meeting reports as required;
8. Ensure monitoring of developments relating to international protection and to EASO at EU level;
9. Contribute to the drafting of the EASO Annual Work Programme, budget estimates and other strategic documents, and to monitor and report on activities that fall within the remit of the sector;
10. Perform any other tasks as required by the Head of Unit or the Executive Director.

We look for

Eligibility criteria

Candidates will be considered eligible for selection on the basis of the following formal criteria to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:

1. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma[2] and, after having obtained the university diploma, at least 9 years of appropriate professional experience, or
2. have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma and, after having obtained the university diploma, at least 10 years of appropriate professional experience;
3. Be nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland;
4. Be entitled to their full rights as citizens;
5. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws on military service;
6. Possess a thorough knowledge (level C1 in all dimensions as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFRL) of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge (level B2 in all dimensions as per the CEFRL) of another of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties pertaining to the post[3];
7. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved[4];
8. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post[5].

Selection criteria

If the eligibility criteria set out in section A) Eligibility criteria are met, the candidates’ applications will be evaluated on the basis of the following selection criteria. The most suitable candidates will be invited to an interview.

Essential

1. Proven experience in a position related to the aforementioned tasks, in an EU Institution, EU Agency, International Organisation or National Administration;
2. Proven professional experience in the management of a team of professionals;
3. Proven knowledge of the area of migration and international protection, in particular the legal framework relating to the Common European Asylum System;
4. Proven knowledge of and experience in the EU legislative process.
5. Excellent command of spoken and written English.

Advantageous

1. A University degree obtained in a field relevant to the above-mentioned tasks and duties (European Studies, Law, International Relations, Political Science, or similar);
2. Experience with facilitating meetings and public speaking;
3. Proven direct experience in EU legislative and policy negotiations in the area of international protection.

Evaluation during interviewing process

Candidates invited to the interviewing process (interview and written test) will be assessed based on the essential and advantageous criteria described in this Section[6], and the following additional criteria relevant to the post:

1. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills;
2. Excellent written and oral command of English;
3. The ability to use electronic office equipment and applications (word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc.).

During the interviewing process, candidates may also be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Ledge of the mission and organisation of EASO;
2. Ability to motivate, coach and develop others effectively in a multidisciplinary team in a multicultural and multilingual environment;
3. Ability to foster teamwork and collaborations;
4. Ability to delegate, establish objectives and monitor follow-up of activities;
5. Ability to communicate clearly and present complex subjects simply, both orally and in writing, including to the members of the team;
6. Ability to deal with people effectively, respectfully and courteously.
7. Selection and appointment

The Regulation which provides the legal basis for EASO was adopted in May 2010 (Official Journal of the European Union L 132 of 29.5.2010).

Eligibility of candidates will be assessed by a Selection Committee according to compliance with all eligibility criteria by the closing date for the submission of applications.

The applications of the eligible candidates will also be assessed against the selection criteria. Following this assessment, the best ranking candidates may be invited for a written competency test and an interview, which will be held in English.

The interview will consist of the following components:

• General aptitude and language abilities to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties in accordance with Article 12.2(e) of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• Specific competences with reference to the applicants' profiles in line with the selection criteria of the present Vacancy Notice.

Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring originals and copies of the documents listed below:

• A document proving their citizenship (e.g. passport);
• Certificates attesting their educational and professional qualifications, in particular those giving access to the profile in question;
• Documentation evidencing the professional experience acquired after obtaining the qualification that enabled the candidate to be eligible for the post. The documents must clearly indicate exact dates of employment (start date and end date), type of employment (part-time or full-time) and the nature of the duties carried out.

Important note:

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, this selection procedure may be organised online. In such case, further information will be provided by EASO to candidates invited for an interview regarding the practical modalities for the assessment and the presentation of the above requested documents.

The Selection Committee will propose a shortlist of successful candidates to the Appointing Authority. These will then propose the most suitable candidate and establish a reserve list for the post in question. Candidates shall note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment. Recruitment will be based on availability of posts and budget.

The reserve list for this post will be valid until 31 December 2020 and may be extended at the discretion of the Appointing Authority.

Prior to signing the contract, the successful candidate will be asked to undergo a compulsory medical examination by one of the institutions' medical officers which will enable EASO to ensure that he/she fulfils the requirement stated in Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulations of the Officials of the European Union.

1. Equal Opportunities

EASO applies an equal opportunities policy and accepts applications without discriminating on the basis of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

1. Conditions of employment

The Temporary Agent will be appointed by the Executive Director, upon recommendation of the Selection Committee, following the selection procedure.

He/she will be recruited as a Temporary Agent according to Article 2(f) of the CEOS for a period of 5 years which may be renewed. The Temporary Agent post in question will be placed in group AD 8.

Successful candidates who are recruited will undergo an initial probation period of nine months.

The pay for a Temporary Agent, AD 8 (step 1) consists of a basic salary of 7,072.70 € weighted by the correction coefficient (for Malta currently 92.0 %) supplemented with various allowances, where appropriate, such as expatriation and family allowances. The salaries of staff members are subject to a European Union tax deducted at source. Staff members are exempt from national tax on salary and are members of the European Union social security and pension schemes.

For further information on working conditions of Temporary Agents please refer to CEOS:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

The place of employment is Valletta Harbour (Malta).

1. Application Procedure

For applications to be valid, candidates shall:

• Use the official application form provided on the EASO website. The candidate is requested to fully complete all sections of the application form in English;
• Only EASO application forms sent to applications@easo.europa.eu will be accepted, any other CV format or email address or other channel will not be accepted;
• The subject of the e-mail should include the reference of this vacancy, followed by the candidate's surname. Only EASO application forms indicating a correct reference number and job title will be accepted.

Incomplete applications will be disqualified and treated as non-eligible. Candidates who use the same application to apply for more than one post will also be disqualified. Application forms must be modified according to the post in question.

Please note that the selection process may take several months.

In order to facilitate the selection process, all correspondence to candidates concerning this vacancy will be in English[7].

Candidates should not approach, directly or indirectly, the Selection Committee under any circumstances in relation to this recruitment process. The Appointing Authority reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.

Closing date:

The closing date for submission of the applications is 12th September 2020 at 13:00h (Malta time). EASO will disregard any application received after this date and time.

Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the date of the deadline to submit their applications. EASO is not held responsible for any delays in submission of applications due to technical difficulties or any other factors that may arise.

If a candidate is found to have provided false information at any stage in the selection procedure, EASO is within its capacity to disqualify the candidate in question.

this job offer is not open for applications