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The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The EFTA Secretariat provides services to the EFTA States. In Brussels this entails support in the management of the EEA Agreement, in particular in ongoing decision making for the continuing evolution of the EEA Agreement.

The EEA Coordination Division consists of currently 17 staff members and is responsible for the overall coordination of general policy and legal EEA related activities, i.a. servicing the EEA Council, the EEA Joint Committee, the Standing Committee of the EFTA States, and the EFTA Advisory bodies (EFTA Parliamentary Committee and EFTA Consultative Committee).

We are looking for a highly motivated and qualified candidate who is willing to take on a challenging post in a dynamic environment.

This position is open to nationals of the EFTA Member States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

Division: EEA Co-ordination
Category/Level: A4
Type/Duration of Appointment: Fixed term three years. If considered desirable and in the organisation’s interest, an additional three-year contract may be offered.
Start Date: 1 January 2021
Job Reference: VA 14/2020

Scope

The successful applicant’s primary responsibility will be to provide services to the EFTA Advisory bodies, primarily as Secretary to the EFTA Consultative Committee (representatives of employers and trade unions’ organisations of the EFTA countries), as well as to the corresponding committee established under the EEA Agreement, the EEA Consultative Committee. S/he will work closely with the Secretary to the EFTA Parliamentary Committee and the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee, and provide assistance to the Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the EEA EFTA States.

The work entails organising regular meetings, seminars and/or conferences of the Committee and providing information and support to members of the EFTA Consultative Committee. The successful applicant will work closely with the Chair of the Committee and Bureau members and organise the day-to-day work of the Committee. The successful applicant will notably be involved in researching, analysing and preparing policy documents, reports and resolutions on issues of interest to the committees in cooperation with experts in the Secretariat. The successful applicant will also, in cooperation with colleagues in the EEA Coordination Division, monitor policy developments in the EU and in international trade and contribute to the Secretariat’s analytical and horizontal policy work.

The role involves liaison between the EFTA Consultative Committee and the statutory bodies of EFTA and the EEA, as well as the European Economic and Social Committee, European social partners, the national parliaments of the EFTA States, the European institutions, International and national organisations, Think Tanks and Academia.

The successful applicant will also have the responsibility of giving presentations and briefings, both internally and externally, on EFTA third country policy, the EEA and developments in the EU. The successful applicant is expected to travel on a regular basis and must be willing to take on other tasks as needed.

Qualifications

• Higher university degree in international relations, political science, economics, law or equivalent.

Experience

• A minimum of 3-5 years relevant work experience, preferably in a national administration, parliament, social partner organisation or international organisation;
• Excellent ability to draft speaking notes, analytical reports and policy papers concisely and clearly in the English language;
• Solid knowledge of EFTA and the EEA Agreement, international trade policy and EU policies and institutional structure;
• Experience with standard office software.

Skills

• Result-oriented approach, a productive and co-operative attitude, and good diplomatic, communication and social skills;
• Excellent organisational ability and facility for teamwork, including the ability to effectively participate in coordinating work of highly qualified professionals in a dynamic, task-oriented and multi-cultural environment;
• Self-reliance, autonomy and ability to take initiative and deliver with short deadlines on sensitive issues under pressure.

Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• Knowledge of French and/or another language of the EFTA member states would be an asset.

Employment Terms

Grade: A4
Annual starting salary: EUR 95'300

Appointments are normally made at the first step of the grade. The Secretary-General reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level different from that advertised.

EFTA is an international organisation and the salaries and related payments are normally exempt from income taxation by the EFTA States and the host states of the EFTA duty stations. Depending on the candidate’s family status, benefits and allowances may apply.

Applicants must be nationals of one of the EFTA Member States.

Applicants must apply online via the EFTA e-recruitment tool: http://jobs.efta.int.

For further information on this post, please contact:

On job content: Mr Andri Luthersson, Director ECD, alu@efta.int.
On process: Ms Inga Hanna Gudmundsdottir, Head of HR, ihg@efta.int.
Technical issues: HR Support, HR.support@efta.int.

Any questions about the application and selection process should be directed to HR.

Deadline for applications: 8 November 2020.

this job offer is not open for applications