European Border and Coast Guard Agency

Publication of a vacancy for the function of Deputy Executive Director for EBCG Information Management and Processes

(Temporary Agent – Grade AD 13)

COM/2021/20059

(2021/C 102 A/03)

 

We are

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has been established under the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation (1). The Agency was created on the foundations of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (established under Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 (2)). Its current mandate is established in Regulation (EU) 2019/1896, which entered into force on 4 December 2019.

Frontex is located in Warsaw, Poland, and is in the process of significantly increasing the size of its staff to meet its expanding tasks based on the new Regulation.

The new European Border and Coast Guard Regulation provides for the establishment of the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps, which will consist of up to 10 000 operational staff by 2027, and will be deployed along the external land, sea and air borders of the European Union and the Schengen Area. It also significantly reinforces the role of the Agency in the area of return of illegally staying third-country nationals, thereby playing a central role in the common EU system for returns announced in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, to make returns work well in practice. It is a priority for the Agency to become the operational arm of EU return policy.

With the establishment of the standing corps — the first European law enforcement uniformed service — Frontex offers a unique, pioneering opportunity to form part of the EU’s operational arm for European integrated border management. The establishment and operations of the standing corps raise various novel legal challenges and risks. The selected candidate will have a chance to significantly contribute to the application of the EU law in this area by developing creative legal solutions in cooperation with internal and external partners.

The Agency’s key tasks include:

—	operational and technical assistance to the EU Member States at their external borders by coordinating joint border control operations including deployment of European Border and Coast Guard standing corps as well as vessels, aircraft and other equipment,

—	within the remit of its mandate, coordination of border surveillance and law enforcement activities being part of maritime security in cooperation with national authorities and EU agencies such as Europol, EMSA and EFCA,

—	situation monitoring of EU’s external borders and risk analysis of all aspects of European integrated border management, including assessment of the EU Member States’ border control authorities’ ability to face migratory pressure and different challenges at their external borders,

—	in full respect of fundamental rights, assisting Member States in returning nationals of non-EU countries who do not have the right to remain on the territory of the EU,

—	development of training programmes for European border and coast guards,

—	monitoring new technological developments in the field of border control and acting as an interface between research institutions, industry and national border and coast guard authorities,

—	within the remit of its mandate, cooperation with EU and international organisations in the area of border and coast guard management, security, and prevention of cross-border crime (including terrorism),

—	assisting non-EU countries in the context of technical and operational cooperation in the framework of European integrated border management and the EU external relations policy.

For more information, please refer to our website: http://www.frontex.europa.eu

We propose

Under the supervision of the Executive Director, the Deputy Executive Director for EBCG Information Management and Processes shall oversee and coordinate the work of the respective Divisions and be responsible for:

—	supporting and assisting the Executive Director and the Management Board in the strategic development of Frontex by providing advice and expertise in his/her assigned area of responsibility,

—	supporting and assisting the Executive Director in the preparation of Management Board meetings and the implementation of its decisions in his/her assigned area of responsibility,

—	overseeing the preparation and implementation of the multiannual programming and annual work programme within his/her assigned area of responsibility and reporting to the Executive Director and the Management Board on their implementation,

—	planning, directing and coordinating the use of the Agency’s resources in the delivery of the activities in his/her assigned area of responsibility, maximising effectiveness, increasing efficiency and ensuring a high quality of products and services,

—	ensuring the implementation of decisions made during the Agency’s Operational Board and Directors’ Briefing within his/her assigned area of responsibility,

—	providing leadership and direction to his/her staff in the respective Divisions in fulfilling the tasks and objectives assigned to him/her,

—	steering and monitoring business planning as well as performance and quality management within his/her assigned area of responsibility and reporting to the Executive Director on the results thereof,

—	maintaining strategic links with external partners and stakeholders relevant for his/her assigned area of responsibility,

—	promoting and steering effective cross-divisional cooperation,

—	representing Frontex at external meetings and conferences as required by the Executive Director,

—	deputising for the Executive Director in his/her absence, in compliance with the internal deputisation system,

—	performing any other tasks or objectives assigned to him/her by the Executive Director.

The assigned area of responsibility of the Deputy Executive Director for EBCG Information Management and Processes includes:

—	steering, coordinating and supervising the work of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) Central Unit Division and Financial, Digital and Security Division,

—	the oversight of developing, maintaining and securing the information and data flows required by the daily operational response of the European Border and Coast Guard and in enabling remodernisation of administrative support functions,

—	assisting the Executive Director in his capacity as the Agency’s Authorising Officer by overseeing and coordinating functions related to horizontal financial management, including contract management, as well as overseeing and coordinating security service and facility management service,

—	the oversight of coordination and consistency of Frontex’s activities regarding the development, functioning and operational preparedness of all ICT systems and networks used by the Agency,

—	coordinating the cooperation of the Agency with the national Integrated Border Management (IBM) authorities as regards the daily operation of information exchange systems,

—	overseeing and coordinating implementation of European Travel Information and Authorization System in cooperation with relevant internal and external stakeholders,

—	coordinating the Agency’s activities related to the implementation of the interoperability programme.

We look for (selection criteria)

The ideal candidate will be an outstanding and dynamic professional who should fulfil the following selection criteria:

a)   Management skills and experience:

—	solid and proven administrative and management skills, in particular experience of budgetary, financial and human resources management at senior level in a national, European and/or international context,

—	experience in liaison and cooperation on operational, strategic as well as policy matters,

—	ability to develop and set up processes and structures across various fields of activities and to manage and supervise changes trying out new methods for improvements,

—	ability to set and revise objectives within the overall Agency’s strategic framework, to translate the Agency’s priorities and policy guidelines into measurable operational objectives and to develop well organised plans along logical stages, based on the proper understanding of priorities,

—	ability to steer discussions and generate the best possible results without compromising productive working relationships with the other parties involved,

—	ability to empower staff while ensuring that they understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the Agency’s objectives,

—	ability to develop and support career development and learning opportunities for staff,

—	ability to build productive and cooperative working relationships with the Executive Director, the other Deputy Executive Directors and the other colleagues in the Agency.

b)   Specialist skills and experience:

—	thorough knowledge and understanding of the Agency’s mandate, goals, objectives and tasks as well as the understanding of their practical and operational implications,

—	very good knowledge of the EU policy and legal framework in the area of freedom, security and justice, more specifically in the area of border management and returns, including the legal framework on fundamental rights, as well as an understanding of the drivers for development of this policy area,

—	sound understanding of the internal security landscape of the EU as well as the legal framework and practical mechanisms of cooperation between internal security authorities at national and EU level, in particular as regards fields of activity related to the Frontex mandate,

—	sound understanding of the maritime dimension of the Frontex mandate,

—	knowledge and practical experience dealing with financial and budgetary matters as well as procurement procedures in an EU environment,

—	[desirable] university degree in the areas relevant to the mandate and operation of the Agency.

c)   Personal qualities:

—	excellent analytical, organisational and decision-making skills, including the ability to establish clear priorities,

—	excellent ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and to understand organisational dynamics, including a strong sense of strategically and politically sensitive matters,

—	excellent ability to exhibit strategic understanding, display the vision grasping critical issues quickly and translating them into strategic vision,

—	excellent presentation skills, proven ability to work successfully with stakeholders in operational services, government authorities and political environment,

—	proven ability to communicate clearly and present complex subjects simply, both orally and in writing, including to staff,

—	proven ability to solicit inputs from and listen to staff, partners, and stakeholders,

—	ability to deal with people effectively, respectfully and courteously.

Candidates must (eligibility requirements)

Candidates will only be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following formal requirements to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:

—	Nationality: candidates must be a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union or Schengen associated country.

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University degree or diploma: candidates must have: — either a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 4 years or more, — or a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least 1 year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years (this one year’s professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below).

—	Professional experience: candidates must have at least 15 years postgraduate professional experience (3) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in the area of the activities of the Agency.

—	Management experience: at least 5 years of the post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a high-level management function (4) in a field relevant for this position.

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Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (5) and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these official languages. Selection panels will verify during the interview(s) whether candidates comply with the requirement of a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language. This may include (part of) the interview being conducted in this other language.

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Age limit: candidates must be able to complete, at the deadline for application, the full mandate of 5 years before reaching the retirement age. For temporary staff of the European Union, the retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 years (see Article 47 of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (6)).

Selection and appointment

The Deputy Executive Director will be appointed by the Management Board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency on the basis of a shortlist provided by the European Commission.

To establish this shortlist, the European Commission organises a selection in accordance with its selection and recruitment procedures (see the Document on Senior Officials Policy (7)).

As part of this selection procedure, the European Commission sets up a pre-selection panel. This panel analyses all applications, proceeds with a first eligibility verification and identifies candidates having the best profile in view of the selection criteria mentioned above, and who may be invited for an interview with the pre-selection panel.

Following these interviews, the pre-selection panel draws up its conclusions and proposes a list of candidates for further interviews with the European Commission’s Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). The CCA, taking into consideration the conclusions of the pre-selection panel, will decide on the candidates to be invited for an interview.

Candidates who are called for an interview with the CCA participate in a full-day management assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants. Taking account of the results of the interview and the report of the assessment centre, the CCA establishes a shortlist of candidates it considers suitable to exercise the function of Deputy Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

Candidates on the CCA shortlist will be interviewed by the Member(s) of the Commission responsible for the Directorate-General in charge of the relations with the Agency (8).

Following these interviews, the European Commission adopts a shortlist of the three most suitable candidates, which will be communicated to the Management Board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. The latter may decide to interview the candidates before appointing the Deputy Executive Director from among the candidates on the Commission shortlist. Inclusion on this shortlist does not guarantee appointment.

Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews and/or tests in addition to those indicated above.

For functional reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in the interest of the candidates as well as that of the institution, the selection procedure will be carried out in English and/or French only (9).

Equal opportunities

The European Commission and European Border and Coast Guard Agency apply a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (10).

Conditions of employment

The salaries and conditions of employment are laid down in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (11).

The successful candidate will be engaged by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency as a Temporary Agent at grade AD 13 (12). He/she will be classified depending on the length of his/her previous professional experience in step 1 or step 2 within that grade.

He/she will be appointed for an initial mandate of 5 years, with a possible prolongation for a maximum 5 years according to the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation as applicable at the time of appointment.

Applicants should note the requirement under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants for all new staff to complete successfully a 9-month probationary period.

The place of employment is Warsaw, Poland, where the European Border and Coast Guard Agency has its seat.

The post is available immediately.

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up his/her duties, the Deputy Executive Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to declare any interests, which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence.

Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all eligibility requirements (‘Candidates must’), particularly concerning the types of diploma, high-level professional experience as well as linguistic capacity required. Failure to meet any of the eligibility requirements means an automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.

If you want to apply, you must register via the internet on the following website and follow the instructions concerning the various stages of the procedure:

https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/

You must have a valid email address. This will be used to confirm your registration as well as to remain in contact with you during the different stages of the procedure. Therefore, please keep the European Commission informed about any change in your email address.

To complete your application, you need to upload a CV in PDF format and to fill out, online, a letter of motivation (maximum 8 000 characters). Your CV and your letter of motivation may be submitted in any of the official languages of the European Union.

Once you have finished your online registration, you will receive an electronic mail confirming that your application has been registered. If you do not receive a confirmation mail, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor the progress of your application online. You will be contacted directly by the European Commission regarding the status of your application.

If you require more information and/or encounter technical problems, please send an email to: HR-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 23 April 2021, 12.00 noon Brussels time, following which registration is no longer possible.

It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time. We strongly advise you not to wait until the last few days before applying, since heavy internet traffic or a fault with your internet connection could lead to the online registration being terminated before you complete it, thereby obliging you to repeat the whole process. Once the deadline for the submission of registrations has passed, you will no longer be able to introduce any data. Late registrations are not accepted.

Important information for candidates

Candidates are reminded that the work of the different selection panels is confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with their individual members or for anybody to do so on their behalf. All queries must be addressed to the secretariat of the relevant panel.

Protection of personal data

The Commission will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (13). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

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(1)  Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624 (OJ L 295, 14.11.2019, p. 1).

(2)  Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2004 of 26 October 2004 establishing a European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (OJ L 349, 25.11.2004, p. 1).

(3)  Professional experience is only taken into consideration if it represents an actual work relationship defined as real, genuine work, on a paid basis and as employee (any type of contract) or provider of a service. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the certified percentage of full-time hours worked. Maternity leave/parental leave/leave for adoption is taken into consideration if it is in the framework of a work contract. PhDs are assimilated to professional experience, even when unpaid, but for a duration of 3 years maximum, provided that the PhD has been successfully completed. A given period may be counted only once.

(4)  In their curriculum vitae, candidates should clearly indicate for all years during which management experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of management positions held; (2) numbers of staff overseen in these positions; (3) the size of budgets managed; (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below; and (5) number of peers.

(5)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01958R0001-20130701&qid=1408533709461&from=EN

(6)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20140701&from=EN

(7)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/compilation-of-the-senior-official-policy-at-the-european-commission_en.pdf

(8)  Unless the Member of the Commission concerned, in line with the Commission Decision of 5 December 2007 (PV(2007) 1811) and 30 September 2020 (PV(2020) 2351), has delegated this task.

(9)  Selection panels will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers of these languages.

(10)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20140701&from=EN

(11)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20140701&from=EN

(12)  The correction coefficient applicable to the remuneration and pensions of officials and other servants of the European Union for Poland is set at 70,9 % as from 1 July 2020. This coefficient is subject to an annual revision.

(13)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).