Vacancy for the function of Director

(Temporary Agent – Grade AD 14)

BEREC/2023/01

(2023/C 226 A/01)

Type of contract:	Temporary Agent 2(a)
Function group and grade:	AD 14
Duration of contract:	5 years (with the possibility of extension)
Place of employment:	Riga, Latvia
Partner Directorate-General:	DG CONNECT — Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology
Deadline for applications:	18 August 2023 at 12:00 (midday), Brussels time

Applications are invited for the vacancy for the function of Director at the Agency for Support for BEREC.

1.   Agency for Support for BEREC (‘BEREC Office’, ‘Agency’)

The BEREC Office has been set up to provide administrative and professional support to BEREC, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications. The BEREC Office is located in Riga, Latvia.

The BEREC Office is an Agency of the European Union (EU) established by Regulation (EU) 2018/1971 (1), managed by a Director under the supervision of a Management Board composed of the heads of the EU national regulatory authorities (NRAs) in charge of the monitoring of the telecom markets and a European Commission representative.

The BEREC Office is responsible, in particular, for collecting information from NRAs and exchanging and communicating information in relation to the role and tasks of BEREC, disseminating regulatory best practice among NRAs, assisting the Chair of the BEREC Board of Regulators in the preparation of his/her work, and setting up and providing support to expert working groups.

The Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union and the rules adopted jointly by the EU institutions for the purpose of applying these Staff Regulations and Conditions of employment apply to the staff of the BEREC Office.

For further information, please consult the BEREC website: www.berec.europa.eu

2.   The post

The Director will be responsible for heading the BEREC Office and will take overall responsibility in the day-to-day work required to provide professional and administrative support to BEREC.

BEREC’s strategic priorities are to promote full connectivity, to support sustainable and open digital markets and to empower end-users. The Director of the BEREC Office will encourage the prioritization of work that improves the conditions for the expansion and take-up of secure, competitive and reliable high-capacity networks across Europe.

The Director will facilitate BEREC work-streams exploring conditions and addressing issues regarding digital service providers and end-users in digital markets, and will support work to promote choice and empowerment for end-users.

The Director shall be the legal representative of the BEREC Office. S/he will be in charge of the administrative management of the BEREC Office and s/he will liaise and ensure coordination with the work of BEREC.

S/he shall perform her/his tasks with independence and shall be accountable to the Management Board. According to Regulation (EU) 2018/1971 the Director shall be responsible for the implementation of the BEREC Office’s tasks and following the guidance provided by the BEREC Board of Regulators and the BEREC Office Management Board. In particular, the Director shall be responsible for:

(a)	the day-to-day administration of the BEREC Office;

(b)	implementing administrative decisions adopted by the Board of Regulators and the Management Board;

(c)	preparing, and submitting to the Management Board, the single programming document referred to in Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971;

(d)	assisting the Board of Regulators in the preparation of BEREC’s annual activity report as referred to in Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971;

(e)	assisting the Board of Regulators in the preparation of BEREC’s annual work programme as referred to in Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971;

(f)	implementing the single programming document, and reporting to the Management Board on its implementation;

(g)	preparing the draft consolidated annual report on the BEREC Office’s activities as referred to in Article 27 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971 and presenting it to the Management Board for assessment and adoption;

(h)	preparing an action plan following conclusions of internal or external audit reports and evaluations, as well as investigations by the OLAF, and reporting on progress at least once a year to the Management Board;

(i)

protecting the financial interests of the Union by applying preventive measures against fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities, by carrying out effective checks and, if irregularities are detected, by recovering amounts wrongly paid and, where appropriate, by imposing effective, proportionate and dissuasive administrative measures, including financial penalties;

(j)	preparing an anti-fraud strategy for the BEREC Office and presenting it to the Management Board for approval;

(k)	preparing draft financial rules applicable to the BEREC Office;

(l)	preparing the BEREC Office’s draft statement of estimates of revenue and expenditure and implementing its budget;

(m)	implementing the BEREC Office’s budget (e.g. acting as authorising officer) and exercising accountability and responsibility vis-à-vis the discharge authority;

(n)

authorising, together with the Board of Regulators, the conclusion of working arrangements with competent Union bodies, offices, agencies and advisory groups and with competent authorities of third countries and with international organisations in accordance with Article 35 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1971;

(o)	acting as appointing authority and authority authorized to conclude contracts of employment in accordance with the Staff Regulations and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants based on delegation of powers by the Management Board.

The Director shall assist the Chair of the Board of Regulators and the Chairperson of the Management Board in preparing the meetings of their respective bodies.

The Director shall, under the supervision of the Management Board, take the necessary measures, in particular with regard to adopting internal administrative instructions and publishing notices, in order to ensure the functioning of the BEREC Office in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1971.

The Director shall, subject to the prior consent of the Commission, the Management Board and the Member States concerned, decide whether it is necessary, for the purpose of carrying out the BEREC Office’s tasks in an efficient and effective manner, to locate one or more members of staff in one or more Member States.

The Director is expected to work full time at the BEREC Office location in Riga, Latvia.

Missions outside the place of employment can be frequent.

The above tasks and responsibilities will be conducted mainly in the English language.

3.   Eligibility criteria

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:

3.1.	Nationality: candidates must be a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union.

3.2.

University degree or diploma: candidates must have: (a) 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; (b) 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 1 year’s professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below).

3.3.	Professional experience: candidates must have at least 15 years postgraduate professional experience (2) 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.

3.4.	Management experience: at least 5 years of the postgraduate professional experience must have been gained in a high–level management function (3) in a field relevant for this position.

3.5.

Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (4) and a satisfactory knowledge of English (5). 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.

3.6.

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)).

4.   Selection criteria

If the eligibility criteria set out in the section ‘Eligibility criteria’ are met, the candidates’ CVs and motivation letters will be evaluated on the basis of the selection criteria below.

The most suitable candidates will be invited to an interview.

When filling in the application form, candidates are expected to include elements that demonstrate that their profile matches the requirements below:

4.1.

Management skills: 4.1.1. Ability and experience in leading and motivating a team in a European, multicultural and multilingual environment; 4.1.2. Experience of budgetary, financial and human resource management in a national, European and/or international context; 4.1.3. Proven ability in management of both policy/strategy development and administrative issues.

4.2.

Specialist skills and experience: 4.2.1. Very sound knowledge of regulatory policy and practice relevant to the electronic communications field and experience of leadership in this area; 4.2.2. A thorough understanding of the EU institutions and how they operate and interact, and of EU policies and international activities of relevance to the activities of BEREC. Previous experience with EU institutions or EU agencies would be an asset; 4.2.3. Recent practical experience in regulatory matters in the electronic communications sector. Experience acquired in an NRA would be an asset.

4.3.

Personal qualities: 4.3.1. Ability to communicate fluently and efficiently with the European institutions, to the public and to cooperate with stakeholders (European, international, national and local authorities, international organisations, etc.) as well as to represent the Agency in international fora; 4.3.2. Excellent interpersonal, decision-making, organisational and negotiation skills as well as the ability to build trusted working relationships with stakeholders relevant to the Agency.

5.   Stages in the selection procedure

The Director will be selected by the Management Board after assessment of her/his merits and suitability for the post, based on the criteria set out above. The selection procedure is laid down in Annex 5 of the Rules of Procedure of the Management Board (doc. MB (19) 95 Rev.1 (7)).

The Management Board sets up a Selection Committee. This Committee will make a comparative assessment of all eligible applications, and identify a number of candidates whose profiles best match the selection criteria listed above. These candidates will be invited for an interview with the Selection Committee.

The selection procedure will be organised in accordance with the following steps:

5.1.	Admission to the selection procedure After the deadline for applications, the complete applications submitted (CVs and motivation letters) will be checked against the eligibility criteria. Only eligible applications will be then assessed against the selection criteria.

5.2.	Assessment of eligible applications The Selection Committee will analyse the motivation letters, and the CVs of eligible applicants with reference to the elements indicated in the selection criteria section.

5.3.

Interview Upon completion of the assessment of eligible applications, the selection committee will invite the most suitable candidates for a first interview round. Upon completion of the first round of interviews, the selection committee will provide to the Management Board a shortlist of the best suitable candidates for the post of Director. The Management Board will then invite the candidates to second round of interviews. The content of the questions asked during the interviews will be set in accordance with the level and profile of the position advertised. Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews and/or tests in addition to those indicated above. Before appointment, the candidate selected by the Management Board shall be invited to make a statement before the competent committee of the European Parliament and to answer questions put by its members.

5.4.

Other practicalities The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid security clearance certificate from her/his national security authority. A personal security clearance is an administrative decision following completion of a security screening conducted by the individual’s competent national security authority in accordance with applicable national security laws and regulations, and certifying that an individual may be allowed to access classified information up to a specified level. (Note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a security clearance can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate). Until the personal security clearance has been granted by the Member State concerned and the clearance procedure completed with the legally required briefing from the European Commission’s Security Directorate, the candidate will not be able to access EU Classified Information (EUCI) at the level of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above, nor attend any meetings at which such EUCI is discussed.

6.   Verification of documents and scrutiny

The information provided in the applications of the successful candidates will be checked against the supporting documents to confirm its accuracy and eligibility.

If, at any stage in the procedure, it is discovered that the information given in an application has been knowingly falsified, the candidate will be disqualified from the selection process.

Candidates will also be disqualified if they:

—	do not meet all eligibility criteria;

—	do not provide all the required supporting documents, including to substantiate the facts and statements in their applications.

7.   Conditions of employment

The salaries and conditions of employment are laid down in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

Jobholder will be appointed by the Management Board as a temporary agent 2a at grade AD 14 (8) pursuant to Article 2a of the Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union for a period of 5 years, with a possible prolongation for a maximum 5 years according to Regulation establishing the agency as applicable at the time of appointment.

S/he will be classified depending on the length of his/her previous professional experience in step 1 or step 2 within that grade.

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

The place of employment is Riga, Latvia.

The post is available from 1 April 2024.

The period of engagement will not in any case exceed the lifetime of the BEREC Office.

8.   Application procedure

8.1.   Applications

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, preferably using the Europass CV format (9), 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.

It is in your interest to ensure that your application is accurate, thorough and truthful.

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.

Applications sent by email will not be accepted. If you require more information and/or encounter technical problems, please send an email to:

HR-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu

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 will not be accepted.

8.2.   Closing date for applications

The closing date for registration is 18 August 2023 at 12:00 (midday) Brussels time, following which registration is no longer possible.

8.3.   Approximate timetable

The selection process may take several months.

9.   Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up her/his duties, the 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 her/his independence.

10.   Other important information

Candidates are reminded that the work of the 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. Any query has to be addressed to the secretariat of the respective panel to the following address CNECT-HR-CORRESPONDENT@ec.europa.eu

11.   Equal opportunities

The Agency pursues a strategic objective of achieving gender equality at all management levels by the end of its current mandate and applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (10) encouraging applications that could contribute towards more diversity, gender equality and overall geographical balance.

12.   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 (11). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

13.   Diversity and inclusion

The Agency recognises that a healthy work-life balance is an important motivational factor for many people and that flexible working is increasingly expected to be part of a modern working environment.

As an employer, the Agency is committed to ensuring gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds, across all abilities and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States.

To promote gender equality, the Agency encourages applications in particular from women.

Assistance can be provided to persons with disabilities during the recruitment procedure.

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(1)  Regulation (EU) 2018/1971 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 establishing the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) and the Agency for Support for BEREC (BEREC Office), amending Regulation (EU) 2015/2120 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1211/2009 (OJ L 321, 17.12.2018, p. 1).

(2)  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.

(3)  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.

(4)  EEC Council: Regulation No 1 determining the languages to be used by the European Economic Community (OJ 17, 6.10.1958, p. 385/58). Consolidated text: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01958R0001-20130701

(5)  Level C1 or above of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). As established in the BEREC Office Management Committee Decision MC/2016/02, the working language of the BEREC Office is English.

(6)  OJ 45, 14.6.1962, p. 1385/62. Consolidated text: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20230101

(7)  https://berec.europa.eu/en/document-categories/berec-office/rules-of-procedure/rules-of-procedure-of-the-management-board-of-the-berec-office-0

(8)  The correction coefficient applicable to the remuneration and pensions of officials and other servants of the European Union for Latvia is set at 85,9 % as from 1 July 2022. This coefficient is subject to an annual revision.

(9)  You can find information on how to create your Europass CV online at: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv

(10)  OJ 45, 14.6.1962, p. 1385/62. Consolidated text: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20230101

(11)  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).