19.12.2014

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 457/1

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Vacancy notice for the position of Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) London

(Temporary Agent — Grade AD 15)

COM/2014/10367

(2014/C 457 A/01)

 

We are

Established by Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is responsible for coordinating the authorisation, supervision and pharmacovigilance of medicinal products for human and veterinary use in the European Union (EU) through the work of its scientific committees and a large expert network put at its disposal by Member States.

For further information please consult the following website: http://www.EMA.europa.eu/

We propose

The Executive Director is the legal representative and public face of EMA and is accountable to the EMA Management Board, set up under Article 65 of the EMA Founding Regulation (2). She/he will lead and manage EMA and take overall responsibility for its operations ensuring the achievement of EMA’s objectives.

The Executive Director shall be completely independent in the performance of his/her duties, without prejudice to the respective competencies of the Commission and the Management Board.

The Executive Director will be responsible for:

—	the day-to-day administration of the Agency with a budget in 2014 of around EUR 297 million and 728 staff,

—	managing EMA in line with its Founding Regulation and with applicable legislation in force and with the decisions of its Management Board,

—	taking general responsibility for managing EMA’s staff effectively and efficiently, and fostering a good team spirit and working environment,

—	managing all the Agency resources necessary for conducting the activities of its committees, including making available appropriate scientific and technical support,

—	drawing up EMA’s Strategy and draft work programmes, and reporting on their direction and policy setting procedures to the Management Board,

—	reporting on the implementation of the work programmes and decisions adopted by the Management Board,

—	providing the secretariat for the Management Board,

—	taking general responsibility for the overall performance of the tasks assigned to EMA including supervising the quality of its internal control and management systems,

—	preparing and executing EMA’s budget in line with Financial Framework Regulation (3) for agencies and ensuring that it is managed efficiently and in accordance with the principle of sound financial management,

—	taking general responsibility for the financial matters of EMA including, inter alia, final accounts and financing decisions,

—	representing EMA and communicating with the range of stakeholders and the public on all matters within the Agency’s remit,

—	ensuring cooperation with the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States as well as with competent bodies in Member States carrying out similar tasks to those of EMA,

—	ensuring that the time-limits laid down in Union legislation for the adoption of opinions by the Agency are complied with,

—	ensuring appropriate coordination between its committees,

—	exercising the responsibilities set out, in Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), for paediatric investigation plans and waivers.

Capacity to lead an organisation of the size of EMA

Candidates should have:

(a)

Management experience, and in particular: — capacity to lead an organisation the size of EMA, both at a strategic and at operational management level, — excellent capacity to develop and implement a strategic vision, to set objectives and to motivate and lead large teams in a multicultural and multilingual environment, — very good decision-making skills, including the capacity to take decisions in a complex political environment and in emergency situations, — proven experience in budgetary, financial and human resources management in a national, European and/or international context, — a demonstrable appreciation of promoting EMA’s guiding principles of openness, transparency, independence and scientific excellence.

(b)

Technical knowledge, and in particular: — very good knowledge of European pharmaceutical legislation, — experience and practice in one or more of the following areas: healthcare science, medicine, medical sciences, pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, veterinary sciences would be an asset. Ideally this experience should have been acquired in a national, European or international public administration involving contacts with the pharmaceutical industry, — good understanding of the European institutions and how they operate and interact;

(c)

Communication and negotiations skills, and in particular: — ability to communicate efficiently and fluently in a transparent and open manner with stakeholders, including press, the public, European, international, national and local authorities, international organisations, etc., — solid experience of negotiating in an international environment, — excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to maintain appropriate relations with EU institutions and with Member States’ competent authorities to ensure the proper functioning of the European medicines network.

Assets:

—	a university degree as a physician, pharmacist or veterinarian could be considered an advantage,

—	experience gained in a multicultural environment.

Applicants must (eligibility criteria)

In order to be considered for the selection phase, applicants must fulfil the following criteria by the closing date for applications:

—	Nationality: Applicants must be a national of a Member State of the European Union or be a national of a country from the European Economic Area.

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University degree or diploma: Applicants 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 four 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 one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years (this one year’s professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below).

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Professional experience: Applicants must have at least 15 years’ postgraduate experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission; of these 15 years of professional experience, at least five years of the professional experience gained in the domain of the Agency’s activities.

—	Management experience: of these 15 years of professional experience, at least five years of the professional experience gained in a high-level management function (5).

—	Languages: Applicants must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official European Union languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties.

—	Age limit: At the deadline for applications, applicants must be able to complete the full five-year mandate in accordance with Article 47(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (6).

Independence and declaration of interests

The Executive Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in relation to interests which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Applicants must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Due to the particular nature of the functions, applicants invited to preselection interviews will be required to sign a declaration relating to their current or future interests that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.

In accordance with Article 16 of the Staff Regulations (7), which provisions apply by analogy to temporary Agents, the Executive Director shall, after leaving the service, continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits.

This includes the obligation to inform the Management Board of EMA sufficiently in advance of the intention to engage in an occupational activity, whether gainful or not, within two years of leaving the service. If that activity is related to the work carried out during the last three years in service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of EMA, the Management Board of EMA may, having regard to the interests of the service, either forbid from undertaking it or give its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.

Selection and appointment

The Executive Director will be appointed by the Management Board of EMA on the basis of a list drawn up by the European Commission after having made a statement to and answering questions from the European Parliament. This vacancy notice is the basis for the establishment of the European Commission’s list. Candidates applicants should note that the inclusion on the list of the European Commission does not guarantee appointment.

A preselection panel will be set up by the European Commission. This panel invites applicants with the best profile for the specific requirements of the post to an interview, selected on the basis of their merits and the criteria set out above. The preselection panel draws up a first list of applicants in view of a possible further interview with the European Commission’s Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). Applicants who are called for an interview with the CCA will have to undergo testing by an assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants.

Following the interview, the CCA draws up a shortlist. Applicants who are shortlisted by the CCA will then be interviewed by the relevant Commissioner(s).

Following these interviews, the European Commission adopts a list of applicants, which will be communicated to the Management Board of EMA.

The latter interviews these applicants and appoints one of the applicants on the Commission shortlist as Executive Director of EMA. However, before appointment by the Management Board, the nominated applicant will be asked to address the European Parliament and to reply to questions.

Applicants may be required to undergo further interviews or tests in addition to those indicated above.

Equal opportunities

The European Union applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (8). It takes great care to avoid any form of discrimination in its recruitment procedures and actively encourages applications from women.

Conditions of employment

The Executive Director will be appointed as a staff of EMA as a temporary agent at grade AD 15 pursuant to Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (9) for a five-year period, which may be renewed once.

The place of employment is London, where EMA is based.

Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all the conditions for eligibility criteria, in particular those regarding the required type of diplomas and professional experience.

If you want to apply, you must apply via the internet by going to the website:

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

and follow the instructions there concerning the various stages of the procedure.

You have to complete your online registration in time (10). We strongly advise 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 process. Once the deadline for submission of applications has passed, you will not be able to apply. Late registrations via normal e-mail are not accepted.

You need a valid e-mail address. This is used to confirm the creation of your account and to keep you informed about the outcome of the selection procedure. Please inform the European Commission about any change in your e-mail address.

You will have to upload a CV (in PDF format) and to enter, online, a motivation letter (maximum 8  000 characters). The CV and the motivation letter should be written in English, French or German.

If you do not receive a registration number, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor progress of your application online. You will be contacted directly regarding the status of your application. The selection process, including correspondence with selection panels during this selection procedure is carried out in English (11).

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may submit your application (CV and motivation letter) on paper by registered mail (12), postmarked no later than the closing date for registration. All subsequent communication between you and the European Commission will be by post. In this case, you must enclose with your CV and motivation letter, a certificate attesting your disability, issued by a recognised body. You should also set out on a separate sheet of paper any special arrangements you think are needed to make it easier for you to take part in the selection process.

If you require additional information or if you encounter technical problems, please send an e-mail to: HR-A2-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 28 January 2015. Online registration will not be possible after 12.00 noon Brussels time.

Protection of personal data

The European Commission (during the preparatory phase) and later the EMA will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (13).

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(1)  OJ L 136 of 30.4.2004, p. 1.

(2)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:136:0001:0033:en:PDF

(3)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1271/2013 of 30 September 2013 on the framework financial regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 208 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 328, 7.12.2013, p. 42).

(4)  Regulation (EC) No 1901/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on medicinal products for paediatric use and amending Regulation (EEC) No 1768/92, Directive 2001/20/EC, Directive 2001/83/EC and Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 (OJ L 378, 27.12.2006, p. 1).

(5)  In their CVs applicants should indicate at least for these five years during which high level 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; and (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below and number of peers.

(6)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, p. 206.

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

(7)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, p. 21.

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

(8)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, p. 12.

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

(9)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, p. 187.

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

(10)  No later than 12.00 noon, Brussels time, on 28 January 2015.

(11)  The selection panels will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers.

(12)  European Commission, Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat, COM/2014/10367, SC11 8/35, 1049 Brussels.

(13)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

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