Vacancy Notice No 20/19

concerning one post of Director (M/F) in Directorate E — Human Resources and Finance

(Publication under Article 29(1) and (2) of the Staff Regulations)

(2019/C 144 A/01)

Closing date for applications: 24 May 2019 at 12 noon (Brussels time)

1.   Vacant post: AD 14

2.   Duties:

The holder of the post (1), who is under the direct authority of the Secretary-General, manages the Directorate for Human Resources and Finance (Directorate E) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which consists of approximately 90 staff with an annual budget of some EUR 130 million. The Director is responsible for the strategic development of the Directorate and is assisted by a Deputy Director who is particularly responsible for the supervision and coordination of activities in the field of finance, budget and accounts.

The jobholder's tasks consist in particular of:

—	organising, coordinating, managing and supervising the work of the various units and sectors that make up the Directorate for Human Resources and Finance;

—	strategic development and implementation of a dynamic policy in the field of human resources and finance with a view to providing appropriate resources to the EESC's members and directorates;

—	supervising the management of the institution's financial and human resources, as well as the applicable regulatory framework;

—	participating in and monitoring work concerning interinstitutional committees, committees within the institution and members' working groups related to the activities of the Directorate;

—	conducting negotiations with the various staff representatives;

—	assisting the appointing authority in work relating to the drawing-up of the organisational plan of the secretariat;

—	acting as appointing authority in matters delegated by the EESC's Secretary-General in accordance with the EESC'S Rules of Procedure;

—	managing the financial resources of the Directorate (exercising the powers of authorising officer sub-delegated by the Authorising Officer by Delegation);

—	attending meetings of the Management Board of the EESC's secretariat; in this regard, contributing to the development and updating of the Management Plan and the implementation of decisions;

—	attending meetings of the EESC Bureau;

—	monitoring implementation of the Cooperation Agreement with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in his/her areas of responsibility, and participating in the Cooperation Committee, which supervises and coordinates the activities of the Joint Services of the EESC and the CoR.

Who we are:

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a consultative body of the European Union established in 1958 and currently composed of 350 members representing three groups: the Employers' Group, the Workers' Group and the Diversity Europe Group. It is the voice of organised civil society in Europe. The EESC contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and effectiveness of the European Union by enabling civil society organisations from the Member States to express their views at European level.

Directorate E is committed to contributing to the mission of the Committee by providing a skilled workforce and competent financial services to members and staff. The Directorate's aim is to continue to develop a modern and inclusive working environment by promoting diversity and respect in the workplace, facilitating the balance between work and private life and prioritising learning and development. Its mission is to continually improve procedures with a view to achieving greater efficiency and maintaining a service culture. The Directorate is committed to ensuring compliance with the applicable regulatory framework (namely the Staff Regulations and the Financial Regulation).

The Directorate is currently composed of the following units and sectors: HR Planning and Training; Recruitment and Salaries; Working Conditions, Rights and Obligations and Pensions; Administrative Communication and Documentation; Budget; Services for Members; Finance, Financial Verification and Public Procurement; Accounts.

For further information, please go to the EESC's website: http://www.eesc.europa.eu

What we offer:

—	a friendly, dynamic working environment where effective management, a strong sense of initiative, team spirit and flexibility are highly valued;

—	a modern human resources approach that favours flexible working arrangements in order to ensure a better work-life balance.

3.   Eligibility:

On the closing date for applications, candidates must meet the conditions set out below:

a)   General conditions

—	be a national (2) of one of the European Union (EU) Member States and enjoy full rights as a citizen (3);

—	have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws on military service;

—

provide character references appropriate to the performance of the duties concerned. Candidates' attention is drawn to the restrictions imposed by the Staff Regulations of Officials of the EU concerning outside activities, elected office and conflicts of interest (Articles 11, 11a, 12b, 13 and 15 of the Staff Regulations);

—	fulfil the physical fitness conditions required for the performance of the duties involved (4);

—	be below retirement age, which is, for officials of the EU, set at the end of the month in which the age of 66 is reached.

b)   Specific conditions

(i)

Qualifications and skills required Candidates must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma (5) officially recognised in one of the European Union Member States in a field relevant to the duties described under point 2: — of at least four years' duration, when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or — of at least three years' duration followed by one year's professional experience in a field relevant to the job description, when the normal period of university education is three years or more. This year of experience will not be taken into account when evaluating the professional experience stipulated under point 3(b)(ii).

(ii)

Professional experience required After gaining the qualifications set out under 3(b)(i), candidates must have acquired professional experience of at least 15 years relevant to the job description, including at least five years in a managerial position.

(iii)

Knowledge of languages Candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (EU) and a satisfactory knowledge of another official language of the EU. For operational reasons, a very good (minimum B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) knowledge of English and French, both oral and written, is required. Candidates are informed that the language requirements in this vacancy notice have been defined in the interests of the service, which require the new Director to be immediately operational and capable of communicating effectively in his/her daily work. It has long been the practice to use mainly English and French for internal communication in the EESC and these are also the languages most often needed when communicating with external stakeholders.

4.   Selection criteria:

If the eligibility criteria set out in point 3 (Eligibility) (a) and (b) have been met, candidates' applications, including CV and covering letter, will be assessed on the basis of the selection criteria below:

—	good knowledge of the various spheres of activity and operations of the institutions of the European Union and, in particular, the EESC;

—	good knowledge of the Staff Regulations and sound experience in human resources management;

—	good knowledge of the EU's budgetary cycle and financial and budgetary rules, including procurement procedures;

—	strong track record in managing large teams and budgets, as well as in change management processes;

—	ability to develop and implement innovative strategies, set future objectives for the Directorate and outline and report on the results to be achieved;

—	strong analytical, networking and negotiation skills at a high level and the ability to achieve synergies with other European institutions and to represent the interests of the EESC at an inter-institutional level;

—	excellent communication skills (both written and oral) in order to be able to communicate easily and efficiently with members, staff and other stakeholders, both internal and external;

—	ability to deal with sensitive issues, good diplomatic skills and resilience;

—	exemplary integrity, discretion and respect for ethics.

5.   Selection procedure:

5.1   Admission to the selection procedure

A list will be drawn up of candidates who have submitted a complete application by the closing date and who meet the general conditions set out in point 3(a). This list will be forwarded to the chair of the selection board with the applications.

The selection board will examine the applications and draw up a list of candidates who meet the specific conditions set out in point 3(b). It will base its decision solely on the information given on the application form and substantiated by the supporting documents enclosed with it.

Candidates whose applications do not fulfil the conditions listed in point 3(a) and (b) will be not be deemed eligible. They will be informed accordingly.

5.2   Assessment of qualifications

On the basis of criteria laid down in advance, the selection board will assess eligible candidates' qualifications with a view to drawing up a list of the candidates whose profiles most closely match the description of duties set out in point 2. To do this, the selection board will first assign each selection criterion a weighting that reflects its relative importance. The points will be added up to identify those candidates whose profiles best match the duties to be performed.

The selection board will base its decision on the information given by the candidate in the application form (qualifications and professional experience), Curriculum Vitae (CV) and covering letter.

The selection board may limit the number of short-listed candidates going through to the next stage to those who obtain the highest number of total points in the assessment of their qualifications.

Candidates who are not short-listed will be informed.

5.3   Interview

Candidates who have successfully completed the previous stage will be invited for an interview in order to be assessed and compared on the basis of their qualifications, professional experience, abilities and knowledge, as set out above.

The interview will be conducted in English and in French.

Interviews are expected to be held at the EESC's Brussels offices (6) in June/July 2019.

A maximum of six candidates who, after the interview phase, are deemed to best fulfil the requirements of the post will be invited for assessment at an assessment centre. They will be informed of the programme and methodology in good time and will be able to indicate their preferred language (English or French). The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate their managerial skills (managing tasks, people and information, and personal and interpersonal management). The result of the assessment will be non-binding and is intended to provide the selection board with additional input for the selection procedure.

5.4   Final list of shortlisted candidates

To complete the procedure, the selection board will draw up a list of shortlisted candidates and forward it to the EESC Bureau acting as appointing authority for final decision.

6.   Summary of recruitment conditions:

The appointing authority has decided to open the procedure for filling the post of Director of Human Resources and Finance in accordance with Article 29(1) and (2) of the Staff Regulations of the European Union. There will be a probationary period of nine months if applicable.

For the sake of independence, the chosen candidate shall have been released from all previously held posts by no later than the date on which he/she starts to work in the post.

For further information on working conditions, please refer to the Staff Regulations of the European Union:

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

The place of employment is Brussels.

7.   Applications:

Applicants for this post must complete the online application form (http://cdweb.eesc.europa.eu/cn/ae77k/dirE-EESC) with the following documents attached in English or French:

—	covering letter;

—	Curriculum Vitae based on the Europass model (7);

—	copies (8) of identity card or passport;

—	copies of university or post-graduate degree certificates;

—	copies of attestations of employment, clearly indicating the nature and duration of the relevant activity;

—	unless clearly indicated on university degree certificates, proof of knowledge of languages in the form of certificates or, failing that, a detailed explanation of how the knowledge was acquired;

—	for EU officials, an official document attesting career progression and current grade.

Incomplete applications will not be deemed valid and will not be considered.

The successful candidate will at a later date be required to produce originals of all the requisite documents.

Copies of supporting documents in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by a summary in one of those two languages.

The closing date for the submission of applications is 24 May 2019 at 12 noon (Brussels time). The EESC will disregard any application received after this date and time. Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last day to submit their applications, since heavy internet traffic or a faulty internet connection could lead to difficulties in sending in the application. The EESC cannot be held responsible for any delay due to such difficulties.

Candidates with a disability or specific needs which are such that they might encounter difficulties during the procedure may state that fact on the application form and provide any relevant information enabling the administration to take appropriate measures, where possible. If applicable, candidates are invited to enclose with their application form a separate sheet giving details of any arrangements which they consider necessary to assist them.

8.   Observations:

If, at any stage in the procedure, it is established that the information provided in the candidate's application cannot be backed up by supporting documents or that the candidate does not meet all of the conditions set out in this vacancy notice, the application will be declared null and void.

Applicants must not under any circumstances try to contact the members of the selection board, whether directly or indirectly. The appointing authority reserves the right to exclude candidates who do so.

The appointing authority will first consider the possibilities of filling the vacant post by internal transfer, promotion or interinstitutional transfer.

The post will be filled as and when budget resources permit.

The EESC believes in diversity and strongly favours balanced representation of genders, of all Member State nationalities and of all the official languages of the European Union. It has an equal opportunity policy that precludes any discrimination based on gender, disability, race, political or religious views or sexual orientation. In line with these principles and the provisions of the Staff Regulations, applications from the least represented gender and nationalities are particularly encouraged.

The EESC is actively committed to the protection of the environment and has a proactive policy in this area.

In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (9), the recipient will process personal data only for the purposes for which they were transmitted.

9.   Requests for review — complaints:

Regardless of their right to lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) or to submit an appeal to the General Court of the European Union under Article 91 of the Staff Regulations, candidates can request an internal review of any decision of the selection board that directly and immediately affects their status in the selection on grounds of non-compliance with the rules governing the selection procedure as laid down by the vacancy notice. The request must be made by email (selection2019-dirE@eesc.europa.eu) within 10 calendar days of the date on which the candidate is notified of the decision by e-mail. It must indicate the decision and the grounds on which the request is based.

The selection board will take a decision and a reasoned reply will be sent to the candidate in due course.

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(1)  Any reference in this notice to a person of the male sex shall be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of the female sex.

(2)  As stated in Article 28(a) of the Staff Regulations (SR).

(3)  Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record.

(4)  Prior to appointment, the successful candidate will be examined at one of the EU medical centres in order to confirm that the candidate meets the requirements of Article 28(e) of the SR.

(5)  Only diplomas and certificates that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by authorities in the said Member States will be taken into consideration.

(6)  Interviews may be held via videoconference/Skype with candidates who are not in Brussels at the time of the interviews. Otherwise the EESC will reimburse travel expenses and grant a daily allowance.

(7)  https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/editors/en/cv/compose.

(8)  Copies can be provided in the original language. The online application form is to be completed in English or French.

(9)  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) 45/2001 and Decision 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).