Vacancy notice ECA/2020/14

Secretary-General

(AD function group, grade 16)

(2020/C 176 A/01)

WHO WE ARE

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) is the European Union’s external auditor. Established in 1975, the ECA is one of the EU’s seven institutions. We are based in Luxembourg and employ around 900 audit, support and administrative staff of all EU nationalities.

The ECA operates as a collegiate body of 27 Members, one from each EU Member State. Our auditors check that the EU keeps good accounts and correctly applies its financial rules, and that its policies and programmes achieve their intended objectives and deliver value for money.

Through our work, we contribute to improving the EU’s financial management and promote accountability and transparency. We warn of risks, provide assurance, indicate shortcomings and successes and offer guidance to EU policymakers and legislators.

We present our observations and recommendations to the European Parliament, the Council of the EU, and national governments and parliaments, as well as the general public.

The Court is divided into audit Chambers. It has a ‘task-based’ organisational structure, with staff placed in a pool from which they are selected for assignment to the various Chambers on a priority basis.

The Secretary-General is the most senior member of ECA staff and is appointed to this role by the Court for a renewable period of six years. He or she is responsible for staff management and administration in the fields of human resources, finance and general services, information, workplace and innovation, translation, language services and publication. The Secretary-General is also responsible for the Court secretariat. The Secretariat General consists of three Directorates.

WHAT WE ARE OFFERING

The Court of Auditors has decided to offer the position of Secretary-General (grade AD 16), in accordance with Article 2a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union. The successful candidate will be recruited at grade AD 16. The basic monthly salary is EUR 18 994. Under the conditions laid down in the Staff Regulations, certain benefits may be added to the basic salary, which is subject to EU tax and exempt from national tax.

The contract offered will be for an initial period of six years, subject to the statutory age limit of 66 years. It may be renewed, by joint agreement, for a single period of no longer than six years.

For the sake of independence, he/she shall have been released from all previously held posts by no later than the date on which he/she takes up his/her duties.

The Secretary-General is accountable to the Court to which he/she shall make periodic reports on the discharge of his duties.

Under the authority of the Court, the Secretary-General shall be responsible for:

—	efficiently and effectively managing the Court’s administration, including, in particular, drawing up and implementing the budget, personnel management, information technology and buildings and translation;

—	the Court’s Secretariat, in particular for the drafting of the minutes of Court meetings and the safekeeping of the original drafts of the instruments of the Court, all the decisions of the Court and the Chambers, and the minutes of the meetings of the Court and the Chambers;

—	notifying and publishing the Court’s documents in the Official Journal of the European Union;

—	assisting the President with the preparation of the meetings of the Court and ensuring the observance of the procedures and proper implementation of the Court’s decisions;

—	exercising the powers vested in the Appointing Authority (AIPN), except where the Court has specifically reserved these for itself;

—	exercising the powers of Authorising Officer by delegation, as stipulated by the Court’s and Financial Regulation (1) applicable provisions.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

I. Eligibility criteria

1. Recruitment conditions

In accordance with Article 12 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, candidates must, on the date of their application:

—	be a national of one of the EU’s Member States;

—	enjoy their full rights as citizens;

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

—	meet the character requirements for the duties involved.

2. Qualifications

In accordance with Article 5 of the Staff Regulations:

(i)	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

(ii)	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; or

(iii)

where justified in the interest of the service, professional training of an equivalent level.

3. Professional experience

At least 18 years’ proven professional experience since obtaining the above-mentioned qualification, including at least 8 years in managing an organisation’s resources.

4. Knowledge of languages

Due to the nature of the duties to be carried out, a sound knowledge of English and French is essential since these are the Court’s working languages. A minimum level of C1 in understanding, speaking and writing in both languages is therefore required.

Knowledge of additional EU languages will be an asset.

To assess your foreign language skills, see:

http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr

II. Pre-selection criteria

—	More than 10 years’ experience in an international and multicultural environment;

—	more than 8 years’ experience of managing an organisation’s resources;

—	proven ability to contribute to the effective management of an organisation;

—	experience of implementing change and participating in innovative projects; and

—	proven capacity to manage and successfully conclude complex organisational projects;

—	proven knowledge of the EU’s institutional and financial framework.

III. Selection criteria

—	excellent ability to establish and implement strategy, and to define and report on objectives and the results to be achieved;

—	excellent command of management methods;

—	excellent capacity to lead and motivate multilingual, multicultural teams, to identify and maximise staff potential and to manage conflict;

—	the capacity to lead the administrative management of an administration or institution which is striving constantly to improve its services;

—	excellent interpersonal and communication skills; and

—	strong capacity to build solid stakeholder relations: negotiating skills, tact and diplomacy.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

A pre-selection board (‘the board’), composed of the Members of the Court’s Administrative Committee, will be set up to assess the eligible candidates on the basis of the criteria given in this vacancy notice.

(a) Pre-selection stage

The board will first assess and compare the qualifications, professional experience and skills of all eligible candidates on the basis of the information provided in their applications (see the pre-selection criteria above). Based on its assessment, the board will then establish a list of up to twelve (12) of the most suitable candidates to be called for interview.

As this first selection is based on a comparative assessment, candidates who satisfy the criteria given in this vacancy notice will not automatically advance to the next stage of the procedure.

(b) Selection stage

The board will assess the most suitable candidates at interview and by any other means it deems appropriate (see the selection criteria above).

The results of the selection stage will serve as the basis for establishing a shortlist, in alphabetical order, of the candidates to be proposed to the Court.

Based on these results, the Court may invite the shortlisted candidates to a second interview, or decide to appoint one of them directly.

APPLICATIONS

Deadline for applications is 12.00 midday on 7 July 2020 (CET).

Applications must be drafted in English or French and submitted only via the online form provided at the bottom of the vacancy notice (EN or FR) available on the ECA’s Job Opportunities page (under ‘Open positions’):

https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/JobOpportunities.aspx#page-search---index---lang---en_US

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents (all in English or French):

—	a letter of motivation (max. three pages);

—	an up-to-date CV (max. five pages), created using the ‘Europass curriculum vitae’ template and specifying exact dates (see: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu).

Please note that only the information provided in your CV and motivation letter will be taken into account when evaluating your application during the eligibility and pre-selection stage of the procedure.

The details provided in the application will be considered true and correct and will therefore be binding for the applicant.

Candidates must be able, upon request, to produce written evidence of their qualifications, professional experience and current duties, if deemed necessary.

Any application failing to adhere to these instructions will be rejected.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

In line with the Court’s equal opportunities policy and Article 1d of the Staff Regulations, the Court embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. The Court accepts applications without discrimination on any grounds and takes steps to ensure that recruitment is evenly balanced between men and women, as required by Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Given the low representation of women at higher management levels, the Court would particularly welcome applications for this position from female candidates. In the event of equal qualifications or merit, a female candidate will be chosen. The Court also takes measures to reconcile working life with family life.

If you require any special arrangements (for specific handicap or disability) in order to take part in this selection procedure, please send an email in good time to ECA-Recrutement@eca.europa.eu

DATA PROTECTION

The Court is committed to ensuring that candidates’ personal data are processed in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) .

Applications will be treated with the utmost discretion.

For more information, see the specific privacy statement for employment vacancies which is available at the following address: https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/Specific_Privacy_Statement_vacancies/Specific_Privacy_Statement_vacancies_EN.PDF

REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION — COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS — COMPLAINTS TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

If, in the pre-selection phase of the procedure, you consider that a decision taken in your regard is wrong, the following options are available.

I. Request for the pre-selection board to reconsider its decision

You may submit a written reasoned request for reconsideration of a decision taken by the pre-selection board. This request must be sent, within 10 days of notification of the decision, to ECA-Recours@eca.europa.eu

II. Complaints

Under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations, you may submit a complaint against the Court’s decision to reject your application within three months of being notified thereof. This complaint should be sent to the following address:

President

European Court of Auditors

12, rue Alcide De Gasperi

L-1615 Luxembourg

LUXEMBOURG

III. Judicial appeals

Under Article 91 of the Staff Regulations, you may appeal against a decision to reject your complaint, insofar as it adversely affects you, to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The action must be brought by a lawyer within three months of notification of the decision to reject the complaint.

IV. Complaints to the European Ombudsman

If you believe that the handling of your application has involved maladministration by the European Court of Auditors, you may lodge a complaint with the European Ombudsman, having first contacted the Court with the aim of settling the dispute. You must submit your complaint in writing within two years of discovering the relevant facts. An online complaints form is available on the European Ombudsman’s website. Applying to the European Ombudsman will not suspend the appeal deadlines given above.

(1) Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1).

(2) 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).