Directorate-General Regional and Urban Policy

Publication of a vacancy for the function of Principal Adviser International Relations (Grade AD 14)

(Article 29(2) of the Staff Regulations)

COM/2021/10401

(2021/C 90 A/01)

 

We are

The mission of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) is to contribute to the building of a European Union where people in all our regions and cities can realise their full potential. We aim to contribute to lasting improvements in the economy and in the quality of life of all EU citizens, wherever they live, notably through supporting the green and digital transitions.

The Directorate-General manages two cohesion policy funds, namely the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund. In the programming period 2014-20 the two funds have a budget of EUR 274 billion. In addition, the Directorate-General manages the European Union Solidarity Fund, whose maximum annual budget is EUR 1 billion. For the programming period 2021-27, a budget of EUR 260 billion for both funds (ERDF and the Cohesion fund) is foreseen. Additionally, the Directorate-General will be in charge of the new Just Transition Fund (EUR 19 billion) and BREXIT Adjustment Reserve. The Directorate-General has a staff of more than 700 people.

The role of the Directorate-General is to maximise the impact of the programmes and projects in terms of economic and social cohesion together with the partners in the Member States (shared management). The Directorate-General aims to use the available funds to implement high quality programmes and projects on the ground.

We propose

The main tasks of the Principal Adviser for International Relations are:

—	defining the international strategy of the Directorate-General

—	ensuring the implementation of actions, notably the preparatory actions and pilot projects of the European Parliament on international affairs

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representing the Directorate-General in the policy dialogues on regional and urban matters with third countries, as well as in the negotiation of new EU Agreements with third countries (regional and/or urban policy chapters) and in the Inter-Service Steering Groups dealing with EU international relations

—	ensuring coordination with the associated services, and notably the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA), and Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR)

—	supervising and coordinating the activities of the team for international relations in DG REGIO

Duties also include regular contacts with other Commission services, in particular with the new Directorate-General Structural Reform Support (REFORM) in the context of a closer cooperation given that both DGs are under the Commissioner in charge of Cohesion and Reforms. Regular contacts will take place also with Directorate-General Human Resources (HR), Directorate-General Informatics (DIGIT), Directorate-General Budget (BUDG), Internal Audit Service (IAS), Directorate-General Communication (COMM), Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL), Directorate-General Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE) and Directorate-General DG Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI).

We look for (selection criteria)

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

a)   Advisory skills:

—	Ability to articulate a clear strategic vision of the role of the Principal Adviser

—	Strong analytical and conceptual skills as well as the capacity for sound political judgement and decision-making combined with a demonstrable drive to generate and implement new ideas

—	Very good organisational skills, including the ability to supervise and coordinate the activities of high-performing teams

—	Capacity to work across different levels of the organisation

—	Capacity to deliver strategic advice on politically sensitive areas

b)   Specialist skills and experience:

—	Very good understanding of regulatory aspects of the cohesion policy

—	Very good understanding of international relations in the context of the cohesion policy

—	Very good understanding and knowledge of the general Commission’s policies and orientations

c)   Personal qualities:

—	Strong negotiation skills, being able to discuss effectively and efficiently with the Commission’s central services, with external stakeholders and institutions at high level

—	Excellent presentation, communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to lead an effective communication strategy for the Directorate-General

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.

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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 (1) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in a field relevant for this position.

—	Advisory experience: at least 5 years of the post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a high–level advisory function (2).

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Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (3) 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.

—	Age limit: candidates must not have reached regular retirement age, which for officials of the European Union is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 years (see Article 52 lit (a) of the Staff Regulations (4)).

Selection and appointment

The European Commission will select and appoint the Principal Adviser for International Relations according to its selection and recruitment procedures (see: Document on Senior Officials Policy (5)).

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 Principal Adviser.

Candidates on the CCA shortlist will be interviewed by the Member of the Commission responsible for Regional and Urban Policy.

Following these interviews, the European Commission takes the appointment decision.

The selected candidate must have fulfilled any obligations imposed by law concerning military service, produce appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of their duties and be physically fit to perform their duties.

The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid security clearance certificate from his/her 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.

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 (6).

Equal opportunities

In accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (7), the European Commission pursues a strategic objective of achieving gender equality at all management levels by the end of its current mandate and applies an equal opportunities policy encouraging applications that could contribute towards more diversity, gender equality and overall geographical balance.

Conditions of employment

The salaries and conditions of employment are laid down in the Staff Regulations (8).

The successful candidate will be recruited as an official at grade AD 14. He/she 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 Staff Regulations for all new staff to complete successfully a nine-month probationary period.

The place of employment is Brussels, where Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy is based.

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up his/her 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 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 on-line. 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 21 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 committees 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 panels.

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

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(1)  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 three years maximum, provided that the PhD has been successfully completed. A given period may be counted only once.

(2)  In their curriculum vitae, candidates should clearly indicate for all years during which advisory experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of positions held; (2) the exact subject area as well as at which level in the organisation the position was based (numbers of hierarchical layers above and below); (3) the reporting lines for each position held.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).