External vacancy notice EUAA/2023/TA/009 – Deputy Executive Director EUAA

(2023/C 227 A/01)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Publication	External
Title of function	Deputy Executive Director
Category and grade	Temporary Agent 2(a) (1) — AD 13
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS	31 July 2023 — 12:00 pm (noon — Malta time)

1. European Union Agency for Asylum

The European Union Agency for Asylum (hereinafter ‘EUAA’), established by Regulation (EU) 2021/2303 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) (the ‘EUAA Regulation’), is a centre of expertise by virtue of its independence, the scientific and technical quality of the assistance it provides and the information it collects and disseminates, the transparency of its operating procedures and methods, its diligence in performing the tasks assigned to it, and the information technology support needed to fulfil its mandate.

Specifically, the EUAA focuses on:

—	Contributing to ensuring the efficient and uniform application of Union law on asylum in the Member States in a manner that fully respects fundamental rights.

—

Facilitating and supporting the activities of the Member States in the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), including by enabling convergence in the assessment of applications for international protection across the Union and by coordinating and strengthening practical cooperation and information exchange.

—	Improving the functioning of the CEAS, including through a monitoring mechanism (3) and by providing operational and technical assistance to Member States, in particular where their asylum and reception systems are under disproportionate pressure.

The organisational chart of the Agency can be consulted on the EUAA’s website: https://euaa.europa.eu/about-us/who-we-are

The Agency’s headquarters are located in Valletta Harbour (Malta) with additional offices in Brussels, Italy, Greece, Spain and Cyprus.

2. Job description

The Deputy Executive Director shall assist the Executive Director in the management of the Agency and in the performance of the Executive Director’s tasks as shown below and as referred to in Article 47(5) of the EUAA Regulation. If the Executive Director is absent or indisposed, the Deputy Executive Director shall take their place.

The jobholder is appointed by the EUAA’s Management Board, from a selection of candidates proposed by the Executive Director.

Specific responsibilities

The Deputy Executive Director reports to the Executive Director and assists them in the implementation of their duties, in particular:

(a)	Contributing to the day-to-day management of the Agency, including overseeing the implementation of internal policies, procedures and guidelines that ensure the functioning in accordance with its mandate, objectives and mission;

(b)	Acting as the reporting officer of the Head of the Administration Centre, namely in relation to the tasks performed by the Human Resources Unit, Finance Unit, Procurement and Facility Management Unit and the Information and Communications Technology Unit;

(c)	Overseeing the development and implementation of the monitoring mandate of the Agency;

(d)	Supervising the Agency’s internal control systems in view of continued legal compliance and good governance, while actively promoting administrative simplification, where possible; including acting as the reporting officer of the Head of the Internal Control and Compliance Unit;

(e)	Coordinating efforts towards resource allocation optimisation (including use of different categories of personnel and external experts for different activities of the Agency);

(f)	Fostering active staff engagement and participation, including through internal communication tools;

(g)	Representing the Agency vis-à-vis the European Commission, European Parliament, the Council and other relevant European Union bodies as requested by the Executive Director;

(h)	Developing and facilitating cooperation between the EUAA and other relevant EU agencies, international organisations and relevant national authorities as needed for the implementation of the mandate and as requested by the Executive Director;

(i)	Implementing any other tasks attributed or delegated by the Executive Director.

3. Requirements

(A) Eligibility Criteria

Candidates will be considered eligible for selection based on the fulfilment of the following formal criteria, by the deadline for applications:

Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma, and, after having obtained the university diploma, at least 15 years of appropriate professional experience, or

have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma and, and, after having obtained the university diploma, at least 16 years of appropriate professional experience (4);

2.	Be nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union;

3.	Be entitled to full rights as an EU citizen;

Possess a thorough knowledge (level C1 in all dimensions as per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFRL) of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge (level B2 in all dimensions as per the CEFRL) of another one of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties pertaining to the post (5);

5.	Be able to complete the full mandate of a 5-year contract before reaching 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 (6);

6.	Have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws on military service;

7.	Meet the character requirements for the duties involved (7);

8.	Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post (8).

(B) Selection Criteria

If the eligibility criteria set out in section A Eligibility Criteria are met, the candidates’ applications will be evaluated on the following selection criteria. These criteria have been subdivided into two categories: Essential and Advantageous Selection Criteria.

Please note that all Essential Criteria are mandatory, meaning that no application will be assessed further if a candidate obtains a zero score in any of the Essential criteria. The most suitable candidates with the highest overall scores will be invited to an interview.

Essential

1.	At least 10 years of proven professional experience gained in one or more of the following: asylum office in a Member State, governmental department managing asylum issues, European Union agency or large organisation;

2.	Good and proven knowledge of Union legislation on asylum policy;

3.	Proven professional experience in support services such as human resources, finance, procurement and facility management, and information and communications technology;

4.	Proven professional experience demonstrating the ability to plan, oversee and evaluate activities of the organisation, while measuring for results and focusing on critical facts in complex legal and policy frameworks;

5.	Proven professional experience demonstrating a very good analytical skills and the ability to solve organisational and operational problems;

6.	At least 5 years of proven professional experience in a high-level management function of a large organisation;

7.	Proven professional experience in management of change processes in a high-level management function (9);

8.	Proven professional experience demonstrating the ability to lead, motivate and develop multi-cultural teams of highly qualified staff to the best of their potential;

9.	Proven professional experience demonstrating the ability to coordinate multiple activities in cooperation with internal and external stakeholders of the organisation to achieve its strategic goals;

10.	Proven professional experience demonstrating excellent communication skills;

11.	Proven professional experience demonstrating the ability to collaborate closely within the management team and act as a team player.

Advantageous

1.	A thorough understanding of the EU Institutions and how they operate and interact, and of European Union policies and international activities of relevance to the activities of the Agency;

2.	Proven professional experience in deputising for high administrative functions.

Candidates invited to the assessment phase (interview, written test and assessment centre) will be assessed based on the essential and advantageous criteria described in Section B Selection Criteria, and the following additional criteria relevant to the post:

1.	Thorough written and spoken communication skills in English, the working language of the EUAA;

2.	Competent user of electronic office equipment and applications (word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, electronic communication, internet etc.);

3.	Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines on multiple tasks;

4.	Excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to deliver under pressure;

5.	Ability to prioritise the most important tasks, work flexibly and organise their own and others’ workload efficiently;

6.	Excellent analytical and research skills;

7.	Extensive knowledge of and technical expertise of the European Union asylum acquis;

8.	Strong ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team in a multicultural and multilingual environment;

9.	Extensive knowledge of the mission and organisation of the EUAA;

10.	Ability to take personal responsibility and initiative for delivering work to a high standard of quality within set procedures;

11.	Show clear customer orientation (internal and external);

12.	Build systematic and methodical processes into projects and one’s work and that of one’s own team;

13.	Ability to lead and manage people and teams to achieve results.

4. Recruitment process

(A) Identifying eligible candidates

After the deadline for submission of applications, the Selection Committee will verify the submitted applications against the eligibility criteria described in Section 3A (‘Eligibility Criteria’). Applications satisfying these conditions will then be assessed against the ‘Selection Criteria’ under Section 3B.

(B) Further analysis of applications

Following this initial assessment, the Selection Committee will compare the applications of eligible candidates with reference to:

—	The Selection Criteria (‘Essential’ and ‘Advantageous’);

—	The overall quality of the application and the candidates’ suitability for the post when compared to the established job profile.

Please note that the Essential Selection Criteria are mandatory, and no application will be further assessed if one of these criteria is not satisfied.

The Selection Committee will then establish a shortlist of the most suitable candidates to be invited for the assessment phase. These assessments will be held in English. Only shortlisted candidates invited to the interview and written test will be notified thereof.

The assessment phase is composed of the following components:

(a)	Technical competency written test and/or any other assessment deemed necessary for the post;

(b)	Interview with the Selection Committee;

(c)	Assessment centre.

The assessment phase will be devised to evaluate the following:

—	General aptitude and language abilities to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties in accordance with Article 12(2)(e) of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);

—	Specific competences with reference to the applicants’ profiles in line with the criteria stipulated in Section 3C (‘Additional Criteria for the assessment phase’) of the vacancy notice;

—	Hands-on management skills will be analysed in an assessment centre online, which will include group and individual exercises and activities as well as in-depth interviews. These will be provided by an external provider.

Please note that only candidates who are successful in all aspects of the assessment phase will be placed on the reserve list.

(D) Verification of supporting documents

Only candidates who receive the job offer in writing (offer letter) will be required to present originals or certified copies of the documents listed below to confirm the accuracy and eligibility of the application against their supporting documents:

—	A document proving their citizenship (e.g., passport);

—	Any academic qualification mentioned in the application;

—	Any professional experience mentioned in the application.

This selection procedure or particular phases thereof may be organised online. In such case, further information will be provided by the EUAA to candidates invited for an interview regarding the practical modalities for the assessment.

(E) Establishing a reserve list of successful candidates

A reserve list of at least three candidates will be established based on the outcome of the assessment phase and will remain valid until the end of the current year from the date of its establishment.

Candidates shall note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment. Any future recruitment will be subject to availability of posts and budget.

(F) Appointment of the successful candidate

The Management Board will appoint the Deputy Executive Director, based on a list of at least three candidates proposed by the Executive Director on the basis of the reserve list of successful candidates mentioned in the previous section.

The Management Board may hold an additional interview with the candidates proposed by the Executive Director.

Prior to taking up duties, the successful candidate will be asked to undergo a compulsory medical examination by the Commission’s medical officers which will enable the EUAA to ensure that they fulfil(s) the requirement stated in Article 12(2)(d) of the CEOS.

The selected candidate shall be required to undergo a vetting procedure executed by the National Security Authority of the applicant’s state of citizenship in order to obtain a personnel security clearance. The level of the latter depends on the specific post/position. Candidates who at the time of request hold a valid personnel security clearance at the required level (or higher) may not need to obtain a new one, pending confirmation from their respective National Security Authority. The National Security Authority of the candidate shall provide the Agency with an opinion or a personnel security clearance in accordance with relevant national legislation. In case the selected candidate does not currently hold a valid security clearance at the above-mentioned level, the EUAA will request such from the National Security Authority of the candidate’s state of citizenship. In case of a failure to obtain the required personnel security clearance or if the National Security Agency issues a negative opinion at the above-mentioned level after the signature of the contract of employment, the Agency has the right to terminate the contract of employment.

5. Equal opportunities

The EUAA applies an equal opportunities policy and accepts applications without discriminating on the basis of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

6. Conditions of employment

The selected candidate will be appointed by the Management Board as Temporary Agent in the understanding of the Staff Regulations and CEOS (10).

They will be recruited as a Temporary Agent according to Article 2(a) of the CEOS for a period of 5 years which may be extended once. The Temporary Agent post in question will be placed in group AD 13.

Successful candidates who are recruited will undergo an initial probation period of 9 months.

The pay for a Temporary Agent, AD 13 (step 1) consists of a basic salary of EUR 14 399,73 weighted by the correction coefficient (for Malta currently 92,1 %) supplemented with various allowances, including expatriation and family allowances. The salaries of staff members are subject to a European Union tax deducted at source. Staff members are exempt from national tax on salary and are members of the European Union social security and pension schemes.

For further information on working conditions of Temporary Agents please refer to CEOS:

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

The place of employment is Valletta Harbour (Malta).

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up their duties, the Deputy Executive 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 their independence.

7. Application procedure

All EUAA vacancies can be found on our Vacancies (11) page and online e-Recruitment tool (12). For applications to be valid, candidates shall use the EUAA’s online e-Recruitment tool to create a candidate account, activate it and complete all sections of the EUAA application form, as detailed in the User Manual (13) found on the landing page. Candidates are requested to complete their application in English.

Incomplete applications will be disqualified and treated as non-eligible. Please note that the selection process may take several months. In order to facilitate the selection process, all correspondence to candidates concerning this vacancy will be in English.

Candidates should not approach, directly or indirectly, the Selection Committee under any circumstances in relation to this recruitment process. The Agency reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.

Closing date

The closing date for the submission of applications is 31 July 2023 at 12:00 pm (noon — Malta time). The EUAA will disregard any application received after this date and time.

Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the date of the deadline to submit their applications. The EUAA is not held responsible for any delays in submission of applications due to technical difficulties or any other factors that may arise.

If a candidate is found to have provided false information at any stage in the selection procedure, the EUAA is within its capacity to disqualify the candidate in question.

8. Data protection

The purpose of processing of the personal data submitted by the candidate is to manage the application(s) of the candidate in view of a possible selection and recruitment at the EUAA.

The EUAA does not make public the names of successful candidates on reserve lists. It is possible that, for the purposes of recruitment and related planning purposes, members of the EUAA management team may have access to reserve lists and, in specific cases, to the application form of a candidate (without supporting documents, which are kept in confidence by the Human Resources Unit). Application files of non-recruited candidates are kept for 2 years from the expiry date of the reserve list after which time they are destroyed.

The personal information requested will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (14).

9. Appeal procedures

Pursuant to Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, a candidate may submit a complaint against an act affecting them adversely. The complaint must be submitted within 3 months from the date of notification to the following address:

Management Board Secretariat

European Asylum Support Office

Winemakers Wharf,

Grand Harbour Valletta, MRS 1917

MALTA

Should the complaint be rejected, pursuant to Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, a candidate may request judicial review of the act. The appeal must be lodged within 3 months from the date of notification to the following address:

Court of Justice of the European Union

Rue du Fort Niedergrünewald

L-2925 Luxembourg

LUXEMBOURG

If you believe that there was maladministration, you may lodge a complaint to the European Ombudsman within 2 years of the date when you became aware of the facts on which the complaint is based (see http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu), or write to:

European Ombudsman

1, Avenue du President Robert Schuman — BP 403

F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

FRANCE

Please note that complaints to the European Ombudsman do not have the effect of suspending the period mentioned in Articles 90 and 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union for lodging complaints or submitting an appeal pursuant to Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

(1) See Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

(2) Regulation (EU) 2021/2303 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2021 on the European Union Agency for Asylum and repealing Regulation (EU) No 439/2010, (OJ L 468, 30.12.2021, p. 1).

(3) Applicable legal provisions enter into force on 31 December 2023.

(4) Only diplomas issued by EU Member State authorities and diplomas recognized as equivalent by the relevant EU Member State bodies are accepted. If the main studies took place outside the European Union, the candidate’s qualification must have been recognized by a body delegated officially for the purpose by one of the European Union Member States (such as a national Ministry of Education) and a document attesting so must be submitted if you have been invited for an interview. This will enable the selection board to assess accurately the level of the qualifications.

(5) See https://epso.europa.eu/en/selection-procedure/general-and-specific-eligibility-requirements

(6) See Article 47 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

(7) Before the appointment, the successful candidate shall be asked to provide proof of a non-existent criminal record.

(8) Before the appointment, the successful candidate shall be medically examined by one of the Commission’s medical officers which will enable the EUAA to ensure that he/she fulfils the requirement stated in Article 12(2)(d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

(9) 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.

(10) Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 of the Council of 29 February 1968 laying down the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities and instituting special measures temporarily applicable to officials of the Commission, (OJ L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 1), as last amended by Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1023/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 287, 29.10.2013, p. 15).

(11) https://euaa.europa.eu/careers/vacancies

(12) https://careers.euaa.europa.eu/

(13) https://careers.euaa.europa.eu/Candidate%20Application%20Guide.pdf

(14) 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).