5.2.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 33/1

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Directorate-General for Competition (COMP)

Publication of the post of Chief Competition Economist (grade AD 14)

Engagement of a Temporary Agent under Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants

COM/2013/10334

(2013/C 33 A/01)

Directorate-General for Competition is seeking a replacement for its Chief Competition Economist, whose post will become vacant as of 1 September 2013.

We are

The Commission, together with the national competition authorities, directly enforces the EU competition rules to make markets work better, by ensuring that all companies compete equally and fairly on their merits. This benefits consumers, businesses and the European economy as a whole.

Within the Commission, the Directorate-General (DG) for Competition is primarily responsible for these direct enforcement powers.

The Chief Competition Economist assists DG Competition in evaluating the economic impact of its actions in the areas of EU merger control, anti-trust and State aid rules.

The post will be filled at Director level (AD 14). It is a temporary assignment for three years, renewable for a maximum of two years.

We propose

The Chief Competition Economist will report directly to the Director-General. He/she will have three main tasks, in particular:

—	guidance on methodological issues of economics and econometrics in the application of EU competition rules. He or she may also be called upon to contribute to the development of general policy instruments or analysis,

—	general guidance in individual competition cases from their early stages,

—	detailed guidance in the most important competition cases involving complex economic issues, in particular those requiring sophisticated quantitative analysis. This could imply that a member of staff assigned to the Chief Competition Economist's team can be seconded to work in a specific case team.

His or her final advice concerning important individual competition cases is made available to the Commissioner for Competition and, where appropriate, to the College of Commissioners.

The Chief Competition Economist has a dedicated staff of approximately 24 specialised economists, half of whom are permanent officials and the rest temporary agents. The Chief Competition Economist and his or her staff will interact as appropriate with the other staff of the Directorate-General, in particular those with economic expertise.

We look for (selection criteria)

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

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proven knowledge and competence in the analysis of the economic aspects of competition issues, as demonstrated by a solid academic record, evidenced in particular by publications in renowned academic journals, the fulfilment of advisory functions to public bodies, studies and possibly consultancy work in the various areas of competition policy,

—	proven ability to manage a team of highly skilled economists, in particular organisational and people management including aspects such as priority setting, recruitment, staff appraisal, career development, work/life balance and motivation,

—	confirmed communication skills, which will allow him or her to represent the Commission and to defend its position in European and international forums.

An ability to communicate effectively in two of the following three languages would be an advantage: English, French, German.

The Commission is in particular seeking an economist who, in addition to his or her basic training, has specialised in industrial organisation and has had practical experience of the analysis of individual competition cases.

During the assignment, the Chief Competition Economist may publish papers and carry out limited teaching assignments provided that these do not interfere with his or her mandate.

Applicants must (eligibility criteria)

1.	Be a citizen of one of the EU Member States.

2.	Hold a university degree. A doctorate in a branch of economics or econometrics relevant to competition policy is a requirement.

3.	Have at least 15 years of postgraduate professional experience obtained subsequent to the completion of the qualifications mentioned above. At least 10 years of this professional experience must have been gained at a senior level in fields relevant to the vacant post (1).

4.	Have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union and an adequate knowledge of another of these official languages.

5.	Be able to complete at least the full three-year mandate before regular retirement age, which for temporary agents of the European Union, is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 65 years (see Article 47 of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants).

Independence and declaration of interests

Candidates are required to confirm their willingness to make a declaration of their commitment to act independently in the public interest and a declaration of any interests which might be considered prejudicial to their independence.

Appointment and conditions of employment

The Chief Competition Economist will be appointed by the European Commission according to its selection and recruitment procedures (see also: Compilation Document on Senior Officials Policy (2)). During the pre-selection procedure, it will be assisted by external advisers, including experts of international reputation in the field of economics.

As part of this selection process, candidates will be invited, before this interview, to a full day assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants.

Please note that the selection procedure will be carried out in English, French and/or German only (3).

Salaries and conditions of employment are those laid down in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants for temporary agents occupying a function corresponding to the basic post of Director at grade AD 14 of the European Union. It is a temporary assignment for three years and can be renewed for a maximum period of two years.

Applicants should note the requirement under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants for all new staff to complete successfully a six-month probationary period.

This appointment will be made in Brussels. The decision on the appointment is scheduled for June 2013. It is expected that the selected candidate will take up the post on 1 September 2013.

Equal opportunities

The European Union applies an equal opportunities policy.

Application procedure

This position can be published in parallel with a number of other senior official positions. Candidates who wish to apply for more than one position must submit a separate application for each one.

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all the eligibility criteria (‘Applicants must’), particularly concerning the types of diploma and professional experience required. Failure to possess any of these eligibility requirements means an automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.

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

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

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

It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time (4). 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 via normal e-mail will not be accepted as a general rule.

You must have a valid e-mail address. This will be used to identify your registration as well as to inform you about the outcome of the procedure. Therefore, you will have to inform the European Commission about any change in your e-mail address.

To complete your application, you will need to upload a CV in WORD or PDF format and to fill out, online, a letter of motivation (maximum 8 000 characters). Both the CV and letter must be written in English, French or German.

Once you have finished your online registration, you will receive an on-screen registration number that you must write down and remember — this will be your reference number in all matters concerning your application. When you receive this number, the registration process is finished — it is a confirmation that we have registered the data you entered. If you do not receive a number, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor the progress of your application online.

You will be contacted directly by the recruiting DG regarding the status of your application.

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may submit your application (CV and letter of motivation) on paper by registered mail  (5) , postmarked no later than the closing date for registration. All subsequent communication between the Commission and you will be by post. In this case, you must enclose with your application 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.

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

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 5 March 2013. Online registration will not be possible after 12 noon Brussels time.

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(1)  In their CVs applicants should indicate at least for these 10 years during which activities the professional experience at high level has been gained (e.g. title and detailed functions held).

(2)  http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/official_policy_en.pdf

(3)  The selection panel will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers of these three languages.

(4)  No later than 12 noon, Brussels time, on 5 March 2013.

(5)  European Commission, Directorate-General Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat, COM/2013/10334, SC11 8/35, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË.

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