22.5.2015

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 168/1

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Vacancy for the Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm

(Temporary Agent — Grade AD 14)

COM/2015/20005

(2015/C 168 A/01)

 

We are

In order to enhance the capacity of the European Union (EU) to protect human health through the prevention and control of human disease, the mission of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is to identify, assess and communicate current and emerging threats to human health from communicable diseases (1).

Within the field of its mission, ECDC shall: search for, collect, collate, evaluate and disseminate relevant scientific and technical data; provide scientific opinions and scientific and technical assistance including training; provide timely information to the European Commission (Commission), Member States, EU agencies and international organisations active in the area of public health; coordinate the European networking of bodies operating in the fields within the Centre’s mission, including networks arising from public health activities supported by the Commission and operating the dedicated surveillance networks and exchange information, expertise and best practices, and facilitate the development and implementation of joint actions.

The Decision on serious cross-border threats to health (2) reinforces the health security in the EU and improves the protection of citizens from a wide range of health threats. It will help Member States prepare for and protect citizens against possible future pandemics and serious cross-border threats caused by communicable diseases, chemical, biological or environmental events. The Decision clarifies the link between ECDC and the EU legislative arrangements on serious cross border health threats.

ECDC has its seat in Stockholm, Sweden.

Further information is available at: http://ecdc.europa.eu

We propose

The Director is the legal representative and public face of ECDC and is accountable to the ECDC Management Board, set up under Article 14 of the ECDC Founding Regulation. He/she will lead and manage ECDC and take overall responsibility for its operations ensuring the achievement of ECDC’s objectives. The Director shall be completely independent in the performance in his/her duties, without prejudice to the respective competencies of the Commission and the Management Board. He/she will be responsible for:

—	the day-to-day administration of the Centre with a budget in 2014 of around EUR 58 million and 350 staff,

—	managing ECDC in line with its Founding Regulation and with applicable legislation in force, in particular with the recent Decision on serious cross-border threats to health and with the decisions of its Management Board,

—	taking general responsibility for managing ECDC’s staff effectively and efficiently, and fostering a good team spirit and working environment,

—	drawing up ECDC’s Strategy and draft Work Programmes, and reporting on their direction and procedures for policy setting to the Management Board,

—	reporting to the Management Board on the implementation of the Work Programmes and decisions adopted by the Management Board,

—	taking general responsibility for the overall performance of the tasks assigned to ECDC including supervising the quality of its internal control and management systems,

—	preparing and executing ECDC’s budget in line with Financial Framework Regulation (3) for agencies and ensuring that it is managed efficiently and in accordance with the principle of sound financial management,

—	taking general responsibility for the financial matters of ECDC including, inter alia, final accounts and financing decisions,

—	representing ECDC and communicating with the range of stakeholders and the public in relation to all matters within its mission,

—	ensuring cooperation between ECDC, the Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States,

—	ensuring cooperation with the competent bodies in the Member States carrying out similar tasks to those of ECDC,

—	ensuring the provision of appropriate scientific, technical and administrative support for the Advisory Forum,

—	ensuring that the Centre carries out its tasks in accordance with the requirements of its users, in particular with regard to the scientific excellence and independence of activities and opinions, the adequacy of the services provided and the time taken.

We look for (selection criteria)

Candidates should have:

a)

Management experience, and in particular: — capacity to lead an organisation the size of ECDC, both at a strategic and at operational management level, — excellent capacity to provide strategic leadership and motivation to a large team in a multicultural and multilingual environment, — hands-on experience in budgetary, financial and human resources management in a national, European and/or international context;

b)

Technical knowledge, and in particular: — thorough experience in one or more of the following areas: public health, epidemiology, communicable diseases, — thorough knowledge of public administration and public sector management, — an understanding of the EU institutions and how they operate and interact, — a sound knowledge of EU and national policies and practice relevant to prevention and control of communicable disease, related international activities and other policies of relevance to the activities of ECDC and experience of leadership in this area, — a demonstrable appreciation of promoting ECDC’s guiding principles of openness, transparency, independence and scientific excellence;

c)

Communication and negotiations skills, and in particular: — the ability to communicate efficiently and fluently with the public and with the stakeholders (European, international, national and local authorities, international organisations, etc.), in a transparent and open manner, — capacity to take decisions in a complex political environment and emergency situations, — a thorough knowledge of written and oral English, — excellent interpersonal, decision-making, organisational and negotiating skills and the ability to build trusted working relationships with the EU’s institutions and with stakeholders.

Assets:

—	experience gained in a multicultural environment.

Applicants must (eligibility criteria)

In order to be considered for the selection phase, applicants must fulfil the following criteria by the closing date for applications:

—	Nationality: candidates must be nationals of a Member State of the EU,

—

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 1 year’s professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below),

—	Professional experience: candidates must have at least 15 years’ postgraduate experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission; of these 15 years of professional experience, candidates must have at least 5 years gained in the domain of the Centre’s activities,

—	Management experience: of the 15 years of professional experience, candidates must have at least 5 years gained in a high-level management function (4),

—	Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties,

—	Age limit: candidates must be able to complete the full 5-year mandate before reaching the retirement age of 66.

Independence and declaration of interests

The Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in respect of any interests which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Due to the particular nature of the functions, candidates invited to pre-selection interviews will be required to sign a declaration relating to their current or future interests that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.

In accordance with Article 16 of the Staff Regulations (5), which provisions apply by analogy to temporary agents, the Director shall, after leaving the service, continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits.

This includes the obligation to inform the Management Board of ECDC of the intention to engage in an occupational activity, whether gainful or not, within 2 years of leaving the service. If that activity is related to the work carried out during the last 3 years in service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of ECDC, the Management Board of ECDC may, having regard to the interests of the service, either forbid from undertaking it or give its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.

Selection and appointment

The Director will be appointed by the Management Board of ECDC on the basis of a list drawn up by the Commission after having made a statement to and answering questions from the European Parliament. This call is the basis for the establishment of the Commission’s list. Candidates should note that the inclusion in the list does not guarantee appointment.

A pre-selection panel will be set up by the Commission. This panel will invite applicants with the best profile for the specific requirements of the post to an interview, selected on the basis of their merits and the criteria set out above. The pre-selection panel will draw up a list of candidates which are proposed for a further interview with the Commission’s Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). Candidates who are called for an interview with the CCA will have to undergo testing by an assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants. Candidates who are shortlisted by the CCA will then be interviewed by the relevant Commissioners.

Following these interviews, the Commission will adopt a list of candidates, which will be communicated to the Management Board of ECDC.

The latter will interview these candidates and appoint a candidate. Before appointment by the Management Board, the nominated candidate will be asked to address the European Parliament and to reply to questions.

Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews or tests in addition to those indicated above.

For functional reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in the interest of candidates as well as that of the institution, the selection process will be carried out in English and/or French only (6).

Equal opportunities

The EU applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1(d) of the Staff Regulations (7). It takes great care to avoid any form of discrimination in its recruitment procedures and actively encourages applications from women.

Conditions of employment

The Director will be appointed as a staff of ECDC as a temporary agent at grade AD 14 pursuant to Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities (8) for a 5-year period, which may be renewed once.

The place of employment is Stockholm (Sweden), where ECDC is based.

Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all the conditions for eligibility criteria, in particular those regarding the required type of diplomas and professional experience.

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

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

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

You need a valid e-mail address. This will be used to confirm the creation of your account and to keep you informed about the outcome of the selection procedure. Please inform the Commission about any change in your e-mail address.

You will have to upload a CV (in PDF format) and to enter, online, a motivation letter (maximum 8  000 characters). The CV and the motivation letter should be written in English, French or German.

Candidates invited to pre-selection interviews will be required to sign a declaration relating to their current or future interests that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.

If you do not receive a registration number, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor progress of your application online. You will be contacted directly regarding the status of your application.

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may submit your application (CV and motivation letter) on paper by registered mail, no later than the closing date for registration, to the following address: European Commission, Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat, COM/2015/20005, SC11 8/35, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË, indicating clearly as a reference: Vacancy for a Director ECDC (Stockholm), COM/2015/20005 . All subsequent communication between you and the Commission will be by post. In this case you must enclose, with your CV and motivation letter, 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 process.

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

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 22 June 2015. Online registration will not be possible after 12.00 noon Brussels time.

You have 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 submission of applications has passed, you will not be able to apply. Late registrations via normal e-mail will not be accepted.

Protection of personal data

The Commission (during the preparatory phase) and later the ECDC will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (9).

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(1)  OJ L 142, 30.4.2004, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 293, 5.11.2013, p. 1.

(3)  OJ L 328, 7.12.2013, p. 42.

(4)  In their CVs applicants should indicate at least for these 5 years during which high-level 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; and (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below and number of peers.

(5)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, p. 21.

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

(6)  The selection panels will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers.

(7)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, p. 12.

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

(8)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, p. 187.

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

(9)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.

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