Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU)

Publication of a vacancy for the function of Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU)

(Temporary Agent — Grade AD 14)

COM/2022/20075

(2022/C 48 A/01)

 

We are

The Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU), established by Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 (1), is a public-private partnership between the EU and several health industry associations representing complementary sectors in life sciences industry, aiming to support pre-competitive, cross-sectoral research and innovation in health area, mainly through grants. IHI JU succeeds and replaces the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (IMI2 JU), the world’s largest public-private partnership in the life sciences, established by Council Regulation (EU) No 557/2014 (2).

IHI JU intends to:

—	help create an EU-wide health research and innovation ecosystem that facilitates translation of scientific knowledge into innovation;

—	foster the development of safe, effective, people-centred and cost-effective innovations that respond to strategic unmet public health needs;

—	drive cross-sectoral health innovation for a globally competitive European health industry.

IHI JU will mobilise significant public and private sector resources needed to achieve its objectives as it will implement the budget of approx. EUR 2,4 billion and have a programme office of approximately 50 staff members. More information on IHI JU can be found in Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, notably in its Articles 115-125, as well as on the website of the IHI JU, available at https://www.ihi.europa.eu

We propose

The Executive Director will be the chief executive responsible for the day-to-day management of the Joint Undertaking as well as be its legal representative. He/she shall be independent in the performance of her/his duties and shall be accountable for her/his activities to the Governing Board composed of representatives of member industry associations and of the European Commission.

The Executive Director will have a central role in running the Joint Undertaking. He/she will be responsible for establishing and managing the administrative, operational and financial measures necessary for its proper operation.

The Executive Director will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Joint Undertaking, including in particular:

—	participate at the strategic and policy debate about the Joint Undertaking as the world-leading public-private partnership in health research and innovation, ensuring the Joint Undertaking’s activities respond to the public health needs,

—

establish efficient working mechanism with stakeholders involved in health care, notably citizens including patients, health care professionals, providers, payers and regulators, in particular through productive interaction with the Science and Innovation Panel and the States Representatives’ Group,

—	communicate the achievements of IHI JU and attract applicants of the highest scientific calibre to IHI JU calls,

—	provide support to the IHI JU Governing Board, the Science and Innovation Panel, the States Representatives’ Group and other bodies of the Joint Undertaking that may be created for its efficient and effective functioning,

—	appoint and supervise the IHI JU staff, fostering a good team spirit and working environment,

—	prepare and implement the annual work and budget plans, prepare and execute the budget ensuring its efficient management in conformity with IHI JU Financial Rules, elaborate the necessary annual reports on the activities of the IHI JU as well as its annual accounts and balance sheets,

—

supervise the call and project management processes, in particular: the organisation and management of the calls for proposals and evaluation processes, the negotiation and conclusion of grant agreements for selected proposals, and the subsequent periodic monitoring and follow-up of funded projects.

A more detailed description of the envisaged tasks can be found in Regulation (EU) 2021/2085. IHI JU replaced and took over the activities of its predecessor IMI2 JU on 30 November 2021 and therefore, the tasks of IHI JU Executive Director will also cover the still ongoing activities of IMI2 JU.

Without prejudice to the respective competencies of the European Commission and of the Governing Board that includes representatives from the European Commission and industry associations, the Executive Director shall assume full responsibility for the tasks entrusted to the Joint Undertaking and shall be subject to the procedure for annual discharge by the European Parliament for the implementation of the budget.

We look for (selection criteria)

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

a)

Management skills: — strong achievements as a leader, manager and communicator, involving management of teams and financial resources at a level commensurate with the nature of the JU, — capacity to develop a forward-looking vision, identify strategies, set priorities and implement the Joint Undertaking’s strategic objectives to meet the challenges faced by a body operating in the public-private sphere, — ability to lead, care for and motivate a multidisciplinary team of approximately 50 highly qualified professionals in a European multicultural and multilingual context, — very good decision-making skills, including the capacity to deliver impact within fixed budget and timing.

b)

Specialist skills and experience: — excellent understanding of research and innovation in health sectors (e.g. pharma, medtech, biotech, digital), notably of industrial research and innovation and of challenges related to translating new discoveries and developments into innovative products or services accessible to end users, including patients, and of regulatory aspects, — a proven experience in collaboration between different stakeholders in health R&I, such as industry-academic collaboration, — experience in programme and project management and/or research funding processes at national, EU or international level, — a university degree in medical sciences, life sciences or in a related discipline, with hands-on experience in life science/medical research and innovation, — a good understanding of the EU Institutions and their functioning and interaction would be an asset.

c)

Personal qualities: — excellent interpersonal skills and networking experience, — excellent sense of responsibility, initiative and ability to act with tact, political sensitivity and diplomacy, — a high level of resilience, — ability to communicate fluently and efficiently and build good working relations with various internal and external stakeholders, — solid experience of negotiating in an international environment.

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.

—

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 professional experience (3) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in the area of the activities of the Joint Undertaking.

—	Management experience: at least 5 years of the post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a high–level management function (4) in a field relevant for this position.

—

Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (5) 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 be able to complete, at the deadline for application, the full mandate of 4 years before reaching the 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 (see Article 47 of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (6)).

Selection and appointment

The Executive Director will be appointed by the Governing Board of the Joint Undertaking on the basis of a shortlist provided by the European Commission. The open and transparent selection procedure will respect the principle of gender equality.

To establish this shortlist, the European Commission organises a selection in accordance with its selection and recruitment procedures (see the Document on Senior Officials Policy (7)).

As part of this selection procedure, the European Commission sets up a pre-selection panel that will, in line with Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, include a representative appointed by each type of members other than the Union (8) of the Joint Undertaking, and one observer appointed by the Governing Board. This pre-selection 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 the Executive Director of the Joint Undertaking.

Candidates on the CCA shortlist will be interviewed by the Member(s) of the Commission responsible for the Directorate-General in charge of the relations with the Joint Undertaking (9).

Following these interviews, the European Commission adopts a shortlist of the most suitable candidates, which will be communicated to the Governing Board of the Joint Undertaking. The latter may decide to interview the candidates before appointing the Executive Director from among the candidates on the Commission shortlist. Inclusion on this shortlist does not guarantee appointment.

Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews and/or tests in addition to those indicated above. They could also be required to deliver a statement before the relevant committee(s) of the European Parliament.

Equal opportunities

The European Commission and IHI JU apply a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (10). Applications that could contribute towards more diversity, gender equality and overall geographical balance are welcome. Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 specifically sets out that the procedure will respect the principle of gender balance, and applications from female candidates are particularly encouraged.

Conditions of employment

The salaries and conditions of employment are laid down in the Conditions of Employment of other Servants.

The successful candidate will be engaged by the Joint Undertaking as a Temporary Agent at grade AD 14. He/she will be classified depending on the length of her/his previous professional experience in step 1 or step 2 within that grade.

The successful candidate will be appointed for an initial period of 4 years, with a possible prolongation for a maximum 3 years.

Applicants should note the requirement under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants for all new staff to complete successfully a 9-month probationary period.

The place of employment is Brussels, Belgium, where IHI JU is based.

The post is available from 16 September 2022.

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up her/his duties, the 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 her/his 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, preferably using the Europass CV format (11), 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 online. 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 28 February 2022, 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 panels 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. All queries must be addressed to the secretariat of the relevant panel.

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

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(1)  Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe and repealing Regulations (EC) No 219/2007, (EU) No 557/2014, (EU) No 558/2014, (EU) No 559/2014, (EU) No 560/2014, (EU) No 561/2014 and (EU) No 642/2014 (OJ L 427, 30.11.2021, p. 17).

(2)  Council Regulation (EU) No 557/2014 of 6 May 2014 establishing the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (OJ L 169, 7.6.2014, p. 54).

(3)  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 3 years maximum, provided that the PhD has been successfully completed. A given period may be counted only once.

(4)  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.

(5)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01958R0001-20130701

(6)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20140701

(7)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/compilation-of-the-senior-official-policy-at-the-european-commission_en.pdf (only exists in English).

(8)  Members other than the Union’ means ‘any participating state, private member or international organisation that is a member of a joint undertaking’.

(9)  Unless the Member of the Commission concerned, in line with the Commission Decision of 5 December 2007 (PV(2007) 1811) and 30 September 2020 (PV(2020) 2351), has delegated this task.

(10)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20140701

(11)  You can find information on how to create your Europass CV online at: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv

(12)  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).