17.5.2011

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CA 146/1

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DG CLIMATE ACTION (CLIMA)

Publication of a vacancy for a principal adviser (grade AD 14)

(Article 29(2) of the Staff Regulations)

COM/2011/10308

(2011/C 146 A/01)

We are …

The Climate Action Directorate-General is looking for a principal adviser who will make a contribution to meeting the DG's objectives, which are:

—	to keep the average global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels,

—	to develop the EU's climate strategy for a low carbon and climate resilient economy and society both for domestic policy-making and international climate change negotiations,

—	to work towards reaching the EU's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 % by 2020 through the implementation of an efficient mix of different policy instruments,

—	to promote the mainstreaming of all aspects of climate policies, i.e. reducing emissions and adapting to the inevitable climate change in all relevant policy areas,

—	to encourage innovation, economic growth and the creation of new jobs by promoting the demonstration and dissemination of low carbon technologies as well as adaptation technologies.

For further details of these objectives see our website http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/clima/mission/index_en.htm

We propose …

A position of principal adviser is to be filled. The main task of the principal adviser will be to strengthen and to provide advice on the international climate change negotiations and the EU's climate change partnerships with third countries.

The successful candidate will need to work on the various policy areas covered by the DG and bring together analysis and conclusions on a wide range of interrelated issues and questions. Furthermore, the principal adviser will contribute to the internal coordination of the DG and to enhance the integration of climate change priorities in other EU policies. The successful candidate will also have to work in close collaboration with the Commissioner and the Member States. Knowledge will be required, for example, on:

—	the implementation of relevant EU legislation, in particular the European Union's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS),

—	sustainable energy systems, renewable energy and energy efficiency, etc.,

—	sustainable mobility and transport, etc.,

—	effective adaptation to climate change, etc.,

—	climate change and competitiveness, for example looking at eco-efficiency, costs of environmental damage, trade-off between environment and economic benefits, the link with the Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs, etc.

We look for (selection criteria) …

Preference will be given to candidates who:

—	have thorough knowledge and understanding of the international climate change negotiations, including extensive knowledge on the positions of, and contacts with, the main stakeholders,

—	have proven international experience in coordinating complex multilateral negotiations,

—	have a sound and extensive knowledge of climate change policy issues,

—	have a sound knowledge and experience of the EU ETS,

—	have high-level experience in the integration of climate change policies into other policies,

are able to demonstrate:

—	proven negotiating skills,

—	excellent communication skills,

—	ability to work effectively as a team player in coordinating climate change policy and negotiations,

—	a sound understanding of economics and the business world,

—	originality and the ability to have new ideas and see new angles to find ways to achieve goals,

—	an excellent knowledge of the EU institutions and its climate action policies,

—	experience in designing and implementing efficient and effective policies is necessary.

Candidates must (eligibility criteria) …

1.	be a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union;

2.

have: (i) either a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more; or (ii) a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;

3.

have at least 15 years' postgraduate professional experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must have been gained in a management function at high level (1) and should be in direct relation to a field relevant for this position;

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.	not yet 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 65 years (see Article 52(a) of the Staff Regulations).

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 principal adviser will be selected and appointed by the Commission according to its selection and recruitment procedures (see also the Compilation Document on Senior Officials Policy). As part of this selection procedure, candidates who have been called for an interview by the Commission's Consultative Committee on Appointments will have to pass, beforehand, an assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants.

Candidates should note that the selection procedures will be carried out in English and/or French only (2);

Salaries and conditions of employment are those laid down in the Staff Regulations for AD 14 grade officials of the European Union. Applicants should note the requirement under the Staff Regulations for all new staff to complete successfully a nine-month probationary period.

Equal opportunities

The European Union applies an equal opportunities policy.

Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all the eligibility criteria (‘Candidates must’), particularly concerning the types of diploma and professional experience 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 by going to the website https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/CV_Encadext and follow the instructions there concerning the various stages of the procedure.

It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time (3). 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 not longer able to introduce any data. As a general rule, late registrations via normal e-mail will not be accepted.

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 be required 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 your have finished your online registration, you will receive on screen a 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 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  (4) , 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 17 June 2011. 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 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. In the case of a principal adviser vacancy, candidates should indicate their advisory experience at high level.

(2)  The selection panels will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers of these languages.

(3)  No later than 12 noon, Brussels time, on 17 June 2011.

(4)  European Commission, Directorate-General Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat, COM/2011/10308, SC11 08/030, 1049 Brussels, Belgium.

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