WE ARE

The European External Action Service (EEAS), which supports the work of the High Representative in defining and implementing an effective and coherent foreign policy of the European Union. The EEAS supports his tasks of conducting the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and chairing the Foreign Affairs Council. It also supports the High Representative in his capacity of Vice President of the Commission. The EEAS works in close cooperation with Member States, the Council and relevant services of the European Commission.

Within the EEAS, the Policy Coordination Division (SG.COORD) plays a central role in supporting the HRVP, the EEAS Secretary General and senior management in achieving policy priorities. Through a joined-up approach to inter-institutional coordination, the Division contributes to the effective and efficient conduct of policy and decision-making processes within the EEAS and with regard to the work of the Council and Commission.

The Correspondence Team manages in particular the High Representative’s, Presidents’, and Vice-Presidents' correspondence from assignment to delivery.

WE PROPOSE:

The EEAS is launching a call for expression of interest for the recruitment of one ASSISTANT (AST3) as Temporary Agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of other servants of the EU1 in accordance with EEAS Decision Admin(2015) 20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents.

Please note that, candidates who have been engaged by the EEAS as non-permanent servants (temporary and contract agents engaged under Article 3b of the CEOS), will be bound by Decision ADMIN(2020)10 of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 16/07/2020 on the maximum duration of engagement of non-permanent staff under successive limited duration contracts of different types by the European External Action Service.

It is a challenging and interesting position as Correspondence Coordinator - Administrative Assistant of HRVP and Presidents' Correspondence Management in Policy Coordination Division (SG.COORD). The team of four manages the High Representative’s, Presidents’, and Vice-Presidents' correspondence from assignment to delivery.

WE LOOK FOR:

A dynamic, proactive and highly motivated colleague with very good communication and organisational skills and with a developed sense of service; good team player who works well under pressure and has a native-level command of English with good drafting skills. The person should be able to work independently and as part of a team in an efficient manner. The successful candidate should have very good knowledge of ARES, advanced knowledge of Word and Excel, a sound knowledge of the standard IT applications and administrative procedures. The person will be entrusted with the following main tasks:

• Read, analyse and evaluate the incoming correspondence registered by the HRVP Cabinet (or by the General Secretariat of the Commission or the Council) and assign it according to the document management rules and relevant procedures.
• Proofread letters written in English.
• Ensure and monitor the timely delivery of draft replies, including preparing the final version of the letter to be submitted for signature by the HRVP or by the President of the European Commission and/or President of the European Council.
• Coordinate linguistic quality control of any other EU language (addressees, job titles, formatting, etc.).
• Prepare a weekly follow up/monitoring table extracted from ARES for the cabinet and for follow-up of the team's activity and deadlines.
• Coach, assist and answer questions submitted by the services related to the handling of correspondence. Provide staff and management with information on procedures.
• Organise and ensure the sending out of conference serial invitations signed by the HRVP or co-signed (e.g. Council Presidency, Member States or other Commissioners).
• Participate in training sessions with the EEAS and/or represent the EEAS in Commission-wide meetings on Correspondence

LEGAL BASIS

The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS)2, in accordance with EEAS Decision ADMIN(2015) 20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents

The successful candidate will be offered a contract as Temporary Agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS) at the grade of AST3

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Candidates must meet ALL of the following general and specific conditions on the closing date for online applications:

• Be a national of one of the EU Member States and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Meet any obligations imposed on him or her by the laws concerning military service;
• Provide the appropriate character references3 as to their suitability for the performance of their duties;
• Have the capacity to work in languages of the CFSP (English and French, in writing and orally). Both languages are required in the performance of the duties. The command of English must be at native-speaker level and the command of French must be at minimum B2 level (Language 2 — satisfactory knowledge)4.
• Secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, followed by at least 7 years’ professional experience directly related to the nature of the duties; OR Relevant professional training followed by at least 7 years’ professional experience directly related to the nature of the duties.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

• Possess a high sense of initiative, responsibility and reliability
• Be a team player, showing flexibility, team spirit and cooperation
• Have a native-level command of English (essential)
• Be a well organised multitasker – with the ability to perform under pressure and adjust to changing priorities while respecting deadlines
• Have very good organisational skills and a service minded attitude with a capacity to ensure quality, speed and accuracy in performing complex tasks in a multicultural environment
• Attention to detail, problem solving skills, analytical and comprehension skills
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to prioritize work
• Possess interpersonal and communications skills in order to ensure a positive outcome within a given timeframe
• Be able to explain complex procedures and answer questions related to the management of the HRVP's correspondence to the services
• Have very good knowledge of ARES , a strong propensity for IT and very good knowledge of all MS Office Tools, i.e. mail merge in Word, Excel tables
• Good knowledge of oral and written French is a plus
• Previous experience in EU institutions would be considered an asset
• Possess a good understanding or a keen interest in EU external relations

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST AND SELECTION PROCEDURE (5):

The selection procedure will take place in three different and successive steps:

1. Expression of Interest

Before submitting their application, candidates should carefully check whether they meet all the eligibility criteria in order to avoid exclusion from the selection procedure.

Expressions of interest should be sent by e-mail to the following mailbox:

margareta.ploder@eeas.europa.eu copying AST-STAFF@eeas.europa.eu

For the purposes of the e-mail application, the e-mail must have in the subject the following title:

"EoI-HQ (AST)-TA2b-AST3- SG.COORD.SEC4-job no.376259"

Such an expression of interest must be accompanied by:

• an updated Curriculum vitae. Candidates are invited to use the "Europass" CV format (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae) for their applications.
• a letter of motivation (maximum 2 pages) in either English or in French;

Expressions may be submitted during the period from 26/10/2023 to 16/11/2023 at 12:00 midday (Brussels time).



For correspondence concerning the selection procedure, please use the following email address (the e-mail must have in the subject the following title: "EoI-HQ (AST)-TA2b-AST3- SG.COORD.SEC4-job no.376259"):

margareta.ploder@eeas.europa.eu

2. Pre-selection

The selection panel will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and the professional experience described in the CV and motivation letter.

3. Selection

The candidates who have passed the pre-selection step will be invited for an interview so that the selection panel can evaluate them objectively and impartially based on the selection criteria, as listed in the present call for expression of interest. The selection panel can also decide to invite preselected candidate for written or oral tests.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:

The EEAS is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EEAS is committed to promoting gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States. We aim at a service, which is truly representative of society, where each staff member feels respected, is able to give their best and can develop their full potential. Additional specific written or oral tests might be organised by the panel.

If pre-selected, candidates with disabilities are invited to contact the EEAS (EEAS-HQ-APPLICATIONS-AST@eeas.europa.eu) in order to accommodate any special needs and provide assistance to ensure the possibility to pass the selection procedure in equality of opportunities with other candidates.

If a candidate with a disability is selected and recruited, the EEAS is committed to appropriate measures in order to accommodate his or her special needs to the working place or working conditions in accordance with Art 1d(4) of the Staff Regulations.

RECRUITMENT:

The selected candidate will be recruited as temporary agents under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS), in accordance with EEAS Decision ADMIN(2015) 20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents.

The selected candidate will be required to undergo security vetting if (s)he does not already hold security clearance to an appropriate level, in accordance with the relevant security provisions. In case the successful candidate does not obtain his or her PSC, his or her engagement will be terminated.

The selected candidate will be required to undergo a medical fitness examination in accordance with Article 13 of the CEOS.

In case of positive results on the medical fitness examination and after assessment of the PSC conditions, the candidate will be offered a contract as Temporary Agent, Grade AST-3 (6) for a duration 4 years renewable only once for another 2 years.

All member of the temporary staff shall serve initially a nine-month probationary period in accordance with Article 14 CEOS.



PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Brussels, Belgium

POST AVAILABLE: immediately

CONTACT:

Ms Margareta Ploder, Deputy Head of Division, SG.COORD - Policy Coordination

Tel: +32 2584-4316

Email: margareta.ploder@eeas.europa.eu

The closing date for submissions is 16/11/2023 at 12:00 hours (Brussels time).

1 Staff Regulations of Officials (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). For reference see: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20190101

2 Staff Regulations of Officials (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). For reference, see

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20190101

3 criminal records certificate

4 Please note that the minimum levels required above must apply to each linguistic ability (speaking, writing, reading and listening) requested in the application form. These abilities reflect those of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr

5 Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) 2018/1725. The privacy statement is available on EEAS webpage: http://eeas.europa.eu/data_protection/rights/index_en.htm

6 The basic salaries offered by the EU institutions are set out in Article 66 of the Staff Regulations. The current level, can be accessed via the link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C:2022:231:FULL&from=EN

A number of factors are taken into account in calculating your pay. Use the pay calculator for an individual estimate:

https://myintracomm.ec.europa.eu/staff/EN/working-conditions/pay/Pages/calculettes.aspx