WE ARE

The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the EU's diplomatic service. It helps the EU's foreign affairs chief – the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – carry out the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy.
 
The European Union (EU) currently has 144 Delegations, eight of which are to international organisations. In all, 6200 staff are currently serving in these Union Delegations.  The EU Delegations are placed under the authority of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who is also Vice President of the European Commission. The work of a Delegation varies from country to country but, in general, covers political matters, press and information, trade, aid management and the external aspects of internal EU policies.

WE PROPOSE

A position as Secretary to the Head of Delegation in Mauritania – job n° 152278

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Nouakchott, MAURITANIA

LCA: 35%

POST AVAILABLE: 01/10/2023

We will offer to the successful candidate a contract corresponding to a Contract Agent FG II contract, as per Article 3a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS) for an initial period of 3 years, with possibility of renewal.

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) (1).  

It is recalled, that if the interest of the service so requires, the selection procedures can be terminated at any stage in the interest of the service.

WE LOOK FOR

The Secretary/Assistant will be required to provide general administrative and secretarial support as well as document management services to the Head of Delegation office.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Further to the conditions set out in Article 82 CEOS, in order to be eligible for the post of contract agent FG II, candidates must:

• (i) have passed a valid EPSO CAST in a valid FG for this post or
• (ii) be registered in the EPSO Permanent CAST in a valid FG for this post https://epso.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-for-application
• Candidates must meet the minimum qualifications for engagement as contract agent FG II:  
• (i) Have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma; or 
• (ii) a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, and appropriate professional experience of at least three years; or 
• (iii) in exceptional circumstances and where justified in the interest of the service, professional training or professional experience of an equivalent level (related to the nature of the tasks and qualifications indicated in the Job Description).
• Have the capacity to work in languages of CFSP necessary for the performance of their duties;
• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

Additional eligibility criteria in case of an internal call for expression of interest:

• Be an EEAS contract agent in the function group concerned by the call for expression of interest and:
• Recruited under Article 3b of the CEOS, employed at the EEAS Headquarters for no less than three years; or 
• Recruited under Article 3a of the CEOS temporarily assigned to the EEAS Headquarters for at least 2 years;

EEAS contract agents having accepted a new posting proposed in the framework of the mobility exercise will not be considered eligible unless he/she can show a significant change in his/her personal circumstances (demonstrated by supporting documents), which did not exist and was not foreseeable at the time of the expression of interest and that is of a nature to prevent them from taking up duties in the initially proposed and accepted posting (article 4.12 of the decision ADMIN (2020)35).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Proven pertinent experience as Secretary/Assistant:

• in external relations;
• with Secretarial/Assistant activities/techniques and knowledge on how to apply Institution’s administrative rules and procedures;
• with filing methods and knowledge of document management systems;
• with sound computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation systems, internet and e-mail);
• handling secure communications and classified information.

General skills and competences

• Capacity to assure quality, speed and accuracy in performing a diversity of tasks in a very difficult, complex, and high-risk multicultural environment without constant supervision;
• Ability to work under pressure and to respond quickly to new demands;
• Ability to communicate information clearly and effectively and to focus on priorities;
• Capacity to be able to work as part of a team as well as with a degree of autonomy;
• Sense of initiative, responsibility, discretion, organisation and innovation;
• Ability to deal with confidential matters professionally;
• Ability to deal helpfully and courteously with people;
• Ability to organise social events, taking into account protocol rules;
• Ability to work in a different socio-cultural environment and to adapt quickly to evolving situations;
• Ability to sustain pressure of life and work in difficult conditions.  
• Resilience and capacity to adapt to local conditions in Mauritania

Working languages

• Capacity to work fluently in French and a good knowledge of English;
• Knowledge of Arabic will be considered as an asset.

POSTING POLICY

EEAS career development policy places the need for staff to develop a mix of competences at its core, e.g. working in various fields of expertise and responsibilities in the course of a person's career, including postings at Headquarters and Delegations. 

Contract staff in Delegations is usually posted for 2, 3, 4 or 6 years. Call for interest to apply for extension or early mobility will be launched annually prior to the publication of the mobility exercise. Staff are reminded that extension and early mobility are not a right.

Contract staff assigned to a post where the living conditions allowance determined in accordance with Art 10 of Annex X of the Staff Regulation (LCA) is 30% or 35% may participate in the mobility exercise after 4 years.

Contract staff assigned to a post where the LCA is 40% may participate in the mobility exercise after 3 years.

Contract staff assigned to a non-family post may participate in the mobility exercise after 2 years. 

For candidates currently in compound-confined, non-family posting, please refer to Article 6, point 2(g) of the Decision ADMIN(2021)221.

Within the mobility exercise, contract staff may be temporarily assigned to the EEAS Headquarters in Brussels; such assignment shall remain exceptional and depends on the availability of posts. The assignment shall be for no less than two years, unless a derogation is authorised by the Head of Division Selection and recruitment in the interest of the service.

The assignment shall be for no more than four years, in accordance with Article 118 of the CEOS and Article 3 of Annex X of the Staff Regulations. The member of contract staff temporarily assigned to Headquarters shall be included in the mobility exercise in time to be reassigned to a Union Delegation before he/she reaches the maximum period of 4 years.

Candidates currently in HQ are expected to have served at least three years in HQ by the expected time of posting in Delegation. Derogation to this rule may only be granted in the interest of the service.

External candidates may also apply to any vacancy position published for Delegations.

It is in the interest of the service to ensure that staff members in Delegations are able to complete full postings before reaching the age of retirement. Before taking any final decisions on nominations, the appropriate Authority Authorised to conclude contracts of engagement (AACC) will ensure on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Staff Regulations (SR) and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants to the Union (CEOS) (2) that the successful candidates will indeed be able to complete the relevant full posting for the post for which they were selected. As stated in Article 6, Point 2(a), applications from candidates not fulfilling this requirement will be examined by the AACC for exceptional and justified reasons and in the interest of the service.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE

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

1. Application

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

Equally, candidates are deemed to be fully aware of the local living conditions, including information concerning the accommodation, before applying. Individual post reports are available from EEAS.RM.01 - Coordination Division: RM-01-COORDINATION@eeas.europa.eu

Candidates should also ensure that they are fully aware of the relevant security provisions i.e. Personal Security clearance at the level EU SECRET will be requested in all EU Delegations. Successful candidates will be required to undergo security vetting if they do not already hold security clearance to the appropriate level in accordance with the EEAS relevant security provisions.

During the application procedure, candidates will be required to send the following documents:

1. an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (preferably using the Europass format https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae, indicating clearly the EPSO ID application number;
2. a letter of motivation (maximum 2 pages) in either English or French; 

Applications should be submitted to the following email address:
    delegation-mauritania-hod@eeas.europa.eu
with copy to
    CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu

By submitting an application, candidates grant permission to the concerned human resources and recruiting departments to use these documents. (3)

Deadline for applications is 17/10/2023 at 12.00 hours (midday, Brussels time). Candidates are strongly advised to submit their application as early as possible. Late applications will not be accepted.

For correspondence concerning the selection procedure, please use the following email address:

CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu

2. Pre-selection

The Delegation will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and the professional experience described in the CV and motivation letter, and will submit a shortlist of a limited number of eligible candidates who best meet the selection criteria for the post to HQ, who will then check the eligibility of the candidates. Those candidates who do not have a valid CAST will be invited to take the tests.

3. Selection

The Delegation will invite the eligible candidates who have been pre-selected for an interview to evaluate them objectively and impartially on the basis of their qualifications, professional experience and linguistic skills, as listed in the present vacancy notice. The Delegation will recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the relevant Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC). The AACC may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision.

CONDITIONS OF RECRUITMENT AND EMPLOYMENT

Successful candidates are obliged to participate in all pre-posting training.

PERSONNEL SECURITY CLEARANCE

A candidate selected for a posting shall be assigned or appointed on condition that they are granted Personnel Security Clearance (PSC) at EU SECRET level in accordance with Decision ADMIN(2019)7 of the Director General for Budget and Administration of the EEAS of 8 March 2019 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the European External Action Service. A selected candidate that is not in possession of the required PSC shall initiate the process for requesting the PSC in accordance with Article 5 of Decision ADMIN(2019)7 within ten working days from the notification of their selection for the post, in line with Article 11 of the EEAS Rotation Decision.

As a matter of policy, applications of individuals who have the dual nationality of the host country or the partner of whom has the nationality of the host country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The EEAS examines if there could be a conflict of interest and the consequence of a possible refusal by the host country to grant diplomatic immunity to the staff member and or his/her partner and family, as well as possible security risks. The HR Department may ask for additional information from the applicant in this context.

MEDICAL CLEARANCE

The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service. On that occasion, the candidate should indicate any serious health problems or requirements for specialised medical treatment for themselves and/or for the individuals who will accompany them. If staff members withhold such information they will not benefit from a reimbursement by the institution of certain costs, e.g. expenses relating to medical evacuation, or to a return to Headquarters in the case of early mobility.

Prior to recruitment, the successful candidate will be contacted by our services in order to fulfil the relevant medical requirements for the post as appropriate, including a psychological assessment which the AACC reserves the right to request notably for hardship posts (countries with 30% Living Conditions Allowance or higher).

OTHER

Candidates are deemed to be fully aware of the provisions of Annex X of the Staff Regulations, which applies to staff serving in Delegations located outside the European Union, regarding their rights and obligations (leave entitlements, allowances, reimbursement of expenses, social security benefits). 

Candidates are deemed to be fully aware of the local living conditions, including i.a. information concerning security, health care, education, social acceptance of sexual orientation, employment opportunities for spouses and the accommodation provided (Annex X, Article 5 or 23), before applying. Candidates are strongly encouraged to consult the relevant Country Post reports which are available from EEAS.RM.01 - Coordination Division: RM-01-COORDINATION@eeas.europa.eu

All postings will in principle be aligned with the mobility cycle and have the 31 August of a given year as end date. 

Successful candidates shall participate in all compulsory pre-posting training. All posts in an EU Delegation require the successful completion of BASE, a security e-learning. The “Hostile Environment Awareness Training" (HEAT) is compulsory before taking up duty/going on mission in some countries. The EEAS will provide the selected candidate with that possibility in case she or he has not yet followed the training.

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. 

Candidates with disabilities are invited to contact the Functional mailbox CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@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 for a vacant post, the EEAS is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in accordance with Art 1d.4 of the Staff Regulations.

ADDRESS FOR INQUIRIES 

CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu

If you have never been to a delegation, we highly recommend that you find out more by contacting the EEAS.RM.BHR.6 Support to Delegations Division:

SUPPORT-TO-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu (Mr Laurent Brebant  +32 2 584 3626, Ms Katherine Mixture +32 2 584 5106) or Ms Sylvie Bodet-Palem +32 2 584 5412

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. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF
3. Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as implemented by ADMIN(2019)8 decision of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The privacy statement is available on the EEAS website: (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/data-protection_en) and on the EEAS Intranet: (https://intranet.eeas.europa.eu/page/eeas-work/data-protection/privacy-statements-dp-notices).