EEAS Vacancy Notice Contract Agent FGIII – Job title: Public Diplomacy Assistant

We are:

The European External Action Service (EEAS), which supports the work of the High Representative in defining and implementing an effective and coherent EU foreign policy. 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 as Vice President of the Commission with regard to his responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field including the coordination of other aspects of the EU's external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with Member States, the Council and relevant services of the European Commission.

The Communications Policy and Public Diplomacy Division leads the European Union's efforts on the public dimension of European diplomacy and its communication on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as its external action more broadly. It pro-actively communicates and enhances support for the values, policies, priorities, actions and impact of the EU as a global actor among EU citizens and at the international level.

The Division supports the EU Delegations and relevant Missions and Operations around the world in communicating and enhancing support for the EU and its activities and policies to the relevant audiences. It also supports and facilitates the internal communications in the European External Action Service and plays a leading role in information management activities.

We propose

The position of Public Diplomacy Assistant at the Communications Policy and Public Diplomacy Division (SG.STRAT.1) – contract agent FGIII as per article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).¹

Place of employment: EEAS Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium

Post available: September 2023

We look for

A highly motivated colleague and a good team-player with an extensive experience in the field of communications, public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy. A challenging position as Policy Officer of Public Diplomacy entails to contribute to the development of the EU's Public Diplomacy policy in external relations and assist to its implementation.

Tasks will include to:

• Assist in conception, development and implementation of EU’s public diplomacy policy, together with EU departments.
• Assist in the implementation of programmes and initiatives having a public diplomacy or people-to-people dimension.
• Follow the programming and implementation of Global Europe programme in the areas related to Public Diplomacy policy and provide strategic input and guidance to FPI-funded activities and programmes in the area of public diplomacy and international cultural relations.
• Work with relevant stakeholders and target groups in the EU and abroad to build trust and understanding on the EU and on the approach and objectives of EU Public Diplomacy efforts.
• Contribute to advising EU Delegations on public diplomacy policy issues, including by participating in the regular regional conference calls and regional seminars.
• Develop guidelines, orientations and new approaches relating to implementation of public diplomacy activities.
• Contribute to the preparations and implementation of the EU presence in the EXPO 2025 event in Osaka, including coordination with the different EU services participating in the Expo;
• Work with communication and public diplomacy service providers and contractors.

Legal basis

• The vacancy is to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the CEOS, in particular Article 82 thereof.
• Subject to having passed the CAST exam, the successful candidate will be offered a contract agent position (Function group III), on the basis of a contract with an initial duration of one year that may be successively renewed for a maximum duration of 6 years.

Eligibility criteria

Candidates for this contract agent III post should:

• have passed a valid EPSO CAST in a valid FG for this post or be registered in the EPSO Permanent Contract Agent Selection Tool (CAST) for this post (https://epso.europa.eu/en/job-opportunities/open-for-application). In that case, while the registration will render the candidate eligible for the selection procedure, the recruitment of a candidate on this vacant post will be subject to their successfully passing the CAST exam that this candidate will be called to attend;
• have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma or a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education;
• appropriate professional experience of three year:
• have the capacity to work in languages of CFSP and external relations necessary for the performance of their duties; knowledge of other EU languages would be an asset;
• be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates should:

• have a minimum professional experience of three years in the relevant field;
• have an ability and experience to maintain diplomatic relations and to ensure representation, communication in a complex, multicultural environment;
• have a strong capacity to create constructive working relations with national authorities, international organisations and EU Member States;
• have a sound experience in project management and working with contractors;
• have strong drafting, communication and analytical skills combined with sound judgement;
• have excellent knowledge of external relations, internal policies and functioning of the Union;
• have a good knowledge of the EU communication policy and financial regulations;
• have excellent communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain a network of contacts both within and outside the EEAS;
• have the ability to communicate clearly on complex issues and the capacity to perform with accuracy and in a flexible manner a diversity of tasks in a complex institutional environment;
• have strong service attitude;
• be a flexible team player;
• have fluency in both spoken and written English and French.

Furthermore:

• experience of working in an Embassy, a Delegation (or equivalent in an international organisation);
• experience of working in a team in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
• experience in working with or within EU institutions, government or corporate communications;
• experience in the design and preparation of big scale public diplomacy projects;
• a proactive and creative approach to problem-solving, always seeking innovative solutions;
• strong time management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines;
• and working knowledge of Spanish

would be considered as strong assets.

Specific conditions of employment

The signature of the contract will be subject to prior favourable opinion of the Medical Service.

The requested level of security clearance for this post is: SECRET UE/EU SECRET. A description of the EU classified information levels is available under Article 2 of the Decision ADMIN(2017) 10 on the security rules of the EEAS².

The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance (PSC)³ issued by the competent authority of the Member State concerned.

Candidates who do not already have a valid PSC will be required to go through the security clearance vetting procedure of their Member State to obtain this clearance in accordance with national laws and regulations and with the procedure laid down in the Decision ADMIN(2019)7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019 and in Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2017) 10 on the security rules of the EEAS⁴. Until the PSC is issued by the competent authority of the Member State concerned, the selected candidate will not be authorised to access EUCI at the level of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above, or to participate in any meetings or workflow where EUCI is processed.

Please note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate.

In case of failure to obtain or renew the required PSC, the AACC may take the appropriate measures in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Decision ADMIN(2019) 7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019.

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 CONTRACTAGENTS-HQ@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.

Application and selection procedure⁵

Please send your CV and cover letter (with your EPSO CAST number), in English or in French via email, with reference to the Vacancy number in the Subject field, to:

SG-STRAT-1-RECRUITMENT@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending application: 31/07/2023 at 12.00 (CET).

Candidates shall draft their CV using the Europass CV, which can be found at the following internet address: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae.

Late applications will not be accepted.

The selection panel will make a pre-selection on the basis of the qualifications and professional experience described in the CV and motivational letter, and will produce a shortlist of eligible candidates who best meet the selection criteria for the post. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be informed about the outcome of the pre-selection phase.

The candidates who have been preselected will be invited for an interview by a selection panel.

The selection panel may decide, in addition to the interview, to organise written tests, either for all pre-selected candidates or to the best ranked ones, after the interview. The content of such written tests will be defined by the selection panel and may include, but not be limited to, multiple choice questions, open questions and/or topics for a short essay.

Pre-selected candidates shall be invited to sit the CAST exam before or after the interview stage by the selection panel (in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out above).The panel will recommend a shortlist of candidates for a final decision by the Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment The AACC may decide to interview the candidates on the final shortlist before taking this decision.

If, exceptionally, on the date of recruitment, the successful candidate has not yet had the opportunity to pass the tests necessary to obtain the CAST, the latter will be engaged on condition that he obtains the CAST within six months of taking up his duties. Failure to obtain the required CAST will give the EEAS the right to terminate the employment contract.

It is recalled, that the selection procedure may be terminated at any stage in the interest of the service.

In the interest of the service, after identifying the candidate that best fulfils the requirement of the post as set out in the vacancy notice, the AACC may also establish a reserve list of candidates. These candidates shall be informed that the reserve list shall remain valid for a period of one year from when it is established and that it may be used to fill the same post or an equivalent post in the EEAS having the same job profile.

1. Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS).

2. OJ C 126, 10 April 2018, p.1.

3. The ‘Personnel Security Clearance’ is defined under point 2 of Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2017) 10 on the security rules of the EEAS as “a statement by a competent authority of a Member State which is made following completion of a security investigation conducted by the competent authorities of a Member State and which certifies that an individual may, provided his ‘need-to-know’ has been determined, be granted access to EUCI up to a specified level (CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above) until a specified date; the individual thus described is said to be ‘security cleared’.”

4. OJ C 126, 10 April 2018, p.1.

5. 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 Europa website: (http://eeas.europa.eu/data_protection/rights/index_en.htm) and on the EEAS Intranet: (https://intranet.eeas.europa.eu/page/eeas-work/data-protection/privacy-statements).