EEAS Vacancy Notice Contract Agent FGIV – Job title: Administrative Officer -with a focus on Strategic Communication

We are

The European External Action Service (EEAS) supports the work of the High Representative in defining and implementing an effective and coherent EU foreign policy. The EEAS supports his/her tasks of conducting the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy and chairing the Foreign Affairs Council. It also supports the High Representative in his/her capacity as Vice President of the Commission with regard to his/her responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field including the coordination of other aspects of the Union’s external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with Member States, the Council and relevant services of the European Commission.

The European Security and Defence College (ESDC) provides training in the field of the Union's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in the context of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) at European level in order to develop and promote a common understanding of CSDP among civilian and military personnel, and to identify and disseminate, through its training activities, best practice in relation to various CSDP issues. It is organised as a network bringing together civilian and military institutes, colleges, academies, universities, institutions and other actors dealing with security and defence policy issues within the European Union, as identified by Member States and the EU ISS to support the conduct of training activities in the field of CSDP.

The ESDC works under the overall responsibility of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

In the ESDC the Contract Agent will particular be responsible for:

• supporting the ESDC with managing processes and developing standards;
• steering the process of developments on lessons learnt and incorporating best practices within the respective area of responsibility;
• the ESDC’s communication strategy and social media;
• the public and inter-institutional image of the ESDC;
• steering the financial and procurement processes for all communication activities.

We propose

The position of Administrative Officer with a focus on Strategic Communication - contract agent FGIV 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:  immediately

We look for

An experienced and dynamic professional to reinforce the ESDC. The profile sought is a highly motivated, dynamic and proactive person with a knowledge of administration as well as (strategic) communication. Candidates will have excellent communication and organisational skills with particular emphasis on intercultural and political sensitivities, as well as a well-developed sense of service. The successful candidate will ensure that ESDC strategic communications reflect the mandate of the ESDC and are consistent with EEAS lines to take and communication strategies.

Functions and duties:

The Contract Agent is expected to perform the following tasks:

• managing processes and developing standards on inter-institutional and public communication within the ESDC and supervising their implementation;
• support for developing, improving and reviewing administrative and financial systems and policies;
• promoting and streamlining process improvement in the areas of administration and communication contributing to efficient ESDC administration;
• carrying out and responding to inter-service consultations, following-up on briefing requests/dossiers; creating and maintaining a network of inter-service contacts, contributing to improving the inter-institutional visibility of the ESDC and its activities;
• working with and regularly updating statistics;
• drafting, contributing to, and distributing relevant reports and required information to relevant internal and external stakeholders;
• assisting the Head of the ESDC in identifying, developing and implementing relevant policies, instructions and guidelines;
• supporting the administration and finance team in budgeting and financial operations as well as in staff matters;
• drafting key notes, interventions and speeches for management upon request at ESDC events;
• managing ESDC supplies and visibility material;
• planning, developing and implementing ESDC strategic communication activities: drafting communication action plans and developing a narrative to communicate ESDC activities in line with EU strategic communication; developing diverse communication products and campaigns in order to raise awareness about the ESDC; support in organising and conducting briefings and other forms of communication; social media management including creating engaging content, monitoring online conversations and implementing social media campaigns to enhance the ESDC’s visibility and impact;
• mainstreaming gender and inclusivity into the ESDC’s communication strategy;
• liaising with the EEAS Division of Strategic Communication, Task Force and Information Analysis (SG.STRAT.2);
• steering the financial and procurement processes for all communication activities, public relations (PR) activities, ESDC public events, information related to CSDP/CFSP, and ESDC training activities;
• contributing to establishing the ESDC as an inclusive and diverse workplace including on, but not limited to, gender identities, ethnicity, age diversity, disabilities, and sexual orientation; 
• undertaking any additional tasks as assigned by the Head of the ESDC.

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 IV), 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 IV post should:

• - (i) have passed a valid EPSO CAST in FG IV;

or

• - (ii) be registered in the EPSO Permanent Contract Agent Selection Tool (CAST) for FG IV (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 completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma;
• 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:

A.         Professional knowledge

Candidates should have:

• knowledge of communications and media/information analysis;
• knowledge of financial and/or administrative and/or related issues, such as project management, public administration, legal issues or similar;
• knowledge of planning and managing resources;
• good working knowledge of the EU (institutional) environment and decision-making processes, in particular in relation to the CFSP and CSDP;
• experience of agile, multicultural teams.

B.         Skills

Candidates should:

• have sound organisational skills, the ability to work and communicate under time constraints and to tight deadlines in an international diplomatic and multilingual environment;
• be able to manage multiple tasks and unexpected demands;
• have developed intercultural and political sensitivity skills;
• be able to use and promote an inclusive communication style;
• have solid analytical and drafting skills; the ability to rapidly grasp problems and the capacity to identify issues and solutions;
• have experience of independently leading and managing projects, including in the field of communications.

C.         Languages

Candidates should have:

• A thorough knowledge (an excellent capacity to write and speak) of English is required. Knowledge of another EU language would be an asset.

D.        Personal qualities

Candidates should:

• be dynamic, motivated and flexible;
• fulfil the highest standards of integrity;
• be able to adapt quickly to new situations and deal with new challenges;
• be able to work in a team, coordinate with other teams and communicate effectively.

Specific conditions of employment

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

This post is currently not identified as a post which requires Personnel Security Clearance (PSC) to access EU classified information (EUCI) in accordance with point 7 of Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2017) 10 on the security rules of the EEAS^[2] and as implemented by Decision ADMIN(2019) 7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019 and its implementing decisions.

Nonetheless, candidates are informed that the list of posts requiring a PSC in the EEAS Headquarters is subject to regular review and that the current post might be identified in the future as a post which requires PSC.

If required after the taking of duty, the selected candidate will need to be in a position to obtain a valid PSC issued by the competent authority of their Member State in accordance with national laws and regulations.

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.

Description of the EU classified information levels is available under Article 2 of the Decision ADMIN(2017) 10 on the security rules of the EEAS^[3].

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 procedure^[4]

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:

esdc-vacancies@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending application: 29 February 2024 at 17.00 (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 (AACC). 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). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20140501&from=EN

[2] OJ C 126, 10 April 2018, p.1.

[3] OJ C 126, 10 April 2018, p.1.

[4] 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: (https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eeas-privacy-statement-data-protection-notice-purpose-processing-personal-data-related-public_en) and on the EEAS Intranet:(https://intranet.eeas.europa.eu/page/eeas-work/data-protection/privacy-statements-dp-notices)