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 Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) is the permanent structure supporting the Civilian Operations Commander. The Civilian Operations Commander is the overall commander at the strategic level of currently 14 civilian CSDP crisis management missions and provides strategic guidance and direction to the Heads of Mission. The Civilian Operations Commander reports directly to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and through him to the Council of the EU. Under the political control and strategic direction of the Political and Security Committee and the overall authority of the High Representative, the Civilian Operations Commander ensures the effective planning and conduct of civilian CSDP crisis management operations, as well as the proper implementation of all mission-related tasks.

The Missions Operational Support Division (CPCC.4) is a dynamic Division composed of 31 experts in the field of Missions Support: Logistics, Digitalisation, CIS, IT, Cybersecurity, Secure Communications Budget, Procurement and Financial aspects of the civilian CSDP Missions. Our job is to provide operational support for about 2.500 staff working on the 14 CSDP Missions operating on the ground in crisis countries.

We propose

The position of Cyber Security Officer within the Mission Support Platform - 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

The person to be recruited will work under the supervision of the Head of the Missions Operational Support Division and the Head of Sector IT&CIS&Cyber within the CPCC.4.

S/he is expected to perform the following tasks:

• To support CIS Team Leader in cyber-security policy drafting, implementation and

follow-up in CSDP Missions,

• To support for the coordination of the network of cyber-security focal points in the CSDP

Missions and follow up the network in the implementation of IT security standards and best practices;

• To provide expert advice to hierarchy on topics related to cyber-security and network

security.

• To contribute to technical working groups in relation of cyber security representing the

interest of CSDP Missions.

• To support CSDP Missions for any activity related with cyber security, in particular for

cyber security incidents management and vulnerabilities mitigation.

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities

• To monitor appropriate IT Security metrics and provide periodic  status reports to hierarchy for the MSP IT Infrastructure in Brussels;
• To research, evaluate, recommend and introduce new IT security tools,techniques,  services and technologies to improve and innovate the MSP IT Infrastructure in Brussels;
• To  design and perform simulated phishing campaign with specific software in order to assess Mission’s awareness level;
• To update and maintain the cyber security strategy concept document for CSDP Missions;
• To support external providers of IT security services in the operation of monitoring services, analytical tools, incident management capabilities and the provisioning of engineering/operational services and products/solutions;
• To advice on cyber security and awareness training needs for CPCC Staff and the CSDP Missions;
• To participate, when required, in EU cybersecurity related events and meetings in order to assure in house compliancy with EU cybersecurity related policies;
• To undertake any other related tasks as requested by the Team Leader.

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:

Candidates should:

• have a minimum of 2 years of experience in an IT Security/Cyber Security role;
• Good experience in cyber-security policy implementation and coordination activities in

an international environment. A strong asset would be to have experience in design, analysis, technical and legal drafting and implementation of security controls adapted to the assessed level of risk, experience in analysing market trends for security products, experience in cyber security awareness raising measures;

• Experience with and/or good knowledge of modern security tools and products is an

asset, in particular related to vulnerability assessments, penetration tests and Cyber Threat Intelligence;

• Experience with security architectures;
• Recent/valid professional industry certification(s) are a very strong asset, any one or

more of CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC; OR a combination of postgraduate certificates and certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CEH Certified Ethical Hacker, or GIAC certifications in cyber security or information security;

• Have a good knowledge of latest products, services, technologies and commercial actors

related to IT Security sector and their possible applications in modern public administrations;

• Have a very good level of written and spoken English. Knowledge of other EU languages

would be an asset.

Furthermore:

• good   Project Management and implementation skills, knowledge of project cycle

management;

• good knowledge of EU bodies, policies and challenges, particularly related to the

Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and Civilian Missions;

• to be able to work professionally as a member of the Division, in task forces and

working groups with mixed composition (with colleagues with different background and as well with police, judicial, civilian and military staff), in an interesting but challenging environment with sometime unconventional working hours;

• willingness to travel on short notice into difficult countries where CSDP Missions

operates;

• capacity to work in a multicultural environment

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 EEAS[2].

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 EEAS[4]. 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 procedure[5]

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: cpcc.administration@eeas.europa.eu

Deadline for sending application: 24/05/2024 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 (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.

CONTACT: Esmeralda Hernandez Aragones, Head of Division CPCC.4

Tel: +32 2584 2296

Email: Esmeralda.HERNANDEZ-ARAGONES@eeas.europa.eu

[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]    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: (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)