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 Administrative assistant in Rome – job n° 199822

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Rome, ITALY

LCA: 0%

POST AVAILABLE: 01/06/2023

We will offer to the successful candidate a contract corresponding to a Contract Agent FG III 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 Administration Assistant will be responsible, under the authority of the Head of Delegation (HOD), for the day-to-day running of the Delegation.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Further to the conditions set out in Article 82 CEOS, in order to be eligible for the post of contract agent FG III, 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 III:
• (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 in one or several of the following areas:
  • Responsible for middle, (very) low value negotiated procedures for Direct and FW Contracts and preparation of Building files
  • Contribute to launching, managing and monitoring of calls for tenders centralized and directly managed by EEAS BA.BS
  • Foillow up and management of contracts (deadlines, specifications, expenditure, etc.) and preparation of Purchase Orders
  • Follow-up and reporting on contract’s expenditure. Ensure that contracts signed are properly registered in the appropriate IT databases (ABAC LCK)
  • Provide the available information for audit and control by EEAS or Commission services or the European Court of Auditors
  • Management of an annual operating budget, including preparation, adjustment and monitoring its execution; including financial commitments and payments
  • Follow-up, adjustment and verification of the execution of the authorised budget
  • Management of the Imprest Account
  • Management of Infrastructure (Office and Residence)
  • Administer the Delegation's security infrastructure. Supervise external staff including, in particular, the IT company for the informatics system (use, security, hardware and software), the Security company (guarding and alarm monitoring)
  • Management of Inventory of the Delegation
  • General Administrative support to all staff (logistics and IT issues)
  • Knowledge of ABAC WORKFLOW, ABAC ASSETS, , ARES, e-DAS, e-Del-HRM, e-EPC, Security Portal, IMMOGEST, MIPS, SYSPER (either as a user or having completed relevant training modules).
  • Support the Head of Delegation in all questions relating to HR management within a non-Annex X Delegation. Give an opinion on requests regarding personnel administration, i.e leave, part-time work, external activities, etc
  • Administrative management of the Trainees (selection procedure, payslips, payment of contribution, logistical and IT assistance)
  • Training co-ordination.
  • Management of protocol procedures for staff and VAT exemption procedures.
• Successful experience in team management and/or equivalent professional experience
  • Proven experience and/or training in team management.
• General skills and competencies
• Candidates should demonstrate:
  • a sense of initiative, very good organisational skills and a service minded attitude;
  • a capacity to assure quality, speed and accuracy in performing complex tasks in a multicultural environment;
  • Capacity to act under pressure and in stressful situations;
  • Problem Solving and very good communication skills;
  • a proven experience and/or training in oral and written communication;
  • computer literacy, and an ability to work with Windows applications.
• Furthermore
  • Experience in external relations;
  • experience in handling secure communications and classified information;
  • knowledge of IT tools used in EU institutions (ARES, MIPS, Sysper2, Syslog, RUE, etc.);
  • experience of working in a team in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment;
  • experience in managing large infrastructure projects;
  • previous experience in EU institutions and/or EU Delegations, notably from the administrative section;

will be considered as assets.

• Working languages
  • Capacity to work in languages of the CFSP and external relations necessary for the performance of their duties (EN and FR);
  • Knowledge of Italian is COMPULSORY.

POSTING POLICY

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: CONTRACTAGENTS-DELEGATIONS@eeas.europa.eu

By submitting an application, candidates grant permission to the concerned human resources and recruiting departments to use these documents.2

Deadline for applications is 22/03/2023 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 selection panel in HQ will makes 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 HR department 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 selection panel 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

For more information on the Administrative assistant job, please contact Support to Delegations Division (Ms. Luisella Trenker-Mozzanica, tel : 0032496265055 email: Luisella.Trenker-Mozzanica@eeas.europa.eu