Publication: Inter-Agency Mobility
Job-title: Head of Sector
Function group and grade: AD5-AD7
Place: Brussels
The registration period will begin on 16/01/2019 and end 01/02/2019 12:00 (Midday), Brussels time

The Agency

The EACEA (“the Agency”) is a European Commission Executive Agency established by the Commission's Implementing Decision 2013/776/EU. It operates by delegation of powers from the Commission (1) and its statute is governed by Regulation (EC) No. 58/2003 (2). The Agency's parent Directorates-General within the Commission are DG for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, DG for Communications Networks, Contents and Technology, DG for Migration and Home Affairs and DG for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.

The Agency is responsible for the implementation of certain EU programmes in the fields of education, audio-visual and culture, such as Erasmus+, The Creative Europe Programme, Europe for Citizens, EU Aid Volunteers, actions in the field of higher education and youth falling under external cooperation instruments and their predecessors. The Agency's current mandate runs until 31 December 2024 (3).

The Agency was established to enhance programme management and provide beneficiaries with a better service, in line with the principles of administrative governance adopted by the Commission.

As a legal entity, the Agency establishes an annual work plan and an annual activity report and has an operational budget of more than 600 Mio EUR per year.

In order to attain its objectives, the Agency has an internal structure consisting of 13 Units with a total of 456 staff members in 2019.

The Agency's working languages are English and French.

For further information on the Agency, please refer to our website: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu

Description of the job

The selected candidate will be appointed as Head of Sector EACEA in the Unit A4 Erasmus+: Erasmus+: Higher Education - International Capacity Building" in the 'Selection Team'.

The mission of Unit A4 is to implement the Capacity-Building in Higher Education (CBHE) action of the Erasmus+ programme (2014-2020). The action is a pillar of the programme's international dimension and promotes the cooperation between higher education institutions from the European Union and more than 150 Partner Countries in the enlargement and neighbourhood regions, Russia, Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The objective is to support Partner Countries in reforming and modernising their higher education institutions and systems. The annual budget for the Capacity-Building action amounts to approximately € 150 million. The Unit also oversees and coordinates a network of National Erasmus+ Offices in the neighbouring Partner Countries. Altogether 42 staff members work in two geographically organised monitoring teams, one financial team and one team coordinating the selection procedure.

The available position implies working as Head of Sector responsible for the Selection team in Unit A4. The selection team coordinates and supervises a complex selection process involving the evaluation of proposals by external experts and a consultation of the EU Delegations. Each year about 150 projects are selected from about 900 proposals. The selection team manages the selection process in close collaboration with the other teams in the Unit. This includes:

Ensure the implementation of the Unit's selection procedure

• Serve as a principal point of expertise for all aspects concerning the selection of proposals (including call issues, planning of the selection, assessment of proposals feedback to applicants, appeal procedure, etc.)
• Define and develop evaluation methodologies and indicators, provide direction and integrative coordination
• Provide regular feedback/input to the Management/Commission on policy documents, work programme, programme guide, selection results, statistics etc.)
• Contribute to the analyses of the impact of the CBHE action
• Ensure good collaboration and coordination with the other teams in the Unit

Organisation and management of people and activities

• Support, motivate and manage the staff members in the sector (5 persons), ensuring effective distribution of tasks and responsibilities among staff
• Monitor and supervise the achievements of objectives and staff performance
• Coordinate and manage the activities of the sector
• Support of the Head of Unit (appraisal procedure, planning, feedback to the Commission, etc.).

Relationships with internal and external stakeholders

• Establish sound and good working relationships with Units in various Commission Directorate-Generals (EAC, DEVCO, NEAR, EEAS, etc.).
• Contribute to the definition and implementation of the unit's strategies in terms of communication and promotion of the action
• Develop good relationships with stakeholders from inside and outside the Agency
• Representation of the Unit in inside and outside meetings/events

Qualifications and Experience Required

A. Eligibility criteria

Candidates will be considered eligible for this inter-agency selection temporary agent 2(f) grade AD5/AD7 on the basis of the following formal criteria to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:

1. To be a temporary agent 2(f) who, on the closing date for applications and on the day of filling the vacant post, is employed within his/her current agency in a grade and function group corresponding to the published function group and grade (AD5-AD7). This implies that the candidate possesses the minimum qualifications required by Article 5(3) of the Staff Regulations, applicable by analogy to the temporary staff pursuant to Article 10(1) of the CEOS (see point 5 in the annexed eligibility and selection criteria grid), and that the candidate is in compliance with the conditions referred to in Article 12(2):

• he/she is a national of one of the Member States of the Union and enjoys his/her full rights as a citizen;
• he/she has fulfilled any obligations imposed on him/her by the laws concerning military service;
• he/she produces the appropriate character references as to his/her suitability for the performance of the duties;
• he/she is physically fit to perform his/her duties;
• he/she produces evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and of a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of his/her duties;

2. To have at least 2 years’ service within his/her current agency before moving;
3. To have successfully completed the probationary period provided for in Article 14 of the CEOS, in the relevant function group.

B. Specific conditions

All eligible candidates will be assessed along the following evaluation specific conditions:

Essential qualifications and experience

• People management, in particular the management of teams with a minimum experience of 4 years as team leader or 2 years as Head of Sector
• Professional experience in the domain of grant management (minimum 5 years) including the implementation of work programmes on the basis of calls for proposals
• Proven experience in using the IT systems of the Commission / EU Agencies
• Very Good oral and written command of the English (C1 minimum) and French language (B2 minimum)

Advantageous qualifications and experience

• In-depth knowledge and experience in the implementation of calls for proposals and in the management of all phases of the evaluation procedure.
• Thorough knowledge of grant management procedures and the Financial Regulation.
• Very good analytical skills and decision-making competencies
• Proactive approach and ability to manage diverse files simultaneously
• Interest in impact analyses

Following the analysis of the applications by the Selection Board, the Agency will invite the most suitable candidates (a maximum of 5) for an interview.

Appointment and conditions of employment

EACEA and the selected temporary agent 2(f) shall conclude an employment contract ensuring continuation of the person’s employment and career in the category of temporary staff 2(f). That contract signed with EACEA shall be concluded without interruption of the contract finalised with the agency of origin (‘the preceding contract’) and shall fulfil the following requirements, in particular:

• the same grade and the same seniority in the grade as the preceding contract;
• the same step and the same seniority in the step as the preceding contract.

The ending date of the contract to be signed with EACEA and that of the preceding contract shall be the same. If the contract with the agency of origin was for an indefinite period, the member of temporary staff 2(f) shall also be engaged by EACEA for an indefinite period.

In the event that the preceding contract comes to its natural end on the day of the move, the duration of the contract concluded in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be the same as that EACEA would have set in case of a renewal of contract of one of its own temporary agents 2(f).

The selected temporary agent 2(f) shall take up duty in EACEA in principle three months after the job offer, unless it is otherwise agreed between the two agencies and the staff member concerned.

Please note that temporary agents shall be required to demonstrate before their first promotion the ability to work in a third official language of the EU.

Note also that, with respect to the accumulation of pension rights at EACEA, the employment will be considered as a new contract where pension rights are accumulated at a rate of 1.8% for each year of service completed. Your pensionable age will be 66.

Legal basis and remuneration

The payment of staff members consists of a basic salary supplemented with specific allowances, including expatriation or family allowances. The provisions guiding the calculation of these allowances can be consulted in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants available at the following address: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

The rights and entitlements inherent to the country of employment (Belgium) will be adapted accordingly.

Equal opportunities

The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Application procedure

Candidates are kindly invited to apply in English to facilitate the selection process.

To apply for any of the posts offered candidates must submit:

• up- to-date detailed curriculum vitae, in Europass CV format (4).
• a letter of motivation, including his/her views on the proposed position (2 pages maximum).

NB - Non-compliance with this requirement will lead to disqualification.

Applications must only be sent by e-mail to the functional mailbox EACEA-HR-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu

Closing date: Applications must be sent no later than 01/02/2019, 12:00 (midday), CET (please check the time zones)

Supporting documents showing evidence of the information given in the application will be requested at a later stage. No documents will be sent back to candidates. If, at any stage in the procedure, it is established that the information in an application has been knowingly falsified, the candidate will be disqualified from the Selection process.

Selection procedure

Personal interview with a selection board in English and French to assess candidates’ ability to perform the tasks listed in the job description and in particular:

• Candidates’ suitability to carry out the duties of a Head of Sector
• Candidates' knowledge of the call implementation and in particular the evaluation procedure for proposals
• Candidates' knowledge in the domain of grant management (including procedural rules and IT)
• Candidates' knowledge and interest in the Erasmus+: Higher Education - International Capacity Building action
• Candidates’ inter-personal, organisational and problem-solving skills

The interview will be marked out of 100 (pass mark: 60).

Following the interview, the selection board will constitute a short list of retained candidates.

Information to candidates

An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to all candidates by email to confirm the reception of their application.

All candidates will be informed in due time about the processing of their application, either they are invited for the selection procedure as described above or not. These notifications will be sent by email only.

A candidate may request clarifications about the processing of his/her application by sending an email quoting the reference of the vacancy notice concerned, at the following address EACEA-HR-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu

Appeal procedure

A candidate who feels that a mistake was made in the assessment of his/her profile may ask to have it re-assessed by sending, within 15 working days of the date on the email notifying the rejection of his/her application, a request for review, quoting the number of the selection procedure concerned to the Chair of the Selection Board at the following address: EACEA-HR-SELECTION@ec.europa.eu

The selection board will reconsider the application and notify the candidate of its decision within 15 working days of receipt of the letter.

Data protection

The purpose of processing of the data submitted by candidates is to manage the applications in view of a possible pre-selection and recruitment at the EACEA. The personal information requested from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EC) N°45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data.

(1) Commission Implementing Decision of 18 December 2013, establishing the "Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency" and repealing Decision 2009/336/EC, OJ L343 of 19.12.2013, p.46.

(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 of 19 December 2002, laying down the statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain tasks in the management of Community programmes, OJ L 11 of 16/01/2003, p.1.

(3) As specified in Article 3.2 of Regulation (EC) 58/2003, the extension of the Agency's mandate may be renewed.

(4) EU CV format available on: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae