Publication: Inter-Agency Mobility
Job-title: Head of Sector
Function group and grade:AD5-AD6
Place: Brussels
Job available from: 01/01/2019
The registration period will begin on 22/01/2019 and end 12/02/2019 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 A2 Erasmus+: Higher Education - Knowledge Alliances, Bologna Support, Jean Monnet.

The Head of Sector will lead the staff and manages the activities of the Jean Monnet Sector under the supervision of the Head of Unit and the Deputy Head of Unit. The Jean Monnet Actions aim at promoting excellence in teaching and research in the field of European Union studies worldwide.

He/she ensures that staff collaborates and delivers the work required to implement the sector's work plan, in particular the evaluation of calls for proposals, monitoring of grants and communication with beneficiaries and stakeholders, while enabling the staff to develop their potential in order to support in the most effective manner the mission and priorities of the sector. This includes:

Management and Planning

• Advise and support the Head of Unit and the Deputy Head of Unit in defining the sector's overall strategic objectives, work plan and specific objectives;
• Ensure that the sector's resources are efficiently allocated to achieving those objectives under the given official regulations and procedures including the Internal Control Standards;
• Supervise and coordinate the planning, preparation, implementation and monitoring of the Jean Monnet activities (call and grant management);
• Represent the Unit in meetings on issues of relevance to the activities of the Unit (e.g. Commission meetings).

Human Resource Management

• Ensure effective people management within the sector in accordance with the Agency’s priorities and allocate tasks/responsibilities to sector staff (approx. 11 persons);
• Provide effective leadership, ensuring that team members are motivated and develop their skills and experience;
• Support the Head of Unit in approving, authorizing and / or giving an opinion on requests regarding personnel management and administration, i.e. annual appraisals, objectives, training, leave, part-time work, etc.
• Maintain two-way communication with the team, so that staff are informed and are involved in all relevant policy and strategic aspects affecting the Unit work and get appropriate feedback on their actions.

Evaluations, contracts, project monitoring and finance

• Manage technical and operational aspects of proposal evaluation, conclusion of grants, monitoring of the projects supported and act as operational verificator for payments.
• Ensure the production of implementation reports and ad-hoc statistics and information, as well as delivering briefing material requested by the Commission services.

Qualifications and Experience Required

A. Eligibility criteria

Candidates will be considered eligible for this inter-agency selection temporary agent 2(f) grade AD5/AD6 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-AD6). 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

• Sound experience in people management. Capacity to lead and to motivate a team of experienced project officers and support staff
• Very good analytical and communication skills (writing and oral)
• Very good organisational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage priorities and to deliver quality results on time
• Sense of initiative and problem-solving attitude.
• Very good knowledge of both English and French

Advantageous qualifications and experience

Experience in managing the different phases of the project management cycle: management of call for proposals; evaluation of applications; conclusions of grants; operational and financial monitoring of supported projects; proposing and implementing improvements of these processes.

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 12/02/2019, 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 to assess:

• candidates’ suitability to carry out the duties of a Head of Sector as outlined above in the Description of the Job;
• the essential and advantageous qualifications and experience as outline above.

The interview will be marked out of 100 (pass mark: 75).

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