Seconded National Expert – Gender-based violence

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)^[1] invites applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for Seconded National Experts (SNEs) – Gender-based violence.

The registration of applications will begin on 7 June 2020 and will close on 8 July 2020 at 13:00 Eastern European Time.

The Institute

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a regulatory agency of the European Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives related to the promotion of gender equality.

To achieve its goals, the Institute collects and analyses comparable and reliable information at EU level and develops appropriate methodological tools for the integration of gender equality into all EU policies. It fosters the exchange of good practices and dialogue between stakeholders and raises EU citizens’ awareness of this policy area by providing technical assistance to EU institutions, in particular the European Commission, as well as the authorities of the Member States.

In the course of its work to promote and strengthen gender equality, EIGE supports policy-makers with high quality research and comparable data relevant to their work.

Job description

Profile

Violence against women is one of the critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action and gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the main areas addressed by the European Commission’s Strategic engagement for gender equality 2016-2019.  It is a satellite domain of EIGE’s Gender Equality Index which will provide a measurement framework to support the Member States to meet their obligations with regard to the Victims’ Rights Directive and the Istanbul Convention. 

Under the supervision of the Head of Operations, the jobholder will assist in implementing EIGE’s Strategic Framework on Violence against Women 2016-2018 including strategic considerations that address GBV issues. She/he shall apply standard theories, principles, practices and techniques applicable to GBV to enable the development of sound conclusions and make appropriate recommendations to EU institutions and Member States on data collection and harmonisation, measurement of GBV and service provision in this area.

Duties

The following tasks and activities are relevant to the duties of this post:

• contribute to organising and processing existing GBV data and information;
• identify data sources and data availability in order to perform additional research and complement existing analyses of GBV in the EU;
• undertake reviews of data and information in order to provide tailored, high quality, comparative analyses on GBV within the EU;
• support the assessment of existing tools and methods addressing GBV, including capacity-building and prevention programmes;
• work closely with various stakeholders and participate in expert meetings to identify ways to improve GBV data collection and analysis and meet policy-making and service-provision needs;
• assist with the development, preparation and editing of reports and publications;
• assist with the planning and implementation of different dissemination activities/projects to relevant stakeholders through written summaries, presentation software and spread sheets;
• provide critical assessment and recommendations on the potential use of existing data and knowledge-based products at EIGE and future developments in this area;
• contribute to the improvement of the Institute’s role as a one-stop-shop for information on GBV in the EU​.

Qualifications & experience required

Formal requirements

To be considered eligible for selection, an applicant must meet the following formal requirements by the closing date of this call:

• a university degree, or a level of formation which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma^[2]
• and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years,
• very good command of both spoken and written English, which is the predominant working language at the Institute and a satisfactory knowledge of a second EU language,
• entitlement to full rights as a European citizen or nationality of an EU candidate country or an EFTA country or a country with which the European Council has decided to open accession negotiations and which has concluded a specific agreement with the Commission on staff secondments,
• any obligations imposed by the national laws concerning military service.

Selection criteria

Eligible candidates will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

Essential:

• At least four years of professional experience gained after the award of the relevant qualification and at a suitable level corresponding to performance of tasks as defined under section Duties;
• Thorough knowledge on policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to GBV;
• An accurate understanding of the magnitude, trends and patterns of GBV enabling data analysis and presentation;
• Practical experience of working with related statistical and research data, tools and methods, developing or managing capacity building initiatives and/or prevention programmes on GBV;
• very good command of English which is the predominant working language at the Institute;
• The ability to perform research and produce high quality analytical reports;
• The ability to work with a high volume of data, information and to provide good assessment of existing information in sound developed conclusions and reports;
• The capacity to conceptualize and structure information and to communicate it effectively;
• Evident organisational skills, including the ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and reach tight deadlines;
• Good computer skills, especially in preparing and editing text;
• The ability to cooperate smoothly in a multicultural environment.

Advantageous:

• Knowledge of EU policies related to gender-based violence and/or gender equality issues in general;
• Experience of developing policies and recommendations on work with gender equality or gender-based violence in an EU Member State;
• A good knowledge of the EU institutional framework and policies​.

Selection procedure

The selection will include the following steps:

• Only duly completed applications submitted electronically within the deadline will be taken into consideration.
• Each duly completed application will be examined with a view to establishing that the candidate meets all eligibility criteria.
• The best-admissible candidates will be short-listed for an interview.
• Interviews will be held in English.
• The Selection Committee will examine the candidates' profiles and assess their relevancy for the post in question. On the day of the interview, candidates may also be required to undergo a competency assessment exercise.
• The chosen candidate will be requested to furnish:
  • a copy of identity card, passport or other official document specifying citizenship,
  • a copy of diploma certifying a required level of academic qualifications,
  • documentary evidence of professional experience, clearly indicating starting and finishing dates​.

Copies of the above mentioned documents will be retained by the Institute.

If at any stage of the procedure, it is established that information in the application has been knowingly falsified, the candidate shall be disqualified from the process.

The initial period of secondment shall be specified in the exchange of letters between the Institute and the employer of the selected SNE.

Soliciting on behalf of a candidate can lead to immediate disqualification.

Submission of applications

For applications to be valid, candidates must complete an EIGE application form, available above only in English and which is to be forwarded electronically to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu. The subject title should include the vacancy reference number. Applications may also be forwarded to EIGE on behalf of applicants by the Permanent Representations of the EU Member States.

An application form is available under downloads.

Applicants are requested not to attach any supporting documents at this stage (e.g. copies of ID cards, diplomas, evidence of previous professional experience, etc.). Only shortlisted candidates will be asked to present copies of these documents for verification. Applications will not be returned to candidates but will be kept on the file by the Institute in line with its data protection guidelines.

Due to the large volume of applications, the Institute regrets that only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted.

Conditions of secondment

The purpose of the secondment is to provide the SNE with experience of the Institute's working methods and policies, to enable them to gain practical experience and understanding of the day-today work of the Institute’s work and to give them the opportunity to work in a multicultural, multilingual environment. It also serves to enable staff of national administrations to put into practice the knowledge they have acquired in their studies, particularly in their respective areas of responsibility.

The SNE shall remain in the service of his/her employer throughout the period of secondment and shall continue to be paid by that employer.  The SNE shall be entitled to daily and monthly subsistence allowances in line with EIGE Decision MB 2017/001 on the secondment to the European Institute for Gender Equality of national experts and national experts in professional training.

Each candidate should before applying obtain the assurance of the support of his/her employer for his/her candidacy as well as the commitment of that they shall continue to pay a salary during the period of the secondment. The final stage to secure the secondment will be confirmed by an exchange of letters between the Institute and the employer in the Member State concerned.

Subject to a probationary period, the secondment will be for a minimum of six months but not more than two years. It may be extended further up to a maximum period of two years.  The place of secondment is Vilnius, Lithuania.

Independence & declarations of interest

The SNE will be required to enter into a commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make complete declarations of any direct or indirect interests that might be considered prejudicial to his or her independence.

Equal opportunities

The Institute applies a policy of equal opportunities in line with the eligibility requirements noted above.

Applications are accepted without distinction on any grounds of age, birth, disability, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, membership of a national minority, political (or any other) opinion, property, religion, sex or sexual orientation.

Appeal procedures

If a candidate considers that s/he has been adversely affected by a particular decision, s/he can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities, by writing to The Director, European Institute for Gender Equality, Gedimino pr. 16, Vilnius, Lithuania LT-01103.

The complaint must be lodged within three months. The time limit for initiating this type of procedure (see Staff Regulations as modified by Council Regulation No 723/2004 of 22 March 2004 published in the Official Journal of the European Union L 124 of 27 April 2004) starts to run from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting him/her.

Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, the EIGE ensures that applicants’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Personal data shall thus be processed solely for the purpose of the selection procedure.

Lithuania & life in Vilnius

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Area and it borders Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Its western coastline - noted for its fine beaches, dunes and majestic pines - straddles the Baltic Sea.

Vilnius has an estimated population of just over 544,000 people. In addition to ample green spaces, it is beautifully situated on the banks of the river Neris, offering excellent opportunities for outdoor activities. Vilnius has impressive Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance and Russian architecture as well as one of Europe's largest medieval old towns, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. It has been a university city since the Middle Ages.

Today it is the centre of the country's politics, business, science, culture and entertainment and it attracts an increasingly varied assortment of local and international events. The city centre of Vilnius is compact, clean and safe. In addition to hosting a number of international schools, Vilnius has a well-developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.

The city is easy to get around, has a good standard of living and an excellent working environment. EIGE’s premises are situated in the Europe House on the main thoroughfare of Vilnius City, Gedimino Prospektas, with easy access to amenities, both leisure and educational. 

Further information is available at http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/ and https://investlithuania.com/why-lithuania/lifestyle.

Endnotes

[1] Established by the European Parliament: the Council Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006 of 20 December 2006 (OJ L 403/9 of 30.12.2006).

[2] Only qualifications issued by EU Member State authorities and qualifications recognised, as equivalent by the relevant Member States authorities will be accepted.