Communications and media officer

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)¹ is organising a call for applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for the post of Communications and Media Officer. The registration of applications begins on 25 January 2022 and closes on 24 February 2022 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 envisaged to contribute to, and strengthen the promotion of gender equality.

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 awareness on gender equality. It also provides technical assistance to EU institutions, in particular the European Commission and 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. 

The post

Profile

Reporting to the Head of Unit for Knowledge Management and Communications and working in close cooperation with other colleagues, the jobholder contributes to promoting EIGE’s work to its stakeholders and general audience.

Communication is an integral part of EIGE’s work and the jobholder will have an important role in presenting EIGE’s expertise in easy-to-understand and innovative formats and creating interest among existing and new audiences.

Duties

The jobholder will:

• Write engaging content for EIGE’s communication tools, such as speeches for the Director and visual/ audio -visual products;
• Identify and develop newsworthy stories and engages high profile media for placement of EIGE expertise;
• Initiates proactive media outreach to promote coverage of priority topics, events and activities; analysis and reports the impact of coverage;
• Liaise with EU and Member State-based media, opinion makers and ‘influencers’ and organise activities such as briefings and interviews on the Institute’s work.
• Contribute to the strategic development of EIGE’s communication activities particularly in light of EIGE’s social media outreach and campaigns.
• Pro-actively identify opportunities and develop high quality communication materials and activities.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by Team Leader Communications or Head of Unit.

Qualifications & experience required

Formal requirements

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

• completed a university degree²;
• nationality of an EU Member State;
• a good command, both spoken and written, of at least two official EU languages;
• entitlement to full rights as a citizen;
• fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service;   
• be physically fit to perform duties linked to the post.³

Selection criteria

Essential

• A minimum of three years relevant work experience⁴ gained after the degree has been awarded.
• Excellent writing skills and a proven track record of journalistic writing;
• Experience of managing media relations;
• Ability to turn complex scientific reports into engaging and easy-to-understand messages;
• A good understanding of gender equality and related policies;
• Excellent oral presentation skills and ability to adjust messages according to target audiences and communication tools;
• Ability to identify multimedia solutions for presenting EIGE’s expertise and knowledge;
• Excellent interpersonal, organisation and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Advantageous

• Previous professional experience in an (EU) institutional setting or European/international organisation
• Experience with applying modern communication tools as part of audience-focused communication.

Selection procedure

The selection procedure includes 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.
• Eligible applications will be evaluated by the appointed selection committee based on selection criteria defined in this vacancy notice. Depending on the number of applications received, the selection committee may apply stricter requirements within the selection criteria noted above.
• The best-admissible candidates will be short-listed for interviews.
• Interviews and written tests will be in English.
• During the interview, 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.
• On the day of interviews, candidates will be requested to present originals and/or copies of documents detailing citizenship in particular a copy of identity card, passport or other official document specifying citizenship.
• 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 selection process.
• Successful candidates will be included in a reserve list which will be valid for 12 months. The validity of this list may be extended. Each candidate will be informed by letter whether or not s/he has been placed on the reserve list. However, inclusion of candidates on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment.
• EIGE’s Director will appoint the selected jobholder from the reserve list, taking into account a gender balanced, geographically diverse organisation.

The internal proceedings of the selection committee are confidential and any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Soliciting on behalf of a candidate can lead to immediate disqualification.

For applications to be valid, candidates must complete an EIGE application form available on the top of this page. It is to be forwarded electronically to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu. The subject title should include the vacancy reference number.

Applicants are requested not to attach any supporting documents at this stage. Only candidates invited to an interview will be asked to present copies of documents for verification. Applications will not be returned to candidates but will be kept on file by the Institute in line with its data protection obligations.

Please note that the time between the closing date for the submission of applications and the end of the process to short list candidates for the interview may be several weeks.

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

Conditions of employment

The place of employment is Vilnius Lithuania. EIGE operates from a modern and fully computerised office space based in the city’s Old Town.

The jobholder shall work in a multicultural environment where social dialogue is considered very important. EIGE applies a participatory approach to its work and encourages an open dialogue between management and staff. Colleagues work closely together as much of the work is organised around cross-unit project teams. EIGE is committed to the principle of zero tolerance towards harassment at work.

Working time is based around flexitime and core working hours, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations. In addition to training opportunities, EIGE offers various support and well-being measures for staff members and their families such as contributions to schooling costs.

For reasons related to the Institute’s operational requirements, the chosen candidate will be expected to be available at short notice. An AD5 Temporary Agent contract under Article 2f pursuant to the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union shall be offered, subject to nine months’ probation. The duration of the contract will be three years and may be renewed.

Remuneration consists of the basic salary as well as various allowances[5] depending on personal situation of the jobholder. For information, the current gross basic salary before deductions and the correction coefficient⁶ weighting of 80.1% for Lithuania, is approximately €5,221. Salaries are exempt from national taxation and subject to tax at source. Deductions are also made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

Independence & declarations of interest

The jobholder 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/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Equal opportunities

The Institute applies a policy of equal opportunities in line with the formal requirements noted in section 3.1.

Applications are accepted without distinction on any grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, gender identity, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Moreover, EIGE is committed to promote diversity and inclusion in its working environment and organisational culture.

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 Union, by writing to The Director, European Institute for Gender Equality, Gedimino Prospektas 16, Vilnius, Lithuania LT01103.

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 22nd March 2004 published in the Official Journal of the European Union L 124 of 27th April 2004) starts to run from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting her/him.

Pursuant to Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the Staff Regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties, published in Official Journal of the European Union L 113 of 4 May 1994, it is also possible to write to:

Further details on appeals

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 550,000 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:

The Official Website for Tourism & Business in Vilnius

Invest Lithuania