The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)[1] invites applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for Seconded National Experts (SNE) – Gender & Environment. The registration of applications will begin on 26th November 2010 and will close on 2nd January 2011 at 23:00 Eastern European Time.

1.The role of the Institute

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

To achieve its goals, the Institute shall collect and analyse objective, comparable and reliable information at Community level and develop appropriate methodological tools for the integration of gender equality into all Community policies. EIGE shall equally foster the exchange of good practices and dialogue between stakeholders and raise EU citizen awareness of this policy area by providing technical assistance to the Community institutions, in particular the Commission, as well as the authorities of the Member States.

In the course of its work to promote and strengthen gender equality EIGE will also strive to eliminate gender discrimination.

More information can be found at http://www.eige.europa.eu.

2.The Job

2.1Profile

Under the supervision of the Head of Operations, the jobholder will assist the Institute in developing strategic considerations for dealing with climate change and its impact on women and men, starting from the development, harmonization and improvement of indicators relating to women and environment, a critical area of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA).

2.2Duties

The Seconded National Expert will perform the following tasks and activities:

  • investigate and reconcile existing methodologies and approaches at a national, EU and international level in the context of climate change and its impact on human behaviour patterns and lifestyles;
  • contribute to the development of considerations relevant to the inter-relationship of gender and environment on the basis of the BPfA;
  • contribute to the design, validation and assessment of the quality of relevant statistical and analytical methods;
  • support the methodological development of statistical data and metadata, including the identification of data sources and data availability;
  • participate in the preparation of analysis and reports on the Beijing Indicators for EU Member States and EU Presidency countries;
  • perform interpretative analysis of collected information and assist in the preparation of reports and communications.

3.Qualifications and experience required

3.1Formal 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,
  • 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.

3.2Selection 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 2.2,
  • knowledge, practical experience and excellence on gender equality issues and BPfA,
  • practical experience of working with indicators, in particular gender-sensitive indicators, and / or gender equality index,
  • practical experience of working with environment data and indicators,
  • the ability to analyse, validate, format, calculate and aggregate statistical data,
  • the ability to carry out interpretative analyses,
  • ability to compare exiting approaches and to develop new methodologies,
  • evident organisational skills, including the ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Advantageous:

  • sound knowledge of the EU institutional framework and policies,
  • experience of developing/working with gender equality or environment indicators in an EU Member State,
  • knowledge of EU policies related to gender equality and/or gender equality issues in general.

4.Selection procedure and application

4.1Selection 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 were 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.

4.2Submission of applications

For applications to be valid, candidates must complete an EIGE application form, available only in English. 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.

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.

The deadline for sending applications is 2nd January 2011 by not later than 23:00 Eastern European Time.

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

5.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 2010/011 9.doc - 146KB) 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.

The secondment will be for more than six months but not more than two years and may be extended further up to a maximum period of two years. The place of secondment shall be Vilnius, Lithuania.

6.Independence and 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.

7.Equal opportunities

EIGE applies a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without distinction on any grounds.

8.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 (EC) No 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 (Official Journal of the European Communities, L 8 of 12 January 2001). 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.

[1] Established by the European Parliament and of 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.

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