Seconded National Expert (SNE) – Communications

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)[1] invites applications with a view to establishing a Reserve List for a Seconded National Expert (SNE) – Communications. The registration of applications will begin on 4 April 2012 and will close on 3 May 2012 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.

2. The Job

2.1 Profile

The jobholder will support the Institute in its communication related activities primarily by implementing its communication strategy and promoting the findings of the Institute’s work.

2.2 Duties

Specifically the SNE will carry out the following tasks and activities:

• Contribute to the setting-up, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of communication, campaigning and promotion initiatives.
• Contribute to the organisation and running of internal and external meetings, conferences, seminars, including the preparation of documents and presentations and minute taking.
• Support the planning, development, promotion and distribution of publications within the focal areas of the Institute’s work, in particular, related to research, data and statistics, gender mainstreaming, tools, methods and good practices of gender equality work.
• Prepare and edit summaries and concise fact sheets based on longer reports and studies relating to the gender equality theme.
• Support the development of the communication strategy of the Institute’s Resource and Documentation Centre, plan and implement the dissemination activities.
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of the Institute’s European Network on Gender equality, the thematic networks, in particular, in the communication work within the networks.
• Liaise with different internal and external counterparts including contractors, other EU institutions and bodies such as the EU Publications Office, journalists and media organisations.
• Provide support in procurement procedures connected to the communications function.

3. Qualifications and experience required

3.1 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.
• 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.
• have the support of his/her employer for a period of not less than six months but not more than two years although a renewal may be possible.

3.2 Selection criteria

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

Essential:

• at least fiveyears of professional experience either within a university or a national/ regional/local public administration or an inter-governmental organisation (IGO) or research institutions or non-governmental organisations gained after the award of the relevant qualification and at a suitable level corresponding to performance of tasks as defined under section 2.2.
• the ability to analyse complex information from different sources and to synthesise into coherent briefs and communication documents.
• broad experience in editing and proofreading communication documents in English for various target groups and public.
• the tenacity to maintain, nurture and develop existing and new media contacts.
• the capacity to conceptualise and structure information and to communicate effectively both technical and specialised information.
• a very good command of English, the working language at the Institute.
• good computer skills, especially of MS Office, e-mail and calendar applications.
• excellent interpersonal, organisational, administrative and problem solving skills.

Advantageous:

• a long standing interest in working with gender equality issues.
• flexibility, creativity and effectiveness in working collaboratively in a multicultural team.
• ability to manage different priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• experience in working during a start-up phase of an organisation/project.

4. Selection procedure and application

4.1 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 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.

4.2 Submission of applications

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

EIGE application form (.doc, 148KB).

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.

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 (.doc, 35.2KB) 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 which shall also specify the duration of the secondment.

The duration of the secondment shall be agreed to in the exchange of letters between the Institute and the selected candidate’s employer. 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. 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 Communities and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities, by writing to The Director, European Institute for Gender Equality, Svitrigailos g. 11m, Vilnius, Lithuania LT-03228.

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 – http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex ) starts to run from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting him/her.

9. Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, 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.

10. Lithuania and 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. Lithuanian summers are sunny and warm with an average temperature of 17 C. Winter is white and generally cold with average temperatures that hover around minus 4 C.

Vilnius is Lithuania's capital with an estimated population of just over half a million citizens. It has impressive Baroque and Gothic architecture as well as one of Europe's largest medieval old towns, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. A university city since the Middle Ages, Vilnius 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. In addition to hosting a number of international schools, it has a well developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.

Further information is available here - http://www.lithuaniatourism.co.uk/index.php?id=333

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[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.