The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)[1] is organising a call for applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for a Researcher – Gender Equality.

The registration of applications will begin on 27 January 2015 and will close on 1 March 2015 at 23:00 Eastern European Time.

Reference

Vacancy notice

Grade

Maximum n° on reserve list

EIGE/2014/TA/02/AD7

Researcher – Gender Equality

AD7

6

1. The Institute

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a regulatory agency of the European Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives envisaged to contribute and strengthen 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 citizen 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 strives to eliminate gender discrimination.

2. The post

2.1 Profile

Under the supervision of the Head of the Operations Unit and working in close collaboration with other colleagues, the jobholder will enhance the research and analytical capacity of the Unit.

The post requires a very good understanding of relevant gender equality issues, knowledge and experience in applying quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, research management and analytical skills, excellent drafting skills, a capacity of gender equality policy analysis and excellent communication skills.

2.2 Duties

The post-holder will be involved in the following tasks and activities:

  • collect, analyse and disseminate objective, policy relevant, reliable statistical and research data and information related to gender equality;
  • design, implement and monitor research projects, including all aspects related to the management of contracted research, ensuring the highest standards as well as content quality and consistency;
  • contribute substantially to the Institute’s reports being prepared for the respective Presidencies of the Council;
  • contribute to the development, update, interpretation and dissemination of the Institute’s Gender Equality Index;
  • co-ordinate the development of new methodologies for the improvement of the consistency and reliability of sex disaggregated data, gender indicators and gender statistics in the EU;
  • engage systematically with the Institute’s key stakeholders to identify their needs and provide, if requested, evidence based expertise;
  • build and maintain an exchange of statistical and research information with relevant national, international and EU institutions;
  • draft and edit high quality policy relevant reports, studies, opinions, recommendations and presentations on the status of gender equality in the EU;
  • represent EIGE in meetings with its stakeholders;
  • initiate and organise expert meetings to support the Institute’s research;
  • any other relevant tasks assigned by EIGE’s management.

3. Qualifications and experience required

3.1 Formal requirements

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

  • have a university degree[2] which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;
  • have a good command, both spoken and written, of at least two official EU languages;
  • be a national of a Member State of the EU;
  • enjoy full rights as an EU citizen;
  • have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the national laws concerning military service, and
  • be physically fit to perform duties.[3]

3.2 Selection criteria

Essential:

  • At least seven years professional experience gained after the award of the relevant qualification and at a suitable level corresponding to performance of the duties as defined in Section 2.
  • Experience in policy relevant research on gender equality, in particular in the priority areas of the EU.
  • Good understanding of EU policies and priorities related to gender equality.
  • Proven record of work with statistical data, gender statistics and/or gender sensitive indicators at a national, EU or international level and experience with using quantitative data analysis software, e.g. Excel, SPSS and/or Stata.
  • Evidence of ability to draft high quality research reports and/or policy papers in excellent English, which should be substantiated by a list in the applicant’s CV of publications and/or reports/policy papers that she /he has written.
  • Experience of coordinating or conducting international research.
  • Excellent written English which is the predominant working language at the Institute.
  • Excellent presentation and communication skills.
  • Strong organisational and administrative skills, including the ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Advantageous:

  • Knowledge and professional experience relating to the development of indicators, including composite indicators (indices).
  • Work experience in EU or international organisations.
  • Knowledge of financial and procurement rules and procedures applicable to EU institutions and bodies.
  • Previous exposure to international and/or multicultural /multilingual environment.

4. 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 interview.
  • 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 interview candidates will be requested to present originals and copies of documents detailing citizenship, studies and professional experience, in particular:
  • 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 these 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 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.
  • The Director of the Institute will appoint the selected jobholder from the reserve list, taking into account the establishment of a gender balanced, geographically diverse organisation.

The internal proceedings of the Selection Committee are strictly 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 here. 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, e.g. copies of ID cards, diplomas, evidence of previous professional experience, etc. Only candidates invited to an interview will be asked to present copies of these 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 guidelines.

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

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

5. Conditions of employment

The place of employment shall be Vilnius, Lithuania. For reasons related to the Institute’s operational requirements, the chosen candidate will be expected to be available at short notice. An AD 7 Temporary Agent contract under Article 2f pursuant to the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities shall be offered, subject to a nine month probation period. The duration of the contract will be three years and may be renewed.

The pay of the Temporary Agents consists of the basic remuneration as well as various allowances[4] depending on personal situation of the jobholder. For information, the current gross basic salary of the first step in the applicable first grade, before deductions and the correction coefficient weighting of 71.4% for Lithuania, is approximately €5,612. The applicable grade could be higher depending on the length of experience of the chosen candidate. Remuneration will be paid in € (Euro)[5]. Salaries are subject to tax at source but are exempt from national taxation. Deductions are also made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

The job holder shall work in a multicultural environment where social dialogue between management and staff, including representatives of the staff, is regarded as vital. The Institute is fully computerised and working time is based around flexitime and core working hours.

6. Independence & declarations of interest

The job holder 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.

7. Equal opportunities

The Institute applies a policy of equal opportunities and accepts 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, 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 –

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1420548334819&uri=CELEX:32004R0723

- 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: The European Ombudsman, 1 Avenue du Président Robert Schuman, CS 30403 67001 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

Further details on appeals.

9. 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.

10. 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 is Lithuania's capital with an estimated population of just over half a million citizens. 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 – 4 C.

In addition to ample green spaces, 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. 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.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/tourism.


[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.

[3] Before recruitment, the applicant will be medically examined for the purposes of Article 12(2) (d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities.

[4] For example: expatriation allowance, household allowance, education allowance, dependent child allowance etc.

[5] Lithuania adopted the Euro as its currency from 1 January 2015.