Stakeholder relations 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 Stakeholder Relations Officer.

The registration of applications will begin on 6 November 2018 and will close on 5 December 2018 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 Knowledge Management and Communications, the jobholder shall coordinate co-operation and build partnerships with EIGE’s stakeholders such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, specific EU agencies, social partners, academia and policy-makers in the EU Member States.

The post demands a team player who is forward-thinking, analytical, well-organised and structured, one who is constantly searching for improvement, shares learning and information and who supports a multicultural and multidisciplinary team.

Duties

The responsibilities of the post include the following tasks and activities:

• contribute to the implementation, development and monitoring of EIGE’s Knowledge Management and Communication strategy;
• develop, monitor and update the plans of cooperation with different stakeholders across the spectrum of EIGE’s operational work;
• monitor and analyse policy developments in the area of gender equality, with an aim to  shape and guide EIGE’s work;
• prepare targeted policy briefs based on EIGE’s work for policy-makers;
• contribute to reaching out to policy-makers beyond the gender equality community;
• present EIGE’s work to stakeholders as requested;
• contribute to the Institute’s stakeholder engagement activities, including organising events in the Member States and visits to EIGE;
• process, create and keep up-to-date dossiers, documents and data in the appropriate files or databases;
• organise and prepare briefing files for internal use as well as for external meetings and conferences;
• collect and prepare materials for printed publications and websites;
• draft relevant contributions in connection with planning and reporting documents of the Institute;
• support the process of budgeting and budget implementation;
• support other relevant duties in the interest of the Institute as assigned by the Head of Unit.

Qualifications & experience required

Formal requirements

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

• completed a university education attested by a diploma[2];
• 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;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service;   
• be physically fit to perform duties linked to the post.[3]

 Selection criteria

Essential:

• At least three years of professional experience[4] gained after the award of the relevant qualification and at a suitable level corresponding to performance of tasks as defined in section 2.
• a thorough knowledge of gender equality issues;
• a good understanding of the EU policy-making structures and relevant stakeholders;
• experience of networking and of establishing cooperation and partnerships;
• experience in collecting, processing and disseminating information;
• work experience of planning and carrying out conferences, events and campaigns,
• excellent written communication skills in English;
• excellent oral presentation skills in English;
• excellent interpersonal, coordination, organisational, administrative and problem solving skills.
• ability to work in a proactive and autonomous way and ensure accuracy;
• ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Advantageous:

• work experience in an international or European organisation;
• good knowledge of additional EU languages.

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 in Vilnius.
• 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 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 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.

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’s staff engagement is among the highest in EU agencies. EIGE is committed to the principle of zero tolerance for 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.

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 of the Temporary Agents consists of the basic salary as well as various allowances  depending on personal situation of the jobholder. For information, the current gross basic salary, before deductions and the correction coefficient weighting of 74.3% for Lithuania, is approximately €4.905. Salaries are subject to tax at source but are exempt from national taxation. 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 may 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 and accepts applications without distinction on any grounds.

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) 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.

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.

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 800,000 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, with a good standard of living and an excellent working environment. EIGE’s premises are situated in 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/

[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.

[3] Prior to recruitment, the successful candidate 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] Professional experience will be counted from the date on which the applicant acquired the minimum qualification for access to the profile in question. Only duly documented professional activity (i.e. remunerated employment or self-employment) is taken into account. Part-time work will be taken into account in proportion to the percentage of full-time hours worked. Periods of education or training and unremunerated traineeships are not taken into account Fellowships, grants and PhDs can be counted as professional experience up to a maximum of 3 years. Any given time period can be counted only once (e.g. if the applicant had a full-time job and did freelance consultancy work in the evenings and weekends, the days spent on the latter will not be added to the period of the former). Freelance or self-employed applicants will be asked to provide either a practising certificate (or equivalent) or a copy of the entry in the relevant trade register, or any other official document (for example a tax document) showing clearly the length of relevant professional experience.