Seconded National Expert – Men & Masculinities

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) invites applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for Seconded National Experts (SNE). The registration of applications will begin on 16^th August 2010 and will close on 26^th September 2010 at 22:00 Central European Time. The closing date for applications has been extended to 15^th October 2010 at 22:00 Eastern European Time.

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.

1. The Job

1.1 Profile

Under the supervision of the Head of Operations, the jobholder will assist and contribute to the work related to fostering the involvement of men in strengthening gender equality, identifying the needs and perspectives of men in the context of equality between women and men and support the Gender Experts of the Institute in their work.

In particular the jobholder will be responsible for integrating men's perspective into the planning and implementing of concrete activities foreseen in the Annual Work Programme. This shall involve carrying out relevant research and desk analysis, presenting existing data, as well as developing and delivering reports on related topics for EIGE's meetings, events, online and published information and materials.

1.2 Duties

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

• develop activities/projects related to men and gender equality, masculinities and gender stereotypes within the framework of the Annual Work Programme of EIGE;
• mainstream gender into all activities of the Work Programme;
• follow the development and effective approaches to involve men in the promotion of gender equality in Europe;
• identify best practices of breaking gender stereotypes as well as specific concerns and priorities of men in the context of gender equality;
• liaise with and establish cooperation with men's networks, centres and organisations in Europe;
• collect and analyse existing data in the field of men and masculinities;
• prepare reports, briefing notes and responses to enquiries on the perspective and needs with regards to equal opportunities and gender equality;
• assist in the development of publications, bulletins, manuals and other materials;
• provide analytical support in the planning process, during the implementation phase and the final evaluation of activities/projects;
• assist in organising, coordinating and taking part in meetings, workshops, seminars and networking by contributing with the perspective of men ;
• assist in preparation of tenders to be launched.

2. Qualifications and experience required

2.1 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[1] 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 fulfilled any obligations imposed by the national laws concerning military service.

2.2 Selection criteria

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

Essential:

• At least seven 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 1.2,
• practical experience and excellence in developing and managing gender equality projects, including budget allocation;
• practical experience of work with various European actors, involving men's organisations and networks in the promotion of gender equality at a European or national level;
• experience and the ability to work with a high volume of data and information and to provide a good assessment of existing information in sound developed conclusions and reports;
• the capacity to process specialised information,
• evident organisational skills, including the ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines;
• a strong sense of team spirit backed up by an evident commitment to the secondment;

• good computer skills, especially in preparing and editing text.

Advantageous:

• knowledge of the EU institutional framework and policies, especially the current developments in the policy areas of gender equality;
• knowledge of the current developments in the field of men and gender equality, masculinities and gender stereotypes on an international level.
• Practical experience of gender mainstreaming methods

3. Selection procedure and application

3.1 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.
• Eligible applications will be evaluated by the appointed Selection Committee based on selection criteria defined in this vacancy notice.
• The best-admissible candidates will be short-listed for interview.
• Due to large volume of applications, only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted.
• Interviews will be held in English.
• During the interview session, 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 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 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 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.

3.2 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.

An application form is available below. Applicants are also required to complete an Eligibility and Selection Criteria Grid which is also available below.

Application form

Eligibility and Selection Criteria Grid

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 the file by the Institute in line with its data protection guidelines.

The closing date for applications has been extended to 15^th October 2010 at 22:00 Eastern European Time.Incomplete applications and applications sent to EIGE after this deadline will be disqualified.

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

4. Conditions of secondment

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 is entitled to subsistence allowances under the conditions of secondment which are laid out in Decision MB 2010/011 available here.

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 two years and may be extended further up to a maximum period of two years. The place of secondment shall be Vilnius, Lithuania.

5. 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. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

6. Equal opportunities

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

7. 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] Only qualifications issued by EU Member State authorities and qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant Member States authorities will be accepted.

Relevant Documents:

Application form

Eligibility and Selection Criteria Grid