Communications and media 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 Communications and Media Officer. The registration of applications begins on 22 June 2018 and closes on 20 July 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 and working in close cooperation with other colleagues in the Institute, the jobholder contributes to ensuring that EIGE’s work gives value to policy-makers and creates interest among new audiences. Targeted communications are an integral part of all EIGE’s projects and the jobholder will have an important role in processing knowledge produced by the Institute, presenting it in innovative and user friendly formats and with fit-for-purpose tools.

Duties

The jobholder will be involved in the following tasks:

• Writing engaging content for EIGE’s communication tools, such as targeted publications, the newsletter, press releases and audio-visual products.
• Organising media activities (e.g. briefings, press conferences, interviews) on the Institute’s work.
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with the main media outlets in the EU.
• Developing and maintaining the visual identity of EIGE’s communications products.
• Presenting EIGE’s work to external audiences.
• Contributing to a positive working environment by enhanced internal communications.
• Performing any other tasks assigned by EIGE’s management.

Qualifications & experience required

Formal requirements

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

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

Selection criteria

Essential

• A minimum of three years of proven work experience following the award of the degree, relevant to tasks as defined under section 2 above;
• A good understanding of gender equality and the related policies;
• Excellent writing skills and a proven track record of journalistic writing;
• Ability to turn complex scientific reports into engaging and easy-to-understand messages;
• Excellent oral presentation skills and ability to adjust messages according to the target audience and communication tool;
• Ability to identify visual solutions for presenting research findings;
• Experience of managing media relations;
• Excellent interpersonal, organisation and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Advantageous

• Previous professional experience in an international organisation;
• Familiarity of the use of modern communication tools.

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 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 web 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[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 74.3% for Lithuania, is approximately €4.905. The step in grade could be higher depending on the length of experience of the chosen candidate. 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 and 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 might 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 in line with the formal requirements noted in section "Qualifications and experience required".

Appeals

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, 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 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.

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, has 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 on the Vilnius Tourist Information Centre's website

[1] Established by the European Parliament: 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 Union.

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