Vacancy for a Director (grade AD 14) of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT), Budapest — COM/2010/10281
Date: 2010-09-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU office or agency, Hungary, innovation, recruitment








CA2010253EN.01000101.xml










21.9.2010   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 253/1





Vacancy for a Director (grade AD 14) of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT), Budapest
COM/2010/10281
(2010/C 253 A/01)
We are
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) established under European law (1) is an EU body which aims to become a flagship for excellence in European innovation. The EIT currently operates as a holding of three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The direct EIT (EC) funding support to the KICs, of more than EUR 250 million over an initial period of 4 years, should leverage additional funding from Community, national and private sources of approximately EUR 1 billion.
The EIT is the first European initiative to foster European innovation by fully integrating the three sides of the ‘Knowledge Triangle’ (higher education, research, business-innovation) in the KICs. Fostering entrepreneurship is a key focus for the EIT and the KICs, as the key driver of innovation and as the ‘glue’ in the Knowledge Triangle. Thus EIT seeks to stand out as a world-class innovation Institute, inspiring and driving change in existing European universities, research institutions and businesses, both new and established, spanning SMEs to large multinationals.
Conceived with a clear market-driven focus, the EIT will act as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth and job creation throughout the Union by generating new skills, products, services and business responding both to public demand and to the needs of the knowledge economy. One important role of the EIT will be to act as a role model for promoting new, systemic approaches to innovation.
The EIT's strategic management is coordinated by a Governing Board consisting of recognized European innovation leaders from the knowledge triangle.
The three KICs are highly integrated public-private networks of universities, research organisations, entrepreneurs and businesses. Direct involvement of business stakeholders, including SMEs and foundations, in all strategic, operational and financial aspects of the EIT is the cornerstone of the initiative. The expectation is that the existing KICs will receive continued funding over a period of 7 years, and that the process to select a second tranche of KICs will be completed by 2014.
The EIT headquarters are in Budapest. For further information please consult the web site: http://eit.europa.eu
We propose
The Director will manage the EIT and take overall responsibility for its day to day operations, ensuring the achievement of the EIT objectives. As such, he/she will play a key role for shaping-up the EIT as a world-class, EU innovation operator and for the implementation of the KICs activities.
He/she will be accountable to the EIT governing board, and its chair in particular, and report to the governing board on an ongoing basis on the development of the EIT activities. The Director is based in Budapest.
The Director will be responsible for the day to day management of the EIT and be its legal representative, including in particular:






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Support the governing board, and the executive committee of the board, in their work and provide the secretariat for their meetings,










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Ensure the overall planning, organisation and management of the activities of the EIT, striving for the simplification of implementing rules and procedures,










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Prepare, every year, for adoption by the Board, a draft rolling triennial work programme, an annual report and an annual budget for submission to the governing board through the executive committee. And prepare every seven years, for adoption by the Board, a draft Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA),










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Contribute to building-up, consolidating, monitoring and evaluating the first three KICs and administer the selection process for future KICs in a transparent and objective manner, notably taking into account the lessons learned from the first competition,










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Ensure a sound and efficient financial management according to the financial rules of the EIT, including the implementation of the EIT budget,










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Ensure an efficient, motivating, team-orientated staff management,










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Communicate with the relevant stakeholders, including the general public, within and outside the EU, in the areas of EIT activity.




We are looking for
The candidate should have the following:






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A track record in building a business, research institute or education institute,










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Excellent networking abilities, communication and interpersonal skills, including the capacity to co-operate with stakeholders and relevant players within the EU institutions and from beyond the EU,










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Proven ability to lead and motivate a diverse team in multicultural context,










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Strong sense of responsibility, initiative, service-orientated culture, team-spirit and self-motivation,










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Extensive knowledge of entrepreneurship and business value creation,










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Understanding the importance of entrepreneurship education in shaping a next generation of entrepreneurial Europeans,










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Enthusiasm and commitment to foster entrepreneurial culture in Europe,










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Knowledge of innovation, research and/or higher education policies and proven expertise and leadership in these areas,










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Thorough knowledge of the EU Institutions, in the context of European innovation strategy and initiatives,










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Extensive experience of budgetary, financial and human resources management in a national and/or European environment,










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Proven ability to manage financial resources from private, public and/or philanthropic sources,










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Proven capacity to take decisions, both at strategic and operational level,










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A good command of several official Community languages would be an asset.




Applicants must
Applicants will be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following formal criteria to be fulfilled by the closing date for applications:






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Nationality: Be a national of a Member State of the European Union and be entitled to his full rights as a citizen (2),










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University Degree or Diploma: Hold a university degree that gives access to postgraduate studies,










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Professional Experience: Have at least 15 years' post-graduate experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission,










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Relevant Professional Experience: Of the 15 years of professional experience, at least 5 years must have been acquired in the domains of the EIT: innovation, research and/or higher education,










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Management Experience: Candidates must prove that at least five years of their experience have been acquired directly managing staff and budgets or working in management structures at a sufficiently high level of responsibility (3),










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Languages: Have an excellent knowledge of one of the official Community languages and a satisfactory knowledge of a second of these languages. Excellent working knowledge of English is required (4),










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Age Limit: Be able to complete the full four-year-mandate before reaching retirement age. For temporary staff of the European Union, retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 65.




Independence and declaration of interests
The Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in respect of any interests which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Applicants must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.
Selection and appointment
A pre-selection panel will be set up for the selection process. This panel will invite eligible applicants with the best profile for the specific requirements of the post to an interview, selected on the basis of their merits and the criteria set out above. Candidates shortlisted by the pre-selection panel will then be called for an interview with the Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA) and will have to undergo testing by an assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants. Candidates who are shortlisted by the CCA will then be interviewed by the responsible Commissioner(s).
Following these interviews, the Commission will adopt a shortlist of successful candidates, which will be communicated to the EIT governing board. Inclusion on the shortlist does not guarantee appointment.
The candidates will then be interviewed by the EIT governing board. The latter will appoint the Director from among the candidates shortlisted.
The selection procedure is launched subject to the availability of appropriations in the EIT budget and the relevant post in its establishment plan.
Equal opportunities
The EIT applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (5).
Conditions of employment
The Director will be appointed as a temporary agent at grade AD 14 pursuant to Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities (6) for a four-year period, which may be extended once, as stated in the EIT Regulation.
The place of employment is Budapest, where the EIT is based.
Application procedure
For applications to be valid, candidates must submit a duly completed application form, a covering letter and a free-format curriculum vitae. The CV should preferably be drafted using the Europass CV format (7). Applications that are incomplete will be rejected.
Supporting documents (e.g. certified copies of degrees/diplomas, references, proof of experience, etc.) should not be sent at this point but must be submitted at a later stage of the procedure if requested.
In order to facilitate the selection process, all communication with applicants concerning this vacancy will be in English.
Applications, in English, should be sent by e-mail to:
EAC-EIT-DIRECTOR-RECRUITMENT@ec.europa.eu
Applicants who are not able to send their applications by e-mail may send them by registered mail or express courier service to:






European Commission






Directorate-General for Education and Culture






Directorate ‘Resources’ — Selection of the Director of the EIT






MADO 25/26






1049 BRUSSELS






BELGIUM





Applicants are asked to report any change of address in writing without delay to the address above.
Contact person for any additional information:





Professor Anders Flodström




E-mail: flodis@kth.se




Telephone: +4687909641, +4687906066




Closing date
Applications must be sent either by e-mail or by registered mail no later than 20 October 2010 (date of e-mail or date as postmark for registered mail).
Applications sent by express courier service must be delivered on the same date before 17.00 hrs (Brussels time) to the address above.
The Commission reserves the right to extend the closing date of this vacancy by publication in the Official Journal of the European Union only.
Important information for applicants
Applicants are reminded that the work of the selection committees is confidential. It is forbidden for applicants to make direct or indirect contact with members of these committees or for anybody to do on their behalf.
Protection of personal data
The EIT will ensure 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 (8). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(1)  European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 294/2008 of 11.3.2008 establishing the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (OJ L 97, 9.4.2008, p. 1).

(2)  Prior to any appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a certificate issued by the competent authority attesting the absence of any criminal record.

(3)  In their application form, applicants should indicate at least for these years during which high level management experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of management positions held, (2) numbers of staff overseen in these positions, (3) the size of budgets managed, and (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below and number of peers.

(4)  The EIT governing board has decided to use English as the working language.

(5)  OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1; http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/toc100_en.pdf

(6)  OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1 — http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/index.htm

(7)  The Europass CV can be downloaded from the website:
http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/htm/index.htm

(8)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/fr/index.htm