Vacancy for the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) (grade AD 14) — COM/2012/10332
Date: 2012-09-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Aviation Safety Agency, job vacancy, managing director








CA2012266EN.01000101.xml










4.9.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 266/1





Vacancy for
the Executive Director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) (grade AD 14)
COM/2012/10332
(2012/C 266 A/01)
We are
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was established in 2002 for the purpose of ensuring a high uniform level of civil aviation safety and environmental protection in Europe, within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 79, 19.3.2008, p. 1 — EASA Regulation). The Agency is required to undertake any task and take the necessary measures within the powers conferred on it by virtue of the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 or other relevant European Union legislation, whilst also providing the European Commission (Commission) with necessary technical, scientific and administrative support to carry out its tasks. In its fields of competence, the Agency, on behalf of Member States, will carry out functions and tasks ascribed to them by applicable international conventions, in particular the Chicago Convention.
EASA is based in Cologne, Germany. In 2012, the Agency has a total budget of EUR 152 million and about 700 staff.
For further information please consult the following website: http://www.easa.europa.eu
We propose
The Executive Director is the legal representative and public face of the Agency and is accountable to the Management Board.
The Executive Director will lead and manage the Agency and take overall responsibility for its operations ensuring the achievement of the Agency's objectives.
The Executive Director's specific responsibilities will include:






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achieving the Agency's objectives established by the Management Board of the Agency,










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preparing and executing the annual and multiannual work programmes, in cooperation with the Commission, with due consideration for the need to set priorities and resource management,










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preparing and executing the Agency's budget in cooperation with the Commission,










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establishing and facilitating close working relationships and cooperation with the Commission, Member States, third countries and stakeholders, as appropriate, in accordance with the Agency's tasks,










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working in close partnership with the Member States' competent authorities responsible for the implementation of the EU aviation transport policy,










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responding to any requests for assistance from the Commission or from the Member States in accordance with the Agency's tasks,










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approving and enacting Agency measures relative to the tasks and responsibilities of the Agency, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 (e.g. airworthiness and environmental certification, standardisation inspections, air operations, personnel licensing, aerodromes and air traffic management),










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preparing the annual report on the Agency's activities,










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carrying out the day-to-day management of the Agency. Recruiting and evaluating the Agency's staff, in compliance with the EU Staff Regulations, while fostering a good team spirit and positive working environment,










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communicating directly and indirectly with the public on all matters within the Agency's mission.




We look for (selection criteria)
Preference will be given to candidates who have:
(a)   Management experience, and in particular:






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a proven track record of managing large teams at a high management level and motivating staff to elevated levels of performance,










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ability to manage and maintain close relations with EU institutions and with Member States' competent authorities, and










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very good knowledge and experience of budgetary planning and financial management.




Experience with recent efficiency enhancing management practices, such as undertaking (screening) exercises to establish reallocation of resources in line with new priorities, would be an advantage.
Experience gained in a multicultural environment and/or industry would also be an advantage.
(b)   Technical knowledge, and in particular:






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a very good understanding of the institutions of the European Union and how they operate and interact,










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sound knowledge of European and international aviation transport policy and legislation, including rules on aviation safety, and










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proven experience in transport policies,










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experience in the area of aviation safety would be an asset.




Experience acquired in a national, European or international public administration would also be an advantage.
(c)   Communication skills, and in particular:






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a proven ability to communicate effectively in a transparent and open manner with stakeholders and with the public, and










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a thorough knowledge of written and oral English.




Knowledge of French and/or German would be an advantage.
Candidates must (eligibility criteria)
Candidates will be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following formal criteria to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:






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: candidates must be a national of a Member State of the European Union or be a national of a country from the European Economic Area or Switzerland,










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. Candidates must have either:






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a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 4 years or more, or










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a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least 1 year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years (this 1 year's professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below),














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: candidates must have at least 15 years' postgraduate experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission; of these 15 years of professional experience, at least 5 years must have been in the domain of air transport activities,










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: at least 5 years of the professional experience referred to above must be in high-level management functions (1), including experience of steering large teams with multidisciplinary backgrounds,










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: have a thorough knowledge of one of the official Union languages (2) and a satisfactory knowledge of a second of these languages,










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: be able to complete, at the deadline for application, the full 5-year mandate before reaching retirement age. The new Executive Director is likely to enter into function on 1 September 2013. 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 Executive Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in relation to interests which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.
Selection and appointment
The Executive Director will be appointed by the Management Board of EASA on a proposal from the Commission.
The Commission will set up a pre-selection panel, in which a representative of the Management Board of EASA participates as observer. This panel will analyse all applications and identify a number of candidates who have the best profile in view of the selection criteria mentioned above. These candidates will be invited for an interview with the pre-selection panel.
Following the interviews, the pre-selection panel will draw up its conclusions and propose a list of candidates for further interviews with the Commission's Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA).
Candidates called for an interview with the CCA participate in a full-day assessment centre run by external human resources experts. On the basis of the interview and the results of the assessment centre report, the CCA establishes a shortlist of candidates it considers suitable to exercise the function of Executive Director. This shortlist is submitted to the relevant Member of the Commission who will interview these candidates.
The Commission then adopts a shortlist of the most suitable candidates, which will be communicated to the Management Board of EASA. The latter may interview the shortlisted candidates. It will subsequently nominate the Executive Director. Inclusion on the Commission's shortlist does not guarantee appointment.
Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews and/or tests in addition to those indicated above.
Before appointment, the nominated candidate may be invited to make a statement on his/her vision with regard to the Agency before the European Parliament and to answer questions put by Members of the European Parliament.
Equal opportunities
EASA applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (3).
Conditions of employment
The Executive Director will be appointed at grade AD 14, pursuant to Articles 2a and 10 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (3), for a 5-year period. Under the EASA Regulation, his/her mandate may be renewed once.
Candidates should note the requirement under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants for all new staff to complete successfully a probationary period.
The place of employment is Cologne, where the Agency is based.
Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all the eligibility criteria (‘Candidates must’), particularly concerning the types of diploma and professional experience required. Failure to meet any of the eligibility requirements means an automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.

If you want to apply, you must register via the internet by going to the website:
https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/CV_Encadext
and following the instructions there concerning the various stages of the procedure.
It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time (4). We strongly advise not to wait until the last few days before applying, since heavy internet traffic or a fault with your internet connection could lead to the online registration being terminated before you complete it, thereby obliging you to repeat the whole process. Once the deadline for registration has passed, you will no longer be able to introduce any data. As a general rule, late registrations via normal e-mail are not accepted.
You must have a valid e-mail address. This will be used to identify your registration and to keep you informed of the progress of the selection procedure. Therefore, please, inform the Commission of any change in your e-mail address.
To complete your application, you will need to upload a CV in Word or PDF format and to fill out, online, a letter of motivation (maximum 8 000 characters). Both the CV and letter must be written in English, French or German.
Once you have finished your online registration, you will see on-screen a registration number that you must write down and remember — this will be your reference number in all matters concerning your application. When you receive this number, the registration process is finished — it is a confirmation that we have registered the data you entered. If you do not receive a number, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor the progress of your application online. You will be contacted directly by the Commission regarding the status of your application.
The selection process, including correspondence with selection panels during this selection procedure, will be carried out in English only (5).

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may submit your application (CV and letter of motivation) on paper by registered mail
 (6)
, postmarked no later than the closing date for registration. All subsequent communication between the Commission and you will be by post. In this case, you must enclose with your application a certificate attesting your disability, issued by a recognised body. You should also set out on a separate sheet of paper any special arrangements you think are needed to make it easier for you to take part in the selection.

If you require more information and/or encounter technical problems, please send an e-mail to HR-A2-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu
Closing date
The closing date for registration is 2 October 2012. Online registration will not be possible after 12 noon Brussels time.
Protection of personal data
The Commission (during the preparatory phase) and later EASA will ensure that candidates' 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 (7).


(1)  In their curriculum vitae (CV) candidates should indicate at least for these 5 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; (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below; and (5) number of peers.

(2)  http://ec.europa.eu/languages/languages-of-europe/eu-languages_en.htm

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

(4)  No later than 12 noon Brussels time, on 2 October 2012.

(5)  The selection panels will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers of languages of the selection procedure.

(6)  European Commission, Directorate-General Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat — COM/2012/10332, SC11 08/35, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË.

(7)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.