Notice of open competitions — Public health
Date: 2013-04-18
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: EPSO, administrator, competition (EU), food safety








CA2013111EN.01000101.xml










18.4.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 111/1






NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITIONS


PUBLIC HEALTH

(2013/C 111 A/01)
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising two open competitions, based on qualifications and tests, to constitute a reserve from which to recruit administrators (1).

EPSO/AD/250/13 — Administrators (AD 6) — food safety (policy and legislation)


EPSO/AD/251/13 — Administrators (AD 7) — food safety (audit, inspection and evaluation)

The purpose of these competitions is to draw up reserve lists from which to fill vacant posts in the institutions of the European Union, and in particular in the European Commission.


Before applying, you should carefully read the guide to open competitions published in Official Journal C 270 A of 7 September 2012 and on the EPSO website.




This guide is an integral part of the competition notice and will help you to understand the rules governing the procedure and how to apply.


CONTENTS






I.



GENERAL BACKGROUND











II.



DUTIES











III.



ELIGIBILITY











IV.



ADMISSION TESTS











V.



ADMISSION TO THE COMPETITION AND SELECTION BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS











VI.



ASSESSMENT CENTRE











VII.



RESERVE LISTS











VIII.



HOW TO APPLY













ANNEXES





I.   GENERAL BACKGROUND












1.


Number of successful candidates sought per competition







EPSO/AD/250/13 = 18


EPSO/AD/251/13 = 12











2.


Remarks






You may not apply for more than one of these competitions.
You must make your choice when you apply online and you will not be able to change it after you have confirmed and validated your online application form.

Candidates who pass competition EPSO/AD/251/13 will be recruited to the European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office
 (2)
in Grange (Ireland).





II.   DUTIES
The specific profiles sought are described in the annexes.
III.   ELIGIBILITY

On the closing date for online applications, you must fulfil all the following general and specific conditions:












1.


General conditions






(a)


You must be a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union.










(b)


You must enjoy your full rights as a citizen.










(c)


You must have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you by the laws on military service.










(d)


You must meet the character requirements for the duties involved.


















2.


Specific conditions








2.1.



Qualifications

See point 2 of the annexes.




2.2.



Professional experience:

See point 3 of the annexes.




2.3.



Knowledge of languages (3)







Language 1




Main language

A thorough knowledge of one of the 23 official languages of the European Union





and



 





Language 2




Second language (must be different from language 1)

A satisfactory knowledge of English, French or German


Following the judgment given by the Court of Justice of the European Union (Grand Chamber) in Case C-566/10 P, Italy v Commission, the EU institutions must state the reasons for limiting the choice of the second language in this competition to a small number of official EU languages.




Candidates are therefore informed that the second language options in this competition have been defined in the interests of the service, which require new recruits to be immediately operational and capable of communicating effectively in their daily work. Otherwise the efficient functioning of the institutions could be severely impaired.




It has long been the practice to use mainly English, French, and German for internal communication in the EU institutions and these are also the languages most often needed when communicating with the outside world and dealing with cases. Moreover, where candidates for competitions are free to choose their second language, these three are by far the most common choices. This confirms what is currently expected of candidates for European Union posts in terms of their level of education and professional skills, namely that they have a command of at least one of these languages. Consequently, in balancing the interests and needs of the service and the abilities of candidates, and given the particular field of this competition, it is legitimate to organise tests in the three languages so as to ensure that all candidates are able to work in at least one of them, whatever their first official language.




To ensure equal treatment for all candidates, everyone — including those whose first official language is one of the three — must take the test in their second language, chosen from among these three. Assessing specific competencies in this way allows the institutions to evaluate candidates' ability to be immediately operational in an environment that closely matches the reality they would face on the job. None of this affects the possibility of later language training to enable staff to work in a third language, as required under Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations.






IV.   ADMISSION TESTS
The computer-based admission tests will be organised only if the number of candidates exceeds a certain threshold. The threshold will be determined by the Director of EPSO, as the appointing authority, after the deadline for applications. This threshold can vary from one competition to another and you will be informed of the precise details via your EPSO account.
The selection board decides on the difficulty of the tests and approves their subject matter on the basis of proposals made by EPSO.













1.


Invitation






You will be invited to sit the tests if you have validated your application on time (see Section VIII).

Important:







1.


By validating your application you declare that you meet the general and specific conditions listed in Section III.










2.


You must reserve a date to sit the tests. This must be done by the deadline notified to you via your EPSO account.














2.


Nature and marking of tests






A series of tests comprising multiple-choice questions to assess your general aptitudes and competencies as regards:





Test (a)



Verbal reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 20.
Pass mark: 10





Test (b)



Numerical reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 10.





Test (c)



Abstract reasoning


Marking: this test will be marked out of 10.




 


The aggregate pass mark for tests (b) and (c) is 10.










3.


Language of the tests






Language 1




V.   ADMISSION TO THE COMPETITION AND SELECTION BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS
1.   Procedure
Initially, a check for compliance with the general and specific conditions, and the selection based on qualifications, will be carried out on the basis of the information given in your online application.






(a)


Your answers to the questions relating to the general and specific conditions will be processed to determine whether you can be included in the list of candidates who fulfil all the conditions for admission to the competition.

If prior admission tests are organised, compliance with the general and specific conditions will be checked for each field in descending order of the marks obtained, per competition, until the number of candidates defined by the appointing authority is reached who:







—




obtained the highest marks (and at least pass marks) in the admission tests, and












—




satisfy the eligibility conditions.







Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be included in the selection phase based on qualifications. Online applications of candidates below the threshold will not be examined.











(b)


The selection board will then screen the candidates who fulfil the conditions for admission to the competition on the basis of their qualifications to identify those whose profile (particularly their diplomas and professional experience) best matches the duties and selection criteria set out in this competition notice. This selection is carried out solely on the basis of the information you provided in the ‘Talent Screener’ tab and takes place in two stages:






—


a first selection based on qualifications will be made solely on the basis of the responses ticked under the ‘Talent Screener’ tab of the online application form and the weighting assigned to each of the questions. The selection board will set the weighting (1 to 3) according to the importance attached to each criterion set out in point 4 of the annexes before examining the applications. The online applications of the candidates who obtain the highest number of points will then go through to a second selection stage,










—


the number of files to be examined during the second stage for each competition will be approximately nine times the number of successful candidates sought that is indicated in this competition notice. The selection board will examine candidates' answers and will award 0 to 4 points for each answer. The points are then multiplied by the weighting for each question and added together to give an overall score.








The selection board will then draw up a list of candidates in the order of the overall scores awarded. The number of candidates invited to the assessment centre (4) will not exceed three times the number of successful candidates sought (per competition). This number will be published on EPSO's website (http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/eu-careers.info/en).
2.   Verification of information given by candidates
Following the assessment centre session, and in the light of the results, the information given by candidates in their online applications will be verified against the supporting documents provided by candidates; for the general conditions this will be done by EPSO, while for the specific conditions it will be done by the selection board. In assessing qualifications, supporting documents will be taken into account only to confirm the information already given under the ‘Talent Screener’ tab. If verification shows that the information given (5) is not borne out by the appropriate supporting documents, candidates will be disqualified.
Applications will be verified for candidates with the highest aggregate marks, and at least pass marks, in assessment centre items (d), (e), (f), and (g), in descending order. These candidates must also have obtained pass marks in tests (a), (b), and (c). Verification will continue until the number of candidates who can be placed on the reserve list and who actually fulfil all the conditions for admission reaches the threshold. The files of candidates below the threshold will not be examined.
VI.   ASSESSMENT CENTRE















1.


Invitation to the assessment centre






If you are one of the candidates (6)







—


who, according to the information given in the online application, fulfil the general and specific conditions listed in Section III,

and











—


who obtained one of the highest marks in the selection based on qualifications,




you will be invited to the assessment centre (7), which will normally be held in Brussels over the course of one or two days.










2.


Assessment centre






You will undergo three types of assessment:






—


reasoning skills, if not already assessed in admission tests: tests (a), (b) and (c),










—


specific competencies: item (d),










—


general competencies: items (e), (f) and (g).










—




Your reasoning competencies
 will be assessed by means of the following tests (8):






(a)


a verbal reasoning test;










(b)


a numerical reasoning test;










(c)


an abstract reasoning test.














—




Your specific competencies
 in the field will be assessed by means (8) of:






(d)


a structured interview on your competencies in the field, based on the information provided in the ‘Talent Screener’ tab of your application.















—




Your general competencies

 (9) will be assessed by means (8) of:






(e)


a case study;










(f)


a group exercise;










(g)


a structured interview on your general competencies.









These general competencies will be tested as shown in the following table:





 


Case study


Group exercise


Structured interview




Analysis and problem-solving


x


x


 




Communicating


x


 


x




Delivering quality and results


x


 


x




Learning and development


 


x


x




Prioritising and organising


x


x


 




Resilience


 


x


x




Working with others


 


x


x




Leadership


 


x


x










3.


Languages for the assessment centre






Language 1 for tests (a), (b) and (c)
Language 2 for items (d), (e), (f) and (g)










4.


Marking and weighting of marks






Reasoning ability






(a)


Verbal: marked out of 20
Pass mark: 10










(b)


Numerical: marked out of 10










(c)


Abstract: marked out of 10
Aggregate pass mark for tests (b) and (c): 10




Tests (a), (b), and (c) are eliminatory, but the marks will not be added to the marks for the other assessment centre tests.
Specific competencies (item (d))
Marked out of 100
Pass mark: 50

Weighting: 55 % of the overall mark

General competencies (items (e), (f) and (g))
Marked out of 80 for all general competencies (10 per competency)
Pass mark:






 


3 for each competency and











 


an aggregate of 40 for all eight general competencies





Weighting: 45 % of the overall mark





VII.   RESERVE LISTS












1.


Reserve lists






The selection board will place your name on the reserve list:






—


if you have obtained the pass marks for items (a) to (g) and are one of the candidates (10) with the highest aggregate marks in assessment centre items (d), (e), (f) and (g) (see number of successful candidates, Section I.1), and











—



if your supporting documents show that you meet all the eligibility requirements.














2.


Classification






Lists will be drawn up for each competition and names will be listed in alphabetical order.




VIII.   HOW TO APPLY












1.


Online application






You must apply online by following the instructions on the EPSO website and particularly in the online application manual.

Deadline (including validation): 22 May 2013 at 12.00 (noon), Brussels time.










2.


Submission of application files






If you are one of the candidates invited to the assessment centre, you will have to bring with you your full application file (signed online application form and supporting documents) when you come to the assessment centre (11).

Details: see point 6.1 of the guide to open competitions.






(1)  Any reference in this notice to a person of the male sex must be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of the female sex.

(2)  In exceptional circumstances and where the interests of the service require it, the place of employment may be Brussels (Belgium) or Luxembourg.

(3)  Please see the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages — minimum level required: language 1 = C1, language 2 = B2
(http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/hornav/Downloads/CEF/LanguageSelfAssessmentGrid.csp).

(4)  Candidates not invited to the assessment centre will be sent the results of their assessment and the weighting applied by the selection board to each question.

(5)  This information will be verified against the supporting documents before the reserve list is drawn up (see Section VII.1 and Section VIII.2).

(6)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be admitted to the assessment centre.

(7)  Depending on organisational constraints, the reasoning tests and the case study (item (e)) may be held in test centres in the Member States, separately from the other assessment centre items.

(8)  The content of these tests is approved by the selection board.

(9)  More information on these competencies can be found in point 1.2 of the guide to open competitions.

(10)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be placed on the reserve list.

(11)  You will be notified in good time via your EPSO account of the date when you have to attend the assessment centre.


ANNEX I
EPSO/AD/250/13 — ADMINISTRATORS (AD 6)
FOOD SAFETY (POLICY AND LEGISLATION)
1.   Duties
The officials recruited will be expected to perform tasks such as those described below:






—


Developing policy and legislation, and managing existing legislation, in the areas of food safety and nutrition, animal health and welfare, and plant health.










—


Implementing all aspects of the legislation on food safety and nutrition, animal health and welfare, and plant health, carrying out preparatory socio-economic studies and consulting stakeholders and Member States.










—


Carrying out regulatory tasks in the various fields of food safety and nutrition, animal health and welfare, and plant health, (including risk assessment and crisis management). Following up scientific developments in these areas.










—


Preparing and participating in negotiations (working groups, EU committees, international organisations including analyses and evaluation of proposals).










—


Monitoring and following up trade arrangements and bilateral and multilateral agreements. Monitoring and contributing to the EU's international regulatory activities (CODEX, SPS, WHO, FAO) and trade policies in the food sector (WTO-TBT).










—


Monitoring and utilising studies carried out by European Food Safety Authority scientific committees and by panels specialising in food products.










—


Developing, contributing to, and monitoring European Union policies on food safety and nutrition and its industrial policy on food products.




2.   Qualifications
A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma in one of the following subjects: veterinary medicine, agriculture, chemistry, food and nutrition legislation, biology, food chemistry, political science, economics in the agri-food industry or other subjects directly relevant to the nature of the duties.
3.   Professional experience
At least three years' professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties.
Such professional experience is relevant only if acquired after the diploma giving access to the competition was obtained.
4.   Selection criteria

For the selection based on qualifications, the following criteria will be taken into consideration by the selection board:







(1)


At least two years' professional experience in developing policy in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health, and integrating into this policy scientific and economic-socio-political assessments.










(2)


At least two years' professional experience in developing legislation in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health.










(3)


At least two years' professional experience in managing existing legislation, in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health.










(4)


At least two years' professional experience in implementing existing legislation, in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health.










(5)


Professional experience in developing social, economic or political studies in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health, food quality and of food labelling.










(6)


Professional experience in carrying out regulatory tasks in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health (including risk assessment and/or crisis management).










(7)


Professional experience in following up scientific developments in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health.










(8)


Professional experience in monitoring and contributing to international regulatory activities and trade policies in the food sector (WTO-TBT).










(9)


Professional experience in monitoring and following up trade arrangements and bilateral and multilateral agreements.










(10)


Professional experience in developing tools, criteria, and performance indicators to monitor the implementation of EU legislation in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health.










(11)


Professional experience in drafting reports or written communication documents in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health.










(12)


Professional experience in preparing for and taking part in meetings and negotiations at EU level in the area of food safety, nutrition, animal health, animal welfare or plant health.







ANNEX II
EPSO/AD/251/13 — ADMINISTRATORS (AD 7)
FOOD SAFETY (AUDIT, INSPECTION AND EVALUATION)
1.   Duties
The officials recruited will be expected to perform tasks such as those described below:






—


Audit, inspection and evaluation of the performance of national authorities and other official entities responsible for, inter alia, regulatory oversight and control in the domains of food safety, animal health, animal welfare, plant health (harmful organisms, plant protection products and pesticide residues), genetically modified organisms, animal feed and nutrition, veterinary medicines, residues, calibration and testing laboratories, third party conformity assessment bodies, national accreditation bodies, good manufacturing practice (for active pharmaceutical ingredients, medicines and medical devices), good clinical practice (clinical trials for human medicines), and related areas.










—


Administrative duties in the above areas including preparation of audit and evaluation plans, drafting of audit reports and communication of the results of such audits, ensuring the consistency and quality of reports, liaising with relevant policy units in the European Commission and executive agencies of the Commission, and contributing to the development and refinement of policies in light of the results of the audit and inspection activities linked to the above areas.










—


Maintaining professional and scientific knowledge and expertise relevant to the execution of the audit, inspection and evaluation tasks described above.





NB: The duties may include frequent missions to Member States and non-member countries and contacts with national officials at senior level.
2.   Qualifications
A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least four years attested by a diploma in one of the following subjects: veterinary medicine, food, health, environmental health, chemistry/food chemistry, pharmacology/toxicology, pharmacy, medicine, biology, microbiology, biomedical science, agriculture, forestry, horticulture, human and animal nutrition or other subjects directly relevant to the nature of the duties.
OR
A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma in one of the following subjects: veterinary medicine, food, health, environmental health, chemistry/food chemistry, pharmacology/toxicology, pharmacy, medicine, biology, microbiology, biomedical science, agriculture, forestry, horticulture, human and animal nutrition or other subjects directly relevant to the nature of the duties, followed by a year of professional experience directly relevant to the nature of the duties.

NB: The minimum of one year's professional experience required counts as an integral part of the diploma and cannot be counted towards the professional experience required below.
3.   Professional experience
At least six years' professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties described.
Such professional experience is relevant only if acquired after the diploma giving access to the competition was obtained.
4.   Selection criteria

For the selection based on qualifications, the following criteria will be taken into consideration by the selection board:







(1)


At least three years' professional experience in conducting audit, inspection and evaluation in the areas of food safety, animal health, animal welfare, plant health, genetically modified organisms, animal feed and nutrition.










(2)


At least three years' professional experience in conducting audit, inspection and evaluation of good manufacturing practice for the production of (a) active pharmaceutical ingredients, (b) medicines and (c) medical devices, and good clinical practice in the conduct of clinical trials for human medicines and related areas.










(3)


Professional experience in the implementation of EU legislation in relation to the areas referred to in point (1) above.










(4)


Professional experience in the implementation of EU legislation in relation to the areas referred to in point (2) above.










(5)


At least three years professional experience of quality management systems in relation to the areas referred to in either point (1) or (2) above.










(6)


Professional experience in the areas referred to in either point (1) or (2) above gained within a public or private multi-national organisation.










(7)


Professional experience in drafting reports in the subject areas pertinent to the post.










(8)


Specific job experience as a pharmaceutical inspector (manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients).










(9)


Specific job experience as a designating authority official who has been involved in the assessment of third part conformity assessment bodies (Notified Bodies) for manufacturers of medical devices.










(10)


Specific job experience as a Notified Body conformity assessor for medical devices.










(11)


Specific job experience as either a ‘Qualified Person’ or ‘Quality Manager’ in the area of manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients and medicines, a ‘Quality Manager’ for the manufacture of medical devices, in particular Class III devices, a ‘Clinical Study/Trial/Research Manager’ or ‘Clinical Study/Trial/Research Officer’ responsible for the conduct and oversight of clinical trials.