Notice of open competition — EPSO/AD/254/13
Date: 2013-05-23
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: EPSO, administrator, competition (EU), nuclear policy








CA2013143EN.01000101.xml










23.5.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 143/1






NOTICE OF OPEN COMPETITION

EPSO/AD/254/13
(2013/C 143 A/01)
The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) is organising an open competition, based on qualifications and tests, to constitute a reserve from which to recruit

HEAD OF UNIT (1) (AD 12)


Nuclear Decommissioning Unit (Ispra, Italy)


Joint Research Centre, European Commission

The purpose of this competition is to draw up a reserve list from which to fill a vacant post in the European Commission.


Before applying, you should carefully read the guide published in Official Journal C 270 A of 7 September 2012 and on the EPSO website. Note, however, that points 4 and 6.3 do not apply, and points 5.3, 5.4 and 6.2 are replaced by the text in the Annex.




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 TO THE COMPETITION AND SELECTION BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS











V.



ASSESSMENT CENTRE AND TESTS











VI.



RESERVE LIST











VII.



HOW TO APPLY













ANNEX





I.   GENERAL BACKGROUND

Number of successful candidates sought: 3

II.   DUTIES
The Nuclear Decommissioning Unit (NDU) is responsible for the management and decommissioning (including safe conservation) of all nuclear installations and facilities at the Ispra site and for the operation of radioactive waste facilities, in compliance with the current licensing obligations. The Decommissioning and Waste Management Programme will span more than two decades and is currently focusing mainly on waste management and pre-decommissioning activities. Afterwards the NDU will implement all the necessary measures to decommission the installations and facilities and to operate the infrastructure for handling, sorting, treating and storing solid/liquid waste present on site, as appropriate. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all nuclear liabilities, allowing the reuse of buildings and land.
The Head of the Nuclear Decommissioning Unit is responsible for managing facilities and licences in line with Italian law. Candidates must therefore fulfil the requirements laid down by the Italian legislation in order to be able to obtain the Attestato di idoneità alla Direzione tecnica degli impianti nucleari (Certificate of competence for the technical management of nuclear installations), provided for by the Decreto Presidente della Repubblica (Presidential Decree) of 30.12.1970, No 1450, as last amended.
The Head of Unit also provides support for all the activities at the Ispra site necessary to fulfil the legal requirements concerning radiation protection and environmental protection.
The duties essentially involve organising all of the activities related to the decommissioning of nuclear installations and facilities as follows:






—


programme and organise the proper running of the unit, including all technical, financial and human resources aspects,










—


ensure resources are used in the most efficient, effective and economic manner,










—


define the strategy for implementing the unit's programme, in line with the mission of the JRC, with the ultimate goal of returning the site to a state allowing reuse of building(s) and/or land,










—


ensure that activities are carried out in compliance with the relevant legal obligations, applicable safety and licensing requirements,










—


ensure the safe functioning of the nuclear facilities, including accident prevention and detection, and directing intervention measures where necessary,










—


manage radioactive waste (transport, storage, accounting, etc.),










—


ensure the coordination of the licensing processes.




The management/administrative duties can essentially be broken down into three categories:
At operational level:






—


Defining the unit's strategic objectives and approving its operational work programme, in line with those of the JRC.










—


Deciding on and ensuring the efficient organisation and distribution of work in the unit so as to achieve the expected results.










—


Assessing the extent to which objectives have been attained, using appropriate indicators, and drafting management reports on the outcomes.










—


Checking that decisions and operations comply with the rules and official procedures.




In terms of resource management:






—


Ensuring efficient personnel management in the unit in line with the institution's human resources policy with a view to developing a unit that performs effectively, with a strong team spirit. In particular this involves the ability to develop and make the best use of each individual's skills and to anticipate and manage any conflicts arising within the team.










—


Determining funding requirements and managing the annual budget allocated to the unit.




In terms of communication and representation:






—


Establishing and maintaining interactive dialogue in the unit so that staff are properly informed about the major policy and strategic aspects and receive appropriate feedback on their work.










—


Advising, coordinating and/or negotiating with other departments or institutions on matters relating to the unit's work.










—


Representing the unit on committees, working parties, or other bodies both within the institution and outside.




These responsibilities call for candidates who are service-minded, have a sense of duty, are proactive and open to change.
In view of the nature and requirements of the position, a good command of both written and spoken Italian is also essential.
The candidate must have at least 15 years' multidisciplinary professional experience in the nuclear operational field, including management of projects and contracts.
Five years' experience in the management and coordination of multidisciplinary and multinational technical teams and proven ability in guiding, motivating and mentoring staff are also a must.
The Head of Unit will perform these administrative and operational duties under the authority of the Director of Ispra Site Management (ISM), located in Ispra, (Italy), which is one of the establishments of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.
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





 


A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma relevant to the duties (i.e. in engineering, physics or chemistry), if the normal period of university education is equivalent to four years or more.

or

A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma relevant to the duties (i.e. in engineering, physics or chemistry) followed by at least one year's relevant professional experience, if the normal period of university education is equivalent to at least three years.

NB: The minimum of one year's professional experience required is deemed to be an integral part of the diploma and cannot be counted towards the professional experience required below.

or

A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma followed by a postgraduate course attested by a diploma relevant to the duties (i.e. in engineering, physics or chemistry).





2.2.




Professional experience





 


You must have at least 15 years' professional experience relevant to the duties, including five years in management and/or staff coordination roles involving genuine personnel management responsibilities as described in this notice of competition (see Section II).
In order to evaluate experience in management positions, the selection board will take into account relevant information provided by candidates, such as:






(1)


title and exact description of positions held and their duration;










(2)


numbers of staff overseen in these positions;










(3)


number of hierarchical layers above and below, and number of peers.




Such professional experience is relevant only if acquired after the diploma giving access to the competition was obtained.





2.3.




Knowledge of languages






Language 1









—



Main language:

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









Language 2









—



Second language: (level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)) (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/hornav/Downloads/CEF/LanguageSelfAssessmentGrid.csp):
A satisfactory knowledge of English, French or German (must be different from language 1).

The interests of the service require a satisfactory knowledge of Italian (B2 level).







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 should be proficient in 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 TO THE COMPETITION AND SELECTION BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS
1.   Procedure
Initially, the information given in your online application will be checked for compliance with the general and specific conditions, and will be used for the selection based on qualifications.






(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.










(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 3 below, 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 will be approximately nine times the number of successful candidates sought that is indicated in this 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 and to the oral and written tests (2) will not exceed three times the number of successful candidates sought (3). This number will be published on EPSO's website (http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/eu-careers.info/).
2.   Verification of information given by candidates
Following the oral and written tests and in the light of the results, the information given by candidates in their online applications will be verified against the supporting documents that they have provided; 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 (4) 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 both the oral and written tests, in descending order. 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.
3.   Selection criteria

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







1.


Professional experience of at least five years in managing nuclear facilities.










2.


Professional experience in nuclear decommissioning projects.










3.


Professional experience in transporting nuclear materials and substances.










4.


Professional experience in nuclear waste management.










5.


Professional experience in managing large-scale projects and contracts.










6.


Professional experience in managing and coordinating multidisciplinary and multinational technical teams.










7.


Excellent knowledge of international, European, and Italian legislation on the nuclear sector and Italian regulations on ionising radiation.










8.


Knowledge of European law on health and safety at work.










9.


Any other training, other than that required under Section III.2.1, in one of the main areas of activity of the unit (as defined in Section II — Nature of the Duties), attested by a certificate, qualification or diploma.










10.


Satisfactory knowledge of Italian (at least B2 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)).




V.   ASSESSMENT CENTRE AND TESTS







The tests comprise:







—


assessment centre tests,










—


an oral test,










—


a written test.




For organisational reasons, the tests held at the assessment centre and the oral and written tests will be held in Brussels, normally on consecutive days.











1.



Assessment centre






The assessment centre tests will be held exclusively in your language 2. The report on the tests will be communicated to the selection board as a specialist aid and technical contribution to the decision-making process.
The tests will include:






—


an exercise to assess your management skills,










—


an interview with a human resources expert to assess your skills profile.




The report produced by the assessment centre is not covered by the rules on secrecy governing the selection board's deliberations and will be given to you at the end of the oral test.











2.



Oral test






The interview with the selection board is designed to assess:






—


your specific knowledge of the field (in your language 2),










—


your professional experience, ability to organise and coordinate the work of an administrative unit, and your ability to adapt, negotiate, take decisions, and more generally perform the duties of a head of unit (in your language 2),










—


your general knowledge of the European Union, its institutions and its policies (in your language 2),










—


your command of Italian,










—


your knowledge of your main language (language 1).




This test is marked out of 100 (pass mark: 60).











3.



Written test (5)


Nature and marking of test







The written test is designed to assess your command of Italian and your knowledge of the field. It involves drafting a note in which you will be required to deal with some documents, after consulting extracts from Italian legislation on the nuclear sector and/or the Italian rules on radiation protection.
The test will be marked out of 60 (pass mark: 30).
Time allowed (subject to change): 1 hr 30 min.


The written test will be marked only if you obtain a pass mark in the interview with the selection board.





VI.   RESERVE LIST













1.



Reserve list






The selection board will place your name on the reserve list if you are one of the candidates who obtained the pass mark and one of the highest aggregate marks in the oral and written tests (6).











2.



Classification






The list will be drawn up in alphabetical order.




VII.   HOW TO APPLY













1.



Online application






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

Deadline (including validation): 25 June 2013 at 12.00 (midday), Brussels time.











2.



Submission of application files







In parallel with your online application, you must print out a copy of your validated online application form, sign it, and send it together with the relevant supporting documents to the following address:





European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)




C-25




Open competition EPSO/AD/254/13




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË





Closing date: 25 June 2013 (date of the postmark).


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)  Where a number of candidates tie for the last available place, they will all be admitted to the assessment centre session and to the oral and written tests.

(3)  Candidates who are not invited to take the assessment centre tests and the oral and written tests will be sent the results of the assessment of their applications and the weighting applied to each question by the selection board.

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

(5)  The content is validated by the selection board.

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


ANNEX
Please note that points:






—


5.3,










—


5.4, and










—


6.2




of the guide to open competitions published in Official Journal C 270 A of 7 September 2012 do not apply to this competition.






—


POINT 5.3 ‘ASSESSMENT CENTRE METHODOLOGY’ IS REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING:

‘5.3.   Assessment centre and oral test
If the competition notice provides for tests organised by an assessment centre before the oral test, the selection board will be informed of the result of these tests solely with a view to helping it to reach a decision. The test(s) will not be marked and will be returned to you at the end of the oral test.
In cases of force majeure, and by way of an exception, it may be possible to consider a request to change the date for an oral test on duly substantiated grounds, in the light of which the selection board can decide as it sees fit. However, any decision to postpone a test will take account of the need to ensure the uniform assessment of candidates' performance in the oral test and to guarantee the smooth running of the competition without jeopardising the interests of the service.’











—


POINT 5.4 ‘RESERVE LIST’ IS REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING:

‘Following the competition procedure, the selection board draws up a reserve list containing the names of the successful candidates. The list is then sent to the institutions, since responsibility for recruitment rests solely with them.
The reserve list and its expiry date will be published (1) in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the EPSO website. The validity of the list may be extended in some cases. The decision extending a list will be published only on the EPSO website.











—


POINT 6.2 ‘ACCESS TO INFORMATION’ IS REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING:
‘After the selection board has drawn up the reserve list:






—


If you are placed on the reserve list, you will be informed that you are a successful candidate and you can, on request, be given the marks you obtained in the oral test.










—


If you are not on the reserve list, you will automatically be informed of your marks in the oral test. You can also obtain, on request, a copy of the individual evaluation sheet drawn up by the selection board for your oral test.
Candidates must send requests for information to EPSO, using the contact page on EPSO's website, within 10 calendar days of being notified of their results in the competition.
Requests will be dealt with taking account of the confidential nature of selection board proceedings under the Staff Regulations (Annex III, Article 6) and in compliance with the rules on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data.’










(1)  A successful candidate may explicitly request that his/her name not be published. Any such request must reach EPSO no later than two weeks after candidates are notified of the results.’