Vacancy for the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma, Italy (Temporary Agent — grade AD 14) — COM/2013/10342
Date: 2013-10-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: administrator, food safety, job vacancy, servant (EU)








CA2013310EN.01000101.xml










25.10.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 310/1





Vacancy for the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma, Italy
(Temporary Agent — grade AD 14)
COM/2013/10342
(2013/C 310 A/01)
We are
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been established by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 (1) to provide scientific advice and support for EU legislation and policies in all fields having a direct or indirect impact on food and feed safety, as well as closely associated questions in the field of animal health and welfare and plant health. It provides independent information on all matters within these fields. Its mission also includes provision of scientific advice on nutrition, GMOs and other new food technologies particularly in relation to the European Union legislation in these areas.
Further information including EFSA's Work Programmes (Management Plans) can be found on the following website:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/
We propose
The Executive Director is the legal representative and public face of EFSA and is accountable to the EFSA Management Board. She/he will lead and manage EFSA and take overall responsibility for its operations ensuring the achievement of EFSA's objectives. In 2013, EFSA's budget amounts to EUR 78 million with a total staff of around 480.
The Executive Director's specific responsibilities include:






—


managing EFSA in line with applicable legislation in force and with the decisions of its Management Board,










—


taking general responsibility for managing EFSA's staff and fostering a good team spirit and working environment,










—


drawing up EFSA's Strategy and Work Programmes, and reporting on their implementation to the Management Board,










—


taking general responsibility for the overall performance of the tasks assigned to EFSA including supervising the quality of its internal control and management systems,










—


preparing and executing EFSA's budget and ensuring that it is managed efficiently and in accordance with the principle of sound financial management,










—


taking general responsibility for the financial matters of EFSA including, inter alia, final accounts and financing decisions,










—


representing EFSA and communicating with the range of stakeholders and the public in relation to all matters within its mission,










—


facilitating cooperation between EFSA, the Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States,










—


managing cooperation with the competent bodies in the Member States carrying out similar tasks to those of EFSA, in particular chairing the Advisory Forum,










—


establishing effective contacts with the stakeholders' representatives such as consumer representatives, producer representatives, processors, and any other interested parties.




We look for (selection criteria)
Candidates should have:






(a)



management experience, and in particular:







—


a proven capacity to lead an organisation, both at a strategic and at operational management level,










—


excellent capacity to lead and motivate a large team in a multicultural and multilingual environment,










—


hands-on experience in budgetary, financial and human resources management in a national, European and/or international context;














(b)



technical knowledge, and in particular:







—


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










—


a sound knowledge of, and experience with, EU policies in the field of food and feed safety, related international activities and other policies of relevance to the activities of EFSA,










—


a demonstrable appreciation of promoting EFSA's guiding principles of openness, transparency, independence and scientific excellence;














(c)



communication and negotiations skills, and in particular:







—


a proven ability to communicate efficiently and fluently at all levels, in a transparent and open manner, with stakeholders and with the public,










—


excellent interpersonal, decision-making, organisational and negotiating skills and the ability to build trusted working relationships with the European Union's institutions and with stakeholders,










—


a thorough knowledge of written and oral English.








Assets:






—


experience gained in a multicultural environment.




Applicants must (eligibility criteria)
In order to be considered for the selection phase, applicants must fulfil the following criteria by the closing date for applications:






—



Nationality — Candidates must be a national of a Member State of the European Union.










—



University degree or diploma — Candidates must have either:






—


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










—


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














—



Professional experience — 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 five years of the professional experience gained in a high level management function (2).














—



Languages: Candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official European Union languages (3) and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties.










—



Age limit: Candidates must be able to complete the full five-year mandate before reaching the retirement age (as defined by the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union relating to temporary staff).




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 of any interests which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.
Due to the particular nature of the functions, candidates invited to pre-selection interviews will be required to sign a declaration relating to their current or future interests that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.
In accordance with Article 16 of the Staff Regulations (4), which provisions apply by analogy to Temporary Agents, the Executive Director shall, after leaving the service, continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits.
This includes the obligation to inform the Management Board of EFSA of the intention to engage in an occupational activity, whether gainful or not, within two years of leaving the service. If that activity is related to the work carried out during the last three years in service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of EFSA, the Management Board of EFSA may, having regard to the interests of the service, either forbid from undertaking it or give its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.
Selection and appointment
The Executive Director will be appointed by the Management Board of EFSA on the basis of a list drawn up by the European Commission after having made a statement to and answering questions from the European Parliament. This call is the basis for the establishment of the European Commission's list. Candidates should note that the inclusion in the list does not guarantee appointment.
A pre-selection panel will be set up by the European Commission. This panel will invite 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. The pre-selection panel will draw up a list of candidates which are proposed for a further interview with the European Commission's Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). Candidates who are called for an interview with the CCA 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 relevant Commissioners.
Following these interviews, the European Commission will adopt a list of candidates, which will be communicated to the Management Board of EFSA.
The latter will interview these candidates and appoint a candidate. Before appointment by the Management Board, the nominated candidate will be asked to address the European Parliament and to reply to questions.
Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews or tests in addition to those indicated above.
Equal opportunities
The European Union applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (5). It takes great care to avoid any form of discrimination in its recruitment procedures and actively encourages applications from women.
Conditions of employment
The Executive Director will be appointed as a staff of EFSA as a temporary agent at grade AD 14 pursuant to Article 2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (5) for a five-year period, which may be renewed once.
The place of employment is Parma (Italy), where EFSA is based.
Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all the conditions for eligibility criteria, in particular those regarding the required type of diplomas and professional experience.

If you want to apply, you must apply via the Internet by going to the website:
https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/
and follow the instructions there concerning the various stages of the procedure.
You have to complete your online registration in time (6). We strongly advise you 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 submission of applications has passed, you will not be able to apply. Late registrations via normal e-mail will not be accepted as a general rule.
You need a valid e-mail address. This will be used to confirm the creation of your account and to keep you informed about the outcome of the selection procedure. Please, inform the European Commission about any change in your e-mail address.
You will have to upload a CV (in Word or PDF format) and to enter, online, a motivation letter (maximum 8 000 characters). The CV and the motivation letter should be written in English, French or German.
Candidates invited to pre-selection interviews will be required to sign a declaration relating to their current or future interests that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.

If you do not receive a registration number, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor progress of your application online. You will be contacted directly regarding the status of your application. The selection process, including correspondence with selection panels during this selection procedure will be carried out in English (7).

If you have a disability that prevents you from registering online, you may submit your application (CV and motivation letter) on paper by registered mail (8), postmarked no later than the closing date for registration. All subsequent communication between you and the European Commission will be by post. In this case, you must enclose with your CV and motivation letter, 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 process.

If you require additional information or if you encounter technical problems, please send an e-mail to HR-A2-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu.
Closing date
The closing date for registration is 25 November 2013. Online registration will not be possible after 12.00 noon Brussels time.
Protection of personal data
The European Commission (during the preparatory phase) and later the EFSA 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 (9).


(1)  OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1.

(2)  In their CVs applicants should indicate at least for these five 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.

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

(4)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community —
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20110101:EN:PDF

(5)  OJ L 124, 27.4.2004, p. 1.

(6)  No later than 12.00 noon, Brussels time, on 25.11.2013.

(7)  The selection panels will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers.

(8)  European Commission, Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat, COM/2013/10342, SC11 8/59, 1049 Brussels, BELGIUM.

(9)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.