Publication of a vacancy for the Executive Director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, Brussels — (Temporary Agent Grade AD14) — COM/2014/10364
Date: 2014-09-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: competition (EU), joint venture, servant (EU)








CA2014299EN.01000101.xml










5.9.2014   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 299/1





Publication of a vacancy for the Executive Director of the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, Brussels
(Temporary Agent Grade AD14)
COM/2014/10364
2014/C 299 A/01
 

We are

The Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) is a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the Bio-based Industry Consortium (BIC). The Bio-based Industries JU is established in Brussels under European law for a period up to 31 December 2024. The Bio-based Industries JU will implement a Joint Technology Initiative aimed at promoting investment in the development of a sustainable bio-based industry sector in Europe.
The objective of the Joint Technology Initiative on Bio-based Industries is to implement a research and innovation programme in Europe that will assess the feasibility of the establishment of sustainable and competitive bio-based value chains. These activities will be carried out through collaboration between stakeholders from the research community along entire bio-based value chains, including primary production, processing industries and end-users. The Bio-based Industries JU will encourage the participation of SMEs to ensure their full involvement in the programme.
The Bio-based Industries JU will organise competitive calls for proposals to support and facilitate research, innovation and deployment activities, which will play an essential role achieving its objectives. Close synergies with other European Union policies in areas such as, industrial competitiveness and SMEs, agriculture, energy and environment, and related actions with the European Structural and Investment Funds or Rural Development will be developed.
The Joint Technology Initiative will engage up to € 3,7 billion for the period 2014-2024, including: (i) a contribution (in cash) from the European Union to the Bio-based Industries JU not exceeding € 975 million from the Horizon 2020 framework programme; (ii) an equivalent contribution (in-kind and in cash) from BIC; (iii) additional activities of at least € 1  800 million from BIC. Running costs of the Bio-based Industries JU will be shared equally and in cash between the Commission on one side and BIC on the other.
For further information please consult the following website: www.bbi-europe.eu

We propose

The Executive Director is the legal representative and public face of the Bio-based Industries JU. He/she shall perform his/her tasks with independence and shall be accountable to the Governing Board.
The Executive Director will lead and manage the Joint Undertaking and take overall responsibility for its operations, including budget implementation, ensuring the achievement of the Joint Undertaking’s objectives.
The Executive Director will be responsible for the day to day management of the Bio-based Industries JU in accordance with the decisions of the Governing Board. This includes:






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establishing strategic contacts and negotiating all the necessary agreements with representatives of all the stakeholders and members of the JU,










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organising and managing the launch of calls for proposals and the process of evaluating as well as negotiating and concluding grant agreements for selected proposals, ensuring subsequent periodic monitoring and follow-up of projects, preparing technical and financial reports,










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preparing and executing the Annual Implementation Plan and the Annual Budget Plan of the JU. Elaborating the Annual Activity Report, the Annual Accounts and balance sheets for submission to the Governing Board for approval,










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preparing and executing the JU budget and ensuring that it is managed efficiently in conformity with the Financial Regulations of the JU,










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appointing and supervising the JU staff and fostering a good team spirit and working environment,










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establishing and ensuring the functioning of an effective and efficient internal control system,










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ensuring that risk assessment and risk management are performed,










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providing the Members of the Governing Board with the technical and financial reports,










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running the communication and public relations aspects of the JU, including the organisation of presentation and dissemination events.





We look for

He/she should have:






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the capacity to develop, communicate and execute a strategic vision,










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innovation capabilities, and be able to generate ideas in promoting, programming and exploiting the results from the Bio-based Industries JU,










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experience in the management of significant financial resources in a regional, national, European and/or international environment and involving funding from public sources,










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the ability to lead and motivate a team including both administrative and technical personnel in a European, multicultural and multilingual context,










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knowledge of and/or working experience in the field of bioeconomy and its value chains,










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knowledge of regional, national, intergovernmental and/or European research, development and innovation programmes,










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experience in interacting with industry and knowledge of regulatory policy and practice relevant to the JU’s fields of action,










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the ability to communicate effectively to the public and to build strategic working relations with all relevant stakeholders,










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fluency in written and spoken English (the predominant working language in the JU is English).




It will be an asset if he/she has:






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a good understanding of the EU institutions, their functioning and interaction as well as EU policies and international activities of relevance to the activities of the Bio-based Industries JU,










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experience in the implementation and management of quality assurance and control systems as well as risk-management methodologies,










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working experience in both industry and academia,










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experience in technology transfer (patenting, standardisation, open innovation, publishing (academic) papers, contract negotiations).





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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Nationality: be a national of a Member State of the European Union, or of a country associated to the Horizon 2020 framework programme.










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University degree or diploma: Candidates must have:






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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,










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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).














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Professional experience:






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candidates must have at least 15 years of postgraduate experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission,










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of these 15 years of professional experience, 5 years must have been acquired in the domain of Bio-based Industries JU activities.














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Management experience: of the 15 years of professional experience, at least 5 years must have been gained in a high-level management function (1).










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Languages: a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (2) and an adequate knowledge of at least another of these official languages to the extent necessary for the performance of his/her duties.










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Age limit: be able to complete, at the deadline for application, the full seven-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 66 (see Article 52(a) of the Staff Regulations).





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 implementation of the Joint Undertaking will commence in 2014.
The present procedure is organised under the responsibility of the European Commission in accordance with Article 8 of the Annex to the Regulation establishing the Bio-based Industries JU and with the involvement of the Governing Board of the Joint Undertaking.
The recruitment procedure to fill the post of the director is subject to the availability of the budget and the establishment plan of the Joint Undertaking.
The European Commission will set up a preselection panel, in which a representative of the Governing Board of the Bio-based Industries JU, other than the European Commission, will participate as an observer. This panel will analyse all applications and identify a number of candidates who have the best profile with regard to the selection criteria mentioned above. These candidates will be invited for an interview with the preselection panel.
Following the interviews, the preselection panel will draw up its conclusions and propose a list of candidates for further interviews with the European Commission’s Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). Candidates called for an interview with the CCA will also be asked to participate in a full-day assessment centre run by external human resources experts. On the basis of the interview and 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 European Commission who will interview these candidates.
The European Commission then adopts a shortlist of the most suitable candidates, which will be communicated to the Governing Board of the Bio-based Industries JU. The latter may interview the shortlisted candidates and will subsequently nominate the Executive Director. Inclusion in the European Commission’s shortlist does not guarantee appointment.

Equal opportunities

The Bio-based Industries JU, as a European Union body, 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 by the Governing Board as Temporary Agent at grade AD14, pursuant to Article 2a and 10 of the Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union (4) for a period of three years. After an evaluation of the Executive Director’s performance, the Board may extend the term of office once for a further period of not more than four years, as foreseen in Article 8 of the Annex to the Regulation establishing the Bio-based Industries JU.
Candidates should note the requirement under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants for all new staff to successfully complete a probationary period.
The place of employment is Brussels, where the Joint Undertaking premises are located.

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 concerning the various stages of the procedure.
You have to complete your online registration in time (5). 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).
Both the CV and letter should be written in English, French or German.
On completion of your application, you will receive a registration number; please keep this number, since it will be used for further contacts during the selection procedure. When you receive this number, the application process is finished — it is the confirmation that you have registered your data correctly.

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, French or German (6).

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
 (7)
, postmarked no later than the closing date for registration. All subsequent communication between you and the 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 3 October 2014. Online registration will not be possible after 12.00 noon Brussels time.

Important information for candidates

Candidates are reminded that the work of the different selection committees is confidential. It is forbidden for applicants to make direct or indirect contact with their members or to ask anybody else to do so, on their behalf.

Protection of personal data

The European Commission (during the preparatory period) and later the Bio-based Industries JU, will ensure that candidates’ personal data is 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 Union 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)  In their CVs applicants 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; and (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below and number of peers.

(2)  Article 1 of Regulation No 1 of 1958 (OJ 17, 6.10.1958, p. 385).

(3)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

(4)  See footnote 3.

(5)  No later than 12.00 noon, Brussels time, on 3 October 2014.

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

(7)  European Commission, Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat, COM/2014/10364, SC11 8/59, 1049 Brussels, BELGIQUE/BELGIË.

(8)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1