Publication of a vacancy for the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2), Brussels (Temporary Agent Grade AD 14) — COM/2015/20004
Date: 2015-04-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Joint Undertaking, fuel cell, hydrogen, job vacancy, managing director, servant (EU)








CA2015133EN.01000101.xml










24.4.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 133/1





Publication of a vacancy for the Executive Director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2), Brussels
(Temporary Agent Grade AD 14)
COM/2015/20004
(2015/C 133 A/01)
 

We are:


The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2 JU) is a public-private partnership between the European Union and the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative Industry Grouping (Industry Grouping). The FCH2 JU is established in Brussels under European law (1) for a period up to 31 December 2024.
The FCH2 JU replaces and succeeds the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking established by Regulation (EC) No 521/2008, ensuring the implementation of a Joint Technology Initiative on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen.

The objectives of the FCH2 JU are:






1)


to contribute to the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013, and in particular the Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy Challenge and the Smart, Green and Integrated Transport Challenge under part III of Annex I of Decision 2013/743/EU;










2)


to contribute to the objectives of the Joint Technology Initiative on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, through the development of a strong, sustainable and globally competitive fuel cells and hydrogen sector in the Union.




It shall, in particular, aim to:






(a)


reduce the production cost of fuel cell systems to be used in transport applications, while increasing their lifetime to levels which can compete with conventional technologies;










(b)


increase the electrical efficiency and the durability of the different fuel cells used for power production to levels which can compete with conventional technologies, while reducing costs;










(c)


increase the energy efficiency of production of hydrogen mainly from water electrolysis and renewable sources while reducing operating and capital costs, so that the combined system of the hydrogen production and the conversion using the fuel cell system can compete with the alternatives for electricity production available on the market;










(d)


demonstrate on a large scale the feasibility of using hydrogen to support integration of renewable energy sources into the energy systems, including through its use as a competitive energy storage medium for electricity produced from renewable energy sources;










(e)


reduce the use of the EU defined ‘Critical raw materials’, for instance through low-platinum or platinum-free resources and through recycling or reducing or avoiding the use of rare earth elements.




The FCH2 JU activities are expected to engage about EUR 1,3 billion for the period 2014-2024, including: (a) a European Union contribution of up to EUR 665 million; (b) a total contribution by the FCH2 JU Members other than the Union of EUR 380 million; and (c) investments by participants other than the JU Members.
For further information please consult the following website:
http://www.fch-ju.eu

We propose:

The Executive Director is the legal representative and public face of the FCH2 JU. He/she shall perform his/her tasks with autonomy and shall be accountable to the Governing Board and for the annual discharge to the European Parliament on the implementation of the budget.
The Executive Director will lead and manage the FCH2 JU and take overall responsibility for its operations ensuring the achievement of the Joint Undertaking’s objectives in accordance with the decisions of the Governing Board. As such, he/she will play a key role for the implementation of the FCH2 Joint Technology Initiative.
The Executive Director will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the FCH2 JU, including, in particular, the following tasks/duties:






—


to appoint and supervise FCH2 JU staff, fostering a good team spirit and working environment,










—


to prepare and implement the annual work plan, prepare and execute the budget ensuring its efficient management in conformity with the FCH2 JU Financial Rules, elaborate the necessary annual activity reports including the corresponding expenditure, as well as its annual accounts and balance sheets,










—


to supervise call for proposals and project management processes, in particular: organisation and management of calls for proposals and evaluation processes, negotiation and conclusion of grant agreements for selected proposals, and subsequent periodic monitoring and follow-up of funded projects,










—


to implement the communication policy and activities of the FCH2 JU, according to the goals defined by the Governing Board,










—


to provide support to the FCH2 JU Governing Board and the Scientific Committee, organise the FCH2 Stakeholders General Assembly, and participate in the FCH2 States Representatives Group meetings as appropriate,










—


risk assessment and risk management,










—


the annual discharge from the European Parliament on the implementation of the budget.





We look for:

He/she should have:






—


strong capacity to develop a strategic vision and implement it on a day-to-day basis,










—


proven management experience either in an European, international or national context,










—


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










—


practical experience in project management and/or research funding processes at European Union, international or national level, including a very good knowledge of and experience in contractual, budgetary and/or financial management,










—


very good knowledge of the energy and transport sector and European Union energy and transport policies,










—


a good understanding of research and development in fuel cells and hydrogen technologies in Europe and globally, including the role Europe aims to play in the international context,










—


a good understanding of the European Union Institutions and their functioning and interaction,










—


a good understanding of commercialisation of new technologies with societal impact, as well as business realities and public-private collaborations in the energy and transport fields,










—


a good understanding of the innovation processes, including public research/private sector collaboration,










—


a strong sense of responsibility, initiative and self-motivation,










—


very well developed interpersonal skills and proven experience in liaising with different organisations and a broad range of stakeholders,










—


very good capacity to communicate effectively and efficiently with the public and build good working relations with the stakeholders.





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:






—



Nationality: 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: Have at least 15 years’ postgraduate experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission, of which five years must have been acquired in domains of relevance to the FCH2 JU activities.










—



Management Experience: Have at least five years of the professional experience gained in a high-level management function (2).










—



Languages: Have a thorough knowledge of one of the official Union languages (3) and a satisfactory knowledge of a second of these languages.










—



Age limit: Be able to complete the full three-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.





Independence and Declaration of Interest:

The Executive Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to submit 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 Procedure:

The position of Director of the FCH2 JU is available as from 1 January 2016; the successful candidate takes up his/her duties on that date. The Executive Director will be appointed by the Governing Board of the FCH2 JU on a proposal from the European Commission.
To this end, the European Commission will set up a preselection panel. 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 participate in a full-day assessment centre run by external human resources experts. On the basis of the interview and taking into consideration 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(s) 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 FCH2 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.
For functional reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in the interest of the candidates as well as that of the institution, the selection procedure will be carried out in English and/or French only (4).

Equal opportunities:

The FCH2 JU, as a Union body, applies a policy of equal opportunities and non discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (5).

Conditions of Employment:

The Executive Director will be appointed by the Governing Board of the FCH 2 JU as a temporary agent at grade AD 14, pursuant to Article 2a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (6), 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.
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 Brussels, where the FCH2 JU premises are located.

Application procedure



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


Applications must be sent via the internet through the following website, where the instructions concerning the various stages of the procedure are indicated:
https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/
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.
For applications to be valid, candidates must upload:






(1)


a motivation letter, summarising the reasons for applying for the post (max 8  000 characters);










(2)


a curriculum vitae (CV) in PDF format, preferably using the Europass CV format.




Both the CV and motivation letter should be written in English, French or German.
Applications that are incomplete will be rejected.
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.

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, no later than the closing date for registration, to the following address:

European Commission, Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, Unit for Executive Staff and CCA Secretariat, COM/2015/20004, SC11 8/62, 1049 Brussels

,

BELGIUM

indicating clearly as a reference:

Vacancy for an Executive Director function of the FCH2 Joint Undertaking (Brussels), COM/2015/20004

. 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 29 May 2015. Online registration will not be possible after 12.00 noon Brussels time.
You have to complete your online registration in time (7). 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 will not be accepted.

Important Information for Candidates:

Candidates are reminded that the work of the different selection committees is confidential. It is forbidden for candidates 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 Commission (during the preparatory phase) and later the FCH2 JU 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 (8).


(1)  OJ L 169, 7.6.2014, p. 108.

(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/policy/language-policy/official_languages_en.htm

(4)  The selection panel will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers of these languages.

(5)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, p. 12.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

(6)  Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, p. 187.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

(7)  No later than 12.00 noon, Brussels time, on 29 May 2015.

(8)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.