Vacancy notice for the position of Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) — Helsinki (Temporary Agent — Grade AD 14) — COM/2016/20017
Date: 2016-10-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Chemicals Agency, Southern Finland, administrator, competition (EU), job vacancy, managing director, servant (EU)








CA2016372EN.01000101.xml










11.10.2016   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 372/1





Vacancy notice for the position of Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) — Helsinki (Temporary Agent — Grade AD 14)
COM/2016/20017
(2016/C 372 A/01)
 

We are

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) created on 1 June 2007 by the REACH Regulation and located in Helsinki, Finland, plays a central role in the implementation of REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC Regulations.
REACH (1) is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force on 1 June 2007. It streamlines and improves the former legislative framework on chemicals of the European Union. The provisions under Articles 75 to 111 of REACH regulate the functioning of the Agency and describe the tasks it shall perform.
CLP (2) is the Regulation on Classification and Labelling and Packaging of chemicals. It entered into force on 20 January 2009. Article 50 of the Regulation describes the tasks of the Agency.
BPR (3) is the Biocidal Product Regulation which entered into force in 2013 and concerns the placing on the market and use of biocidal products, which are used to protect humans, animals, materials or articles against harmful organisms, like pests or bacteria, by the action of the active substances contained in the biocidal product. The provisions under Article 74 of BRP describe the role of the Agency.
PIC (4) is the Prior Informed Consent Regulation which entered into force in 2014 and administers the import and export of certain hazardous chemicals and places obligations on companies who wish to export these chemicals to non-EU countries. It implements, within the European Union, the Rotterdam Convention on prior informed consent procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade. The provisions under Article 6 of PIC describe the tasks to be performed by the Agency.
For further information please consult the following website:
http://www.ECHA.europa.eu/

We propose

The Executive Director is the legal representative and public face of ECHA and is accountable to the ECHA Management Board, set up under Article 78 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 establishing the Agency. She/he will lead and manage ECHA and take overall responsibility for its operations ensuring the achievement of ECHA’s objectives.
The Executive Director shall be completely independent in the performance in his/her duties, without prejudice to the respective competencies of the Commission and the Management Board.
The Executive Director will be responsible for:






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the day-to-day administration of the Agency with a budget in 2016 of around EUR 107 million and 591 staff,










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managing ECHA in line with its founding provisions in the REACH Regulation and with applicable legislation in force and with the decisions of its Management Board,










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taking general responsibility for managing ECHA’s staff effectively and efficiently, and fostering a good team spirit and working environment,










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managing all the Agency resources necessary for conducting the activities of its bodies, including making available appropriate scientific and technical support,










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drawing up ECHA’s strategy and draft work programmes, and reporting on their direction and policy setting procedures to the Management Board,










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reporting on the implementation of the work programmes and decisions adopted by the Management Board,










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providing the secretariat for the Management Board,










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










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preparing and executing ECHA’s budget in line with Financial Framework Regulation (5) for agencies and ensuring that it is managed efficiently and in accordance with the principle of sound financial management,










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










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representing ECHA and communicating with the range of stakeholders and the public on all matters within the Agency’s remit,










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ensuring cooperation with the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States as well as with competent bodies in Member States carrying out similar tasks to those of ECHA,










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ensuring that the time limits laid down in Union legislation for the adoption of opinions by the Agency are complied with,










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ensuring appropriate coordination between its committees.





We look for (selection criteria)

Candidates should have:
(a)   management experience, and in particular:







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










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excellent capacity to develop and implement a strategic vision, to set objectives and to motivate and lead people in a multicultural and multilingual environment,










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very good decision-making skills, including the capacity to take decisions on complex issues,










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proven experience in budgetary, financial and human resources management in a national, European and/or international context,










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a clear vision for promoting ECHA’s mission to deliver benefits for human health and the environment as well as for innovation and competitiveness and for applying its guiding principles of openness, transparency, independence and scientific excellence;




(b)   technical knowledge, and in particular:







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good knowledge of the health, environmental, innovation and internal market dimensions of the European chemicals legislation,










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experience and practice in one or more of the following areas would be an asset: protection of human health and/or the environment, chemicals risk assessment and/or management, Information Technologies. Ideally this experience should have been acquired in a national, European or international organisation,










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very good understanding of the European institutions and how they operate and interact;




(c)   communication and negotiations skills, and in particular:







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ability to communicate efficiently and fluently in a transparent and open manner with stakeholders, citizens, European, international, national and local public authorities, international organisations, the press, etc.,










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solid experience of negotiating in an international environment,










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excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to maintain appropriate relations with EU institutions and with Member States’ competent authorities.





Assets:







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Experience gained in a multicultural environment.





Candidates must (eligibility criteria)

In order to be considered for the selection phase, candidates must fulfil the following formal criteria by the closing date for applications:






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Nationality: Candidates must be a national of a Member State of the European Union or be a national of a country from the European Economic Area.










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University degree or diploma: Candidates must have either:






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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










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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).








The university degree should preferably be in a field relevant to the mission of the Agency.






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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 domain comparable with the Agency’s activities,










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Management experience: of these 15 years of professional experience, at least five years of the professional experience gained in a high level management function (6).










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










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Age limit: At the deadline for applications, candidates must be able to complete the full five-year mandate in accordance with Article 47(a) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union before reaching retirement age. For temporary staff of the EU entering the service as from 1 January 2014, retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 (7).





Independence and declaration of interests

The Executive Director acts independently in the public interest and declares 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 preselection interviews will be required to sign a declaration relating to their current or future interests that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.
The candidates must also comply with the eligibility criteria established by the Management Board of the ECHA in document MB/45/2013 final (8).
In accordance with Article 16 of the Staff Regulations (9), whose 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 ECHA sufficiently in advance 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 ECHA, the Management Board of ECHA may, having regard to the interests of the service, either forbid from undertaking it or give its approval subject to any conditions it considers fit.

Selection and appointment

The Executive Director will be appointed by the Management Board of ECHA 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 vacancy notice is the basis for the establishment of the European Commission’s list. Candidates should note that inclusion on the list of the European Commission does not guarantee appointment.
The European Commission will organise the selection of the Executive Director of ECHA in accordance with its selection and recruitment procedures (see also the Document on Senior Officials Policy) (10). To this end, it will set up a selection panel which will invite candidates fulfilling all eligibility requirements listed above and having the best profile for the specific requirements based on their merits and the criteria set out above for an interview. This selection panel draws up a first list of candidates in view of a possible 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.
Following this interview, the CCA draws up a shortlist. Candidates who are shortlisted by the CCA will then be interviewed by the relevant Commissioner(s).
For practical reasons and in order to complete the selection procedure as quickly as possible in the interest of the candidates as well as that of ECHA, the selection procedure will be carried out in English and/or French only (11). Nevertheless, selection panels will verify during the interview(s) whether candidates comply with the requirement of a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language.
Following the interview with the relevant Commissioner(s), the European Commission will adopt a list of the most suitable candidates, which is communicated to the Management Board of ECHA.
The latter will interview these candidates and appoint one of the candidates on the Commission shortlist as Executive Director of ECHA. However, 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 (12). 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 ECHA 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 (13) for a five-year period, which may be renewed once.
The place of employment is Helsinki, where ECHA 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, high-level management and professional experience as well as the required linguistic capacity. Failure to meet any of the eligibility requirements means an automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.
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 need a valid email address. This is used to confirm your registration and to remain in contact during the different stages of the selection procedure. Please keep the European Commission informed about any change in your email address.
To complete your application, you will have to upload a CV in PDF format and to fill out, online, a motivation letter (maximum 8 000 characters). The CV and the motivation letter should be written in English, French or German.
Once you have finished your online registration, you will receive an electronic mail confirming that your application has been registered. The mail also contains a registration number which will be your reference number in all matters concerning your application. If you do not receive a confirmation mail, 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 (14), indicating clearly: Vacancy for Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) (COM/2016/20017) and 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 email to: HR-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 10 November 2016. On-line registration will not be possible after 12:00 noon Brussels time.
You have to complete your online registration in time. We strongly advise 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 process. Once the deadline for submission of applications has passed, you will not be able to apply. Late registrations via normal email are not accepted.

Important information for candidates

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

Protection of personal data

The European Commission (during the preparatory phase) and later the ECHA 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 (15).


(1)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02006R1907-20140410&from=EN

(2)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:353:0001:1355:en:PDF

(3)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:167:0001:0123:en:PDF

(4)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:201:0060:0106:en:PDF

(5)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R1271&from=EN

(6)  In their CVs candidates 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 numbers of peers.

(7)  Staff Regulation of Officials and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

(8)  http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/13555/final_mb_45_2013_eligibility_crit_guid_en.pdf

(9)  See footnote 7.

(10)  http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/official_policy_en.pdf

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

(12)  See footnote 7.

(13)  See footnote 7.

(14)  European Commission, Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, Unit for Senior Management & CCA, SC11 8/62, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel, BELGIQUE/BELGIË.

(15)  OJ L 8, 12.1.2001, p. 1.