Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) — Publication of the post of Principal Adviser (grade AD 14) (Article 29(2) of the Staff Regulations) — COM/2018/10382
Date: 2018-12-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU competition policy, administrator, competition (EU), consultancy, job vacancy








CA2018460EN.01000101.xml










21.12.2018   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 460/1






Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP)
Publication of the post of Principal Adviser (grade AD 14)
(Article 29(2) of the Staff Regulations)
COM/2018/10382
(2018/C 460 A/01)
 

We are

The Commission, together with the national competition authorities, directly enforces the EU competition rules to make markets work better, by ensuring that all companies compete equally and fairly on their merits. This benefits consumers, businesses and the European economy as a whole.
Within the Commission, the Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) is primarily responsible for these direct enforcement powers.
Operational Directorates within DG COMP form part of a matrix structure where the different competition instruments (antitrust, mergers and State aid) are managed around key sectors of the economy.
The Principal Adviser is assisted by two colleagues — one Administrator and one (Clerical) Assistant — and will work under the direct authority of the Director-General. Depending on the topic of the activities s/he may also execute tasks at the request of the relevant Deputy Director-General.

We propose

DG COMP is seeking a replacement for its Principal Adviser, whose post will become vacant as of 1 April 2019.
The work programme of the Principal Adviser will be developed in cooperation with and will be annually approved by the Director-General.
The main duties of the Principal Adviser are to:






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Coordinate the ex post evaluation of competition policy and enforcement. In addition, s/he may contribute to the development of robust methodologies to be designed for that purpose. At the request of the Director-General, s/he may also execute other tasks concerning the impact of competition and regulatory policies.










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Contribute to forward-looking, prospective analysis and research on competition enforcement tools and policies.










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Undertake targeted research and dedicated studies of selected issues of relevance for the ex post evaluation and prospective analysis of competition policy and enforcement. S/he conducts a thorough literature review on ex post evaluation and prospective analysis of competition policy and enforcement and identifies the gaps and shortcomings in the existing research. On the basis of this exercise, the Principal Adviser proposes her/his research programme and related dedicated studies.










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Serve as contact point with academia on the issues related to ex post evaluation and prospective analysis of competition policy and enforcement and organise workshops and seminars on these topics. In working with academics, s/he aims to incentivise academic research in the areas of specific interest for DG COMP.










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Engage with National Competition Authorities (NCAs) and relevant international organisations to exchange best practices in the field of ex post evaluation and prospective analysis of competition policies and enforcement.










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Inform DG COMP’s senior management in the form of briefings or presentations of the recent academic findings, publications and debates that are of particular interest to competition policy.










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Provide advice and issue opinions, where requested, on the scope and methodology of individual ex post evaluations and lessons learnt. In providing such advice, the Principal Adviser especially draws on the lessons learned from the academic research in the field relevant to competition policy.





We look for (selection criteria)

The ideal candidate will be an outstanding and dynamic professional who should fulfil the following selection criteria:






(a)




Technical knowledge and experience
, and in particular:






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Excellent knowledge of competition policy and enforcement and their underlying economic and legal principles.










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In-depth experience in competition policy and enforcement and, in particular, in the handling of competition cases in the areas of antitrust, mergers or State aid.










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The capacity to provide advice and issue opinions on the scope and the methodology of individual ex post evaluations and prospective analyses.










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A good understanding of the working methods of the European Commission.














(b)




Communication/analytical and other skills
, and in particular:






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Very good analytical skills.










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Excellent interpersonal and networking skills necessary to establish contacts and liaise effectively within DG COMP and the Commission services, academia and external stakeholders.










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Very good communication skills, both oral and written.














(c)




Management/advisory experience
, and in particular:






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Sound judgement and strong decision-making skills; ability to set objectives, prioritise tasks and ensure their effective execution.










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Capacity to develop strategies and to translate them into practical proposals for action.









Candidates must (eligibility requirements)

Candidates will only be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following formal requirements to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:







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Nationality: Candidates must be a citizen of one of the EU Member States of the European Union.










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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 4 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 1 year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years (this one year’s professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate experience required below).














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Professional experience: Candidates must have at least 15 years of postgraduate professional experience at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in a high- level advisory function (1).










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Languages: Candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (2) and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these official languages. Selection panels will verify during the interview(s) whether candidates comply with the requirement of a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language. This may include (part of) the interview being conducted in this other language.










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Age limit: Candidates must not have reached regular retirement age, which of officials of the European Union is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 years (see Article 52(a) of the Staff Regulations (3)).




In addition, candidates have to have fulfilled any obligations imposed by law concerning military service; produce appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of their duties and be physically fit to perform their duties.

Selection and appointment

The European Commission will select and appoint the Principal Adviser according to its selection and recruitment procedures (see: Document on Senior Officials Policy (4)).
As part of this selection procedure, the European Commission sets up a pre-selection panel. This panel analyses all applications, proceeds with a first eligibility verification and identifies candidates having the best profile in view of the selection criteria mentioned above, and who may be invited for an interview with the pre-selection panel.
Following these interviews, the pre-selection panel draws up its conclusions and proposes a list of candidates for further interviews with the European Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). The CCA, taking into consideration the conclusions of the pre-selection panel, will decide on the candidates to be invited for an interview.
Candidates who are called for an interview with the CCA participate in a full-day management assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants, unless they have already been evaluated trough an assessment centre organised at the request of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security for a type of post at the same level as the one they are currently applying for during the two years preceding the date of the interview with the CCA. Taking account of the results of the interview and the report of the assessment centre, the CCA establishes a shortlist of candidates it considers suitable to exercise the function of Principal Adviser.
Candidates on the CCA shortlist will be interviewed by the Member of the Commission responsible for Competition (5).
Following these interviews, the European Commission takes the appointment decision.
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 (6) only.

Equal opportunities

The European Union applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (7). Given the low representation of women in management functions, the Commission would particularly welcome applications from women.

Conditions of employment

The salaries and conditions of employment are laid down in the Staff Regulations (8).
The successful candidate will be recruited as an official at grade AD 14. S/he will be classified depending on the length of her/his previous professional experience in step 1 or step 2 within that grade.
Applicants should note the requirement under the Staff Regulations for all new staff to complete successfully a nine-month probationary period.
The place of employment is Brussels. It is expected that the selected candidate will take up the post as of 1 April 2019.

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up her/his duties, the Principal Adviser will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to declare any interests, which might be considered prejudicial to her/his independence.

Application procedure

Before submitting your application, you should carefully check whether you meet all eligibility requirements (‘Candidates must’), particularly concerning the types of diploma, professional experience as well as linguistic capacity required. Failure to meet any of the eligibility requirements means an automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.
If you want to apply, you must register via the internet on the following website and follow the instructions concerning the various stages of the procedure:
https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/
You must have a valid email address. This will be used to identify your registration as well as to remain in contact with you during the different stages of the procedure. Therefore, please keep the European Commission informed about any change in your email address.
To complete your application, you need to upload a CV in PDF format and to fill out, online, a letter of motivation (maximum 8 000 characters).
Once you have finished your online registration, you will receive an electronic mail confirming that your application has been registered. If you do not receive a confirmation mail, your application has not been registered!

Please note that it is not possible to monitor the progress of your application on-line. You will be contacted directly by the European Commission regarding the status of your application.
If you require more information and/or encounter technical problems, please send an email to: HR-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 1 February 2019, 12.00 noon Brussels time, following which registration is no longer possible.
It is your responsibility to complete your online registration in time. 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 the submission of registrations has passed, you will no longer be able to introduce any data. Late registrations are not accepted.

Important information for applicants

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 individual members or for anybody to do so on their behalf. Any query has to be addressed to the secretariat of the respective panels.

Protection of personal data

The Commission will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (9). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.


(1)  In their CVs candidates should clearly indicate for all years during which a high-level advisory experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of the positions held; (2) the number of hierarchical layers above and below; and (3) the number of peers.

(2)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01958R0001-20130701&qid=1408533709461&from=EN

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

(4)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/compilation-of-the-senior-official-policy-at-the-european-commission_en.pdf

(5)  Unless the Member of the Commission concerned, in line with the Commission Decision of 5 December 2007 (PV(2007)1811), has delegated this task to another Member of the Commission.

(6)  Selection panels will ensure that no undue advantage is given to native speakers of these languages.

(7)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20140701&from=EN

(8)  http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20140701&from=EN

(9)  OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39.