Recruitment Notice No CDR/SG/AD16/01/19 concerning a post of Secretary-General (M/F) in the secretariat-general of the European Committee of the Regions (Recruitment grade AD16/3) (Publication under Article 2(a) and Article 8 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS))
Date: 2019-01-21
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: Secretary General of an Institution, administrator, competition (EU), servant (EU)








CA2019024EN.01000101.xml










21.1.2019   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 24/1






RECRUITMENT NOTICE No CDR/SG/AD16/01/19
concerning a post of Secretary-General (M/F) in the secretariat-general of the European Committee of the Regions
(Recruitment grade AD16/3)
(Publication under Article 2(a) and Article 8 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS))
(2019/C 24 A/01)
 
1.   INTRODUCTION

Under the authority of the president, who represents the Bureau, the secretary-general (1) of the European Committee of the Regions (hereafter referred to as the CoR) has the task of implementing the decisions taken by the Bureau or President in line with the provisions of the CoR Rules of Procedure and the current legal framework. These decisions cover, in particular, the organisation and management of the CoR secretariat-general (around 530 statutory staff and an annual budget of around EUR 100 million) so as to provide effective assistance to the CoR and its constituent bodies, and to its members, in the performance of their duties.
2.   THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

The CoR is a consultative body which was established in 1994. It is the European Union’s (EU’s) assembly of local and regional representatives. It has currently 350 members who are representatives of regional or local bodies who either hold a regional or local authority electoral mandate or are politically accountable to an elected assembly. These members:






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live, work and are elected in the regions or cities they come from;










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are in touch with their citizens’ concerns;










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are spokespersons for their local communities at the very heart of the EU decision-making and legislative process and keep them abreast of EU developments.




The CoR has to be consulted throughout the legislative process involving the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union in the following areas: transport, employment, social policy, European social fund, education, vocational training, youth and sports, culture, public health, trans-European networks, economic social and territorial cohesion, structural funds, environment and energy.
The CoR is also the guardian of the subsidiarity principle. Under the Lisbon Treaty it has the right to bring an action before the European Union’s Court of Justice whenever it considers that the principle has not been respected.
The CoR also takes its role of forming a bridge between Europe and its citizens seriously, mounting local and regional information campaigns, local events and setting up platforms for networking between regions and also for businesses.
Lastly, it has developed an active partnership with the other European institutions.
3.   DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL

In the performance of his administrative duties based on the CoR mission statement and on the mandate given by the political leadership of the CoR, it will be incumbent upon the secretary-general, in particular, to:






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ensure an excellent management of the personnel so that the CoR administration is focused on: helping members achieve maximum policy impact, expanding the CoR’s network of contacts and visibility at subnational level, and continuously developing the culture of service to the members, in particular as technology and working methods evolve;










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assist the president as regards preparing meetings of the Bureau and the Plenary Assembly, respecting procedures and ensuring that decisions taken in accordance with the CoR’s Rules of Procedure are properly implemented;










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assist the president in preparing the representation of the CoR’s interests vis-à-vis the other European institutions and bodies and internationally, and represent the CoR where these interests are at administrative level;










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ensuring the necessary cooperation and coordination amongst the CoR directorates, while liaising with the secretaries-general and secretariats of the CoR’s Political Groups;










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submit proposals to the Bureau aimed at running the secretariat-general in such a way as to provide effective assistance to the CoR and its constituent bodies and to its members in the performance of their duties;










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take part in Bureau meetings with an advisory role;










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organise the preparation of the annual and multi-annual programme of the CoR’s work;










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supervise the work of the CoR/European Economic and Social Committee joint services in keeping with the interinstitutional cooperation agreement concluded between the two Committees;










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exercise the powers which the Staff Regulations and the CoR’s Rules of Procedure vest in him/her as Appointing Authority and Authority Empowered to Conclude Contracts of Employment;










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draw up the CoR’s draft estimates of expenditure and revenue and implement the budget in accordance with the powers vested in him/her;










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ensure optimum use of the human and financial resources allocated to the CoR by the budgetary authorities as an authorising officer by delegation.




4.   ADMISSION CRITERIA

The selection process is open to all candidates who, on the closing date for filing applications, meet the following criteria. Candidates must:






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be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union;










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enjoy full rights as a citizen and produce appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of the duties of secretary-general;










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have fulfilled any statutory obligations concerning military service;










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be able to complete the full five-year mandate before reaching retirement age. For temporary staff of the EU entering the service as of January 2014, 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);










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be physically fit to perform the duties; prior to his recruitment, the successful candidate will be examined at one of the EU institutions’ medical centres to confirm that he meets the statutory requirements;










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have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma where 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 where the normal period of university education is at least three years;










—


have at least 15 years of professional experience relevant to the nature of the duties after receipt of the diploma referred to in the previous indent; where the normal period of university education is three years, the year of professional experience required to complement this period of education is deemed an integral part of the diploma and shall be in addition to the number of years of professional experience required under this indent; a minimum of five years of professional experience must have been acquired in a senior management position;










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have a thorough command of one of the official EU languages as main language and a satisfactory knowledge of a second official EU language; given the nature of the duties to be performed, a good knowledge (minimum B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2)) of English or French is required; the need to recruit a staff member with the highest qualities of competence, performance and integrity must be balanced against the interests of the service, which require a candidate to be immediately operational and capable of communicating effectively within the institution in the course of his everyday work in one of the languages most used by officials and other staff of the Union as an internal working language. The testing of candidates’ linguistic knowledge during the recruitment procedure is thus a proportionate means of verifying that they possess the highest qualities for performing the duties of secretary-general in the CoR’s working environment. A candidate having one of the above-mentioned languages as his main language will also be called on during the interview to express himself satisfactorily in an official language other than his main language. The ability to communicate effectively in other official EU languages will be an advantage;










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state in the signed declaration (see point 7.1 below) that they meet the requirements in the area of language skills, which will be assessed during the interview.




5.   INITIAL SCREENING CRITERIA (examination of the application)









5.1.


The initial screening of candidates will take the form of a comparative assessment of their professional experience on the basis of the information given in their applications.
Preference will be given to candidates possessing:
5.1.1.   Leadership skills







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ability to ensure the smooth and cost-effective operation of an international, multilingual and multicultural organisation, requiring a command of management methods and the ability to lead large teams similar in size/budget to the CoR; significant managerial experience would be appreciated;










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experience in developing and implementing efficient and innovative measures of management.




5.1.2.   Negotiating and communication skills







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negotiating skills; the ability to reach compromises in high-level decision-making would be an advantage;










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communication and public relations skills.




5.1.3.   Knowledge and experience relevant to the nature of the duties







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knowledge of European Union policies;










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familiarity with regional or local aspects of European integration; if this was acquired in a local or regional body it would be an advantage;










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knowledge of the European Union’s decision-making process and experience in the area of interinstitutional cooperation, preferably in a political environment;










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experience in dealing with the administrative and budgetary procedures, as well as the legal framework, governing the activities of the European institutions.
















5.2.


The initial screening of candidates will also be conducted in the light of their reasons for wishing to assume the duties of secretary-general and their vision of the added value of the CoR and the future challenges that the institution will face, as set out in their letter of application.




6.   SELECTION CRITERIA (interview)

Selection will be by means of an interview, during which the panel referred to in point 7.3 below will ask the candidates a number of similar questions in order to carry out a comparative assessment of the various candidacies being considered at that stage.
The questions will in particular concern:






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candidates’ ability to draw up and implement innovative strategies, to identify future objectives for the CoR, and to set out and report on the results to be achieved;










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candidates’ ability to represent the interests of the CoR at European and international level.




In the course of the interview the panel will in particular assess candidates’ managerial skills, ability to communicate, accessibility and open-mindedness, negotiating skills and breadth of interests.
The language skills required for performance of the duties of CoR secretary-general will also be assessed during the interview, in particular the knowledge of English or French mentioned in the admission criteria.
The ability to communicate effectively in other official EU languages will be an advantage.
7.   APPLICATION PROCEDURE

7.1.   
Filing of applications


Applications must be sent, solely by email, in pdf format to the following address:
vacancysg@cor.europa.eu
Candidates with a disability which makes it impossible for them to submit their application online may send it by registered post with proof of delivery to the following address: European Committee of the Regions, for the attention of the president, rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 101, 1040 Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgique/België, marked Confidential — recruitment notice — not to be opened by the mail department, at the latest by the closing date for applications stipulated in point 7.2 below, as indicated by the postmark. Any subsequent communication between the CoR and these candidates will be conducted by post. Candidates applying by post must attach to their application a certificate, issued by a competent body, attesting to their disabled status. They are also asked to indicate, in their own words, any arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate their participation in the recruitment procedure.
Applications must mention the reference number of the recruitment notice in the subject line and include:






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a covering letter setting out their reasons for applying for the post, their vision of the added value of the CoR and of the future challenges that the institution will face, their skills for cost-effective management and outlining their achievements that demonstrate that they are suitably qualified for the post (maximum 5 pages (3)), signed and dated;










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an up-to-date curriculum vitae (Europass format);










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the curriculum vitae and covering letter must be written in English or French (4); In their CV, the candidates must indicate, at least for the five years during which they have performed senior management duties, (1) the title and the nature of managerial duties performed, (2) the number of staff supervised in the framework of their duties, (3) the size of budgets under their direct supervision.










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a declaration, signed and dated (form in Annex I), that the admission criteria set out in point 4 above are met;










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the check-list in Annex II, signed and dated;










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a copy of one of the candidate’s official identity documents;










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a copy of the diploma giving access to the grade (see point 4 above);










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a copy of the professional documents certifying the candidate’s experience, in line with the criteria set out in point 5 above. The documents must clearly state the length of employment and, if possible, the level of responsibility held.




It is not necessary for the copies included in the application to be certified.

Any applications which are incomplete (including if a signature is missing), are filed after the closing date or fail to comply with these provisions on filing applications will not be considered.

7.2.   
Closing date for filing applications: 5 April 2019 at midday (Brussels time)

Candidates will receive confirmation of receipt of their application by email. Any applications received by registered post with proof of delivery, as referred to in point 7.1 above, will be duly acknowledged.
7.3.   
Examination of applications and initial screening and selection files


A panel made up of the CoR president, the first vice-president and the CoR political group chairs, or their representatives, will assess the applications. The panel will be administratively assisted by the secretariat-general.
There are four stages in the process, as follows:








7.3.1.


The panel will check candidates’ admissibility on the basis of their declarations, CVs and copies of the documents specified in point 7.1 of this recruitment notice.
The admission criteria to be applied at this stage of the process are specified in point 4.












7.3.2.


The panel will then carry out a screening of applications admitted following the phase described in the previous point. This will be done on the basis of the application. The names of up to seven candidates who best meet the criteria set out in point 5 of this recruitment notice will be placed on a shortlist.
With a view to this screening, candidates are invited to highlight in their covering letter the aspects of their CV which are suited to the post and to cover the screening criteria set out in point 5 above.
The shortlisted candidates will then be invited to an assessment centre. They will be informed of the programme and methodology in due time. The purpose of this assessment will be to evaluate their managerial skills (handling of information, tasks, people and interpersonal relationships, and ability to achieve goals). The result of the assessment will be non-binding and is intended to provide the panel with additional input in connection with the selection interview.












7.3.3.


Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a selection interview conducted by the panel, in accordance with the provisions of point 6 above.
The candidates invited to the selection interview will be asked to produce an identity document, along with the original of their diploma and of the documents certifying their professional experience.












7.3.4.


After the interviews, the president will propose to the Bureau the candidate deemed most suitable to assume the post of secretary-general of the CoR. The Bureau reserves the right to interview the candidate proposed by the president.
In accordance with Rule 72 of the CoR Rules of Procedure, the engagement of the secretary-general requires a favourable vote of the Bureau, meeting in camera, with a specific quorum.




If the Bureau votes in favour, it will instruct the president to sign the employment contract with the successful candidate.

Under no circumstances should applicants approach the selection panel, either directly or indirectly, concerning this selection procedure. The panel reserves the right to disqualify any applicant who disregards this instruction.

8.   RECRUITMENT CONDITIONS

The successful candidate will be employed on a five-year contract as a temporary staff member (Article 2(a) of the CEOS) at grade AD 16/3.
He will be required to undergo a nine-month probationary period.
He will be required to produce the original documents proving that he meets the admission criteria at least one month before he actually starts work.
In addition, and without prejudice to the above requirements, the successful candidate will be asked to undertake to comply with certain rules of ethics. Candidates’ attention is drawn to the restrictions imposed by the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union concerning outside activities, assignments and conflicts of interest (Articles 11, 11a, 12b, 13 and 15 of the Staff Regulations), which apply to temporary staff under Article 11 of the CEOS.
In the interests of the successful candidate’s independence, he will have to be free of any prior professional obligations at the latest by the time he starts work. He will be required to take any necessary administrative steps to this end.
If the person is a European Union official, he must either resign from his current post or obtain leave on personal grounds.
9.   PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE OF THE MAIN STEPS OF THE PROCEDURE







5 April 2019:


Closing date for filing applications




Early July 2019:


Assessment centre




First half of September 2019:


Interviews with the panel




7 October 2019:


Decision of the Bureau




The timetable is provisional and subject to modification. The shortlisted candidates will be notified in due time.
10.   NOTES

The post will be filled as and when budget resources permit.
The CoR will ensure that candidates’ personal data is handled in full compliance with the provisions of 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 (5).

The CoR is an equal-opportunities employer, precluding any discrimination.


For the Bureau


The President

Karl-Heinz LAMBERTZ




(1)  Any reference in this notice to a person of the male sex shall be deemed also to constitute a reference to a person of the female sex.

(2)  https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/table-1-cefr-3.3-common-reference-levels-global-scale

(3)  A standard page comprises 1 500 characters without spaces.

(4)  The panel will ensure that candidates for whom one of these languages is their main language will not enjoy any undue advantage.

(5)  OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39.




ANNEX I
RECRUITMENT NOTICE No CDR/SG/AD16/01/19
DECLARATION

THE CANDIDATE


Surname, first name:

I hereby declare that the information and all the documents supplied with my application are true and complete.
I hereby declare that on the closing date for filling applications (5 April 2019):






i.


I am a national of one of the Member States of the European Union;










ii.


I enjoy my full rights as a citizen;










iii.


I have fulfilled my obligations concerning statutory military service;










iv.


I have the necessary character references for performance of the duties concerned;










v.


I meet, to the best of my knowledge, the physical fitness requirements for performance of the duties concerned;










vi.


I have not reached the retirement age for officials and other servants of the European Union, this being set at the end of the month in which the age of 66 is reached, and I will not have reached the retirement age before the scheduled end of the term of office;










vii.


I have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma where 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 where the normal period of university education is at least three years;










viii.


I have at least 15 years professional experience after receipt of the diploma referred to in the previous point; where the normal period of university education is three years, the year of professional experience required to complement this period of education is deemed an integral part of the diploma and shall be in addition to the 15 years professional experience required; a minimum of five years of professional experience have been acquired in a senior management position;










ix.


I have a thorough command of an official language of the European Union and at least a satisfactory knowledge of at least one other official language of the European Union;










x.


I have at least a good knowledge (B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) of either English or French.





This declaration, together with the checklist, forms an integral part of the application and must be attached to my official letter of application.

I am aware:






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that my application will be rejected if any of the documents required under the conditions of the recruitment notice are missing from my application;










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that any false declaration will automatically invalidate my application.










Date:


Signature:









ANNEX II
RECRUITMENT NOTICE No CDR/SG/AD16/01/19
CHECKLIST

THE CANDIDATE


Surname, first name:


hereby declares that the following documents are enclosed with the application (place a cross in the appropriate boxes):









 


 



YES




NO





1.


Copy of university diploma attesting to at least 4 years of study or

Copy of university diploma attesting to at least 3 years of study and proof of appropriate professional experience of at least one year


□


□




2.


Proof of professional experience of 15 years, with a minimum of 5 years acquired in a senior management position


□


□




3.


Copy of an official identity document


□


□




4.


Covering letter (5 pages maximum) (EN or FR)


□


□




5.


CV in Europass format (EN or FR)


□


□




6.


Declaration, signed and dated


□


□













Date:


Signature: