European Border and Coast Guard Agency – Publication of a vacancy for the function of Executive Director (Temporary Agent – Grade AD 14) – COM/2022/20085
Date: 2022-06-21
Institutions: Frontex
Subjects: administrator, competition (EU), job vacancy, managing director, recruitment, servant (EU)








CA2022238EN.01000101.xml










21.6.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 238/1






European Border and Coast Guard Agency
Publication of a vacancy for the function of Executive Director
(Temporary Agent – Grade AD 14)
COM/2022/20085
(2022/C 238 A/01)
 

We are

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has been established under the Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).
Frontex is located in Warsaw, Poland, and is in the process of significantly increasing the number of its staff to meet its expanded tasks, based on its Regulation.
The European Border and Coast Guard Regulation provides for the establishment of the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps, which will consist of up to 10 000 officers by 2027, who are deployed along the external land, sea and air borders of the European Union and the Schengen Area. The Agency is also tasked to be the operational arm of the EU return policy and is significantly reinforcing its role in the area of return of illegally staying third-country nationals.
With the establishment of the standing corps — the first European law enforcement uniformed service — Frontex offers a unique, pioneering opportunity to form part of the EU’s operational arm for European integrated border management.
The Agency’s key tasks include in particular: operational and technical assistance to the EU Member States at their external borders, assistance to Member States in returning nationals of non-EU countries who do not have the right to remain on the territory of the EU and assistance to non-EU countries through technical and operational cooperation related to border management (2).
For more information, please refer to our website: http://www.frontex.europa.eu

We propose

The Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of Frontex and is the legal representative of the Agency.
The Executive Director will adhere to the strictest integrity and ethical principles.
The Executive Director is accountable to the Management Board and is responsible for the implementation of the strategic decisions adopted by the Management Board. The Agency shall be accountable to the European Parliament and to the Council in accordance with its Regulation.
The Executive Director is independent in the performance of his or her duties. Without prejudice to the respective competencies of the Union institutions and the Management Board, the Executive Director shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or from any other body.
The Executive Director will have to promote and implement a modern and transparent vision for the Agency, fully in line with the founding Regulation and the EU values. He/she is overseeing the Agency’s corporate governance and culture, motivating and leading staff to excel and deliver within its legal framework.
The Executive Director will contribute to the successful application of the EU law in this area, in full compliance with the legal framework, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. The Executive Director will work in close collaboration with the Commission, considering its responsibility to ensure the correct application of EU law and the Commission’s task to set, together with the European Parliament and the Council, the multiannual strategic policy steering for the implementation of European Integrated Border Management by the European Border and Coast Guard. The Executive Director will also work in cooperation with the Agency’s other EU stakeholders and external partners.
Without prejudice to the powers of the Management Board, the Executive Director shall assume full responsibility for the implementation of the tasks assigned to Frontex while cooperating effectively with the independent functions within the Agency, in particular the Fundamental Rights Officer, the Data Protection Officer and the Accounting Officer.
The Executive Director’s specific tasks include:






a)


Ensuring that the Agency fully implements its mandate in all the strands of activities related to external borders and return in compliance with the applicable regulatory framework, including on fundamental rights and the steering of the Management Board;










b)


Engaging in a constant dialogue with the European Commission and the other EU institutions, with a view to following and implementing all the EU policies in the relevant fields where Frontex is involved in;










c)


Offer state-of-the-art services to European Border and Coast Guard authorities, adapting to the evolving challenges and needs of the Member States;










d)


Planning, directing and coordinating the use of the Agency’s resources in the delivery of the activities, maximising effectiveness, increasing efficiency and ensuring a high quality of products and services;










e)


Proposing, preparing and implementing the strategic decisions, programmes and activities adopted by the Management Board within the limits set out in the founding Regulation, its implementing rules and any applicable law;










f)


In close cooperation with the Chairperson of the Management Board and the Executive Board, ensuring the timely preparation of Management Board meetings, including the relevant documentation;










g)


Preparing each year draft single programming documents and annual activity reports on the Agency’s activities to submit them to the Management Board and the institutions in accordance with the founding Regulation;










h)


Implementing the multiannual programming, the annual work programmes and annual budgets and reporting to the Management Board on their implementation;










i)


Evaluating, approving and coordinating proposals made by Member States for joint operations, rapid border interventions, return operations and return interventions and ensuring their implementation in accordance with the corresponding operational plans;










j)


Optimising the use of staff and technical equipment of the European Border and Coast Guard Standing Corps and ensuring its use within the remit of the Agency’s mandate and in full compliance with the EU law;










k)


Making proposals to the Management Board as regards the establishment of Frontex’s organisational structure and, where necessary, its modification;










l)


Taking decisions in accordance with Article 46 to suspend, terminate or not launch activities, including decisions to withdraw financing, and/or suspend or terminate activities of the Agency if he or she considers that there are violations of fundamental rights or international protection obligations related to the activities concerned that are of a serious nature or are likely to persist, after consulting the fundamental rights officer and informing the Member State concerned;










m)


Ensuring that the highest standards of ethical conduct are observed in the performance of the duties by the Agency’s staff and in all the Agency’s operations.




A more detailed description of the tasks can be found in Article 106 of the Regulation (EU) 2019/1896.

We look for (selection criteria)

The candidates should have:






a)



Management skills and experience:







—


ability to develop and steer an operational vision based on policy priorities;










—


experience in implementing operations whilst driving change;










—


experience in cooperating with EU and international stakeholders and partners;










—


solid and proven administrative and management skills, in particular experience of budgetary, financial and human resources at senior level in a national, European and/or international context; previous management experience in public administration and independent national or European agencies will be a strong asset;










—


ability to set and revise objectives within the Agency’s overall strategic framework, to translate the Agency’s priorities and policy guidelines into measurable operational objectives and to develop well organised plans along logical stages and take the operational decisions for their implementation, based on a proper understanding of priorities in a politically sensitive environment;










—


ability to steer strategic discussions and to inspire and guide the Agency’s staff in a way to generate the best possible results, in close cooperation with the Agency’s partners;










—


ability to empower staff while ensuring that they understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the Agency’s objectives.














b)



Specialist skills and experience:







—


thorough understanding of the Agency’s mandate, goals, objectives and tasks as well as an excellent understanding of their practical and operational implications;










—


very good knowledge of the EU policy and legal framework in the area of freedom, security and justice, more specifically in the area of border management and returns;










—


sound understanding of the internal security landscape of the EU as well as the legal framework and practical mechanisms of cooperation between internal security authorities at national and EU level, in particular as regards fields of activity related to the Frontex mandate;










—


sound understanding of the maritime dimension of the Frontex mandate.














c)



Personal qualities:







—


excellent analytical, organisational and decision-making skills, including the ability to establish clear priorities;










—


excellent ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, and to understand organisational dynamics;










—


proven ability to communicate fluently, clearly and effectively to the internal and external stakeholders, to represent Frontex in international fora and present complex subjects simply, both orally and in writing, to different audiences, including staff;










—


proven ability to solicit inputs from and listen to staff, partners and other stakeholders;










—


commitment to deal with people effectively, respectfully and courteously while further enhancing the Agency’s corporate governance and culture.









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:






—



Nationality: candidates must be a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union. Subject to a decision of the Management Board of Frontex authorising an exception, in accordance with Article 12.2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union, applications can also be submitted by citizens of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.










—



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














—



Professional experience: candidates must have at least 15 years postgraduate professional experience (3) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in the area of the activities of the Agency.










—



Management experience: at least 5 years of the post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a high-level management function (4) in a field relevant for this position.










—



Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (5) 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.










—



Age limit: candidates must be able to complete, at the deadline for application, the full mandate of 5 years before reaching the retirement age. For temporary staff of the European Union, the retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 years (see Article 47 of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (6)).





Selection and appointment

The Executive Director will be appointed by the Management Board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency on the basis of a shortlist provided by the European Commission.
To establish this shortlist, the European Commission organises a selection in accordance with its selection and recruitment procedures (see the Document on Senior Officials Policy (7)).
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 Commission’s 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. 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 Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
Candidates on the CCA shortlist will be interviewed by the Member(s) of the Commission responsible for the Directorate-General in charge of the relations with the Agency (8).
Following these interviews, the European Commission adopts a shortlist of the three most suitable candidates, which will be communicated to the Management Board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. The latter may decide to interview the candidates before appointing the Executive Director from among the candidates on the Commission shortlist. Inclusion on this shortlist does not guarantee appointment.
Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews and/or tests in addition to those indicated above. In particular, the candidates proposed by the Commission will be invited to make a statement before the competent committee or committees of the European Parliament and answer questions put to them by its or their members. Following such statements, the European Parliament will adopt an opinion setting out its views and may indicate a preferred candidate.

Equal opportunities

The Commission and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency pursue a strategic objective of achieving gender equality at all management levels by the end of its current mandate and applies a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (9) encouraging applications that could contribute towards more diversity, gender equality and overall geographical balance.

Conditions of employment

The salaries and conditions of employment are laid down in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.
The successful candidate will be engaged by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency as a Temporary Agent at grade AD 14 (10). He/she will be classified depending on the length of his/her previous professional experience in step 1 or step 2 within that grade.
He/she will be appointed for an initial mandate of 5 years, with a possible prolongation for a maximum of another 5 years, according to the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation as applicable at the time of appointment.
Applicants should note the requirement under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union for all new staff to complete successfully a 9-month probationary period.
The place of employment is Warsaw, Poland.

Important information for candidates

Candidates are reminded that the work of the selection panels 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 panel.

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 (11). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up his/her duties, the Executive Director 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 his/her 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, high-level 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 confirm 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, preferably using the Europass CV format (12), and to fill out, online, a letter of motivation (maximum 8 000 characters). Your CV and your letter of motivation may be submitted in any of the official languages of the European Union.
It is in your interest to ensure that your application is accurate, thorough and truthful.
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.

Applications sent by email will not be accepted. If you require more information and/or encounter technical problems, please send an email to: HR-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu
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 will not be accepted.

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 19 July 2022, 12.00 noon Brussels time, following which registration is no longer possible.


(1)  Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624 (OJ L 295, 14.11.2019, p. 1).

(2)  All tasks are set out in Article 10 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896.

(3)  Professional experience is only taken into consideration if it represents an actual work relationship defined as real, genuine work, on a paid basis and as employee (any type of contract) or provider of a service. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the certified percentage of full-time hours worked. Maternity leave/parental leave/leave for adoption is taken into consideration if it is in the framework of a work contract. PhDs are assimilated to professional experience, even when unpaid, but for a duration of 3 years maximum, provided that the PhD has been successfully completed. A given period may be counted only once.

(4)  In their curriculum vitae, candidates should clearly indicate for all years during which 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; (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below; and (5) number of peers.

(5)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01958R0001-20130701

(6)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20140701

(7)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/compilation-of-the-senior-official-policy-at-the-european-commission_en.pdf (only exists in English).

(8)  Unless the Member of the Commission concerned, in line with the Commission Decision of 5 December 2007 (PV(2007) 1811) and 30 September 2020 (PV(2020) 2351), has delegated this task.

(9)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20140701

(10)  The correction coefficient applicable to the remuneration and pensions of officials and other servants of the European Union for Poland is set at 70,6 % as from 1 July 2021. This coefficient is subject to an annual revision.

(11)  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 (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).

(12)  You can find information on how to create your Europass CV online at: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv