European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) – Publication of a vacancy for the function of Director (Temporary Agent – Grade AD 14) – COM/2023/20091
Date: 2023-02-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, European Commission
Subjects: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, administrator, competition (EU), job vacancy, managing director, recruitment, servant (EU)








CA2023055EN.01000101.xml










14.2.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CA 55/1






European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
Publication of a vacancy for the function of Director
(Temporary Agent – Grade AD 14)
COM/2023/20091
(2023/C 55 A/01)
 

We are

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is one of the EU’s decentralised agencies, which was established through Council Regulation (CE) No 168/2007 (1) on 15 February 2007 (‘the Regulation’).
The objective of FRA is to provide assistance and expertise relating to fundamental rights to the relevant institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the European Union and its Member States when implementing Union law. The Agency has a supporting role and informs the EU decision-makers’ policies in the area of fundamental rights. This task primarily includes evidence-based research on the effective implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
In carrying out its tasks, the Agency refers to fundamental rights as defined in Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union. The main tasks of the Agency include:






(a)


collection, analysis and dissemination of objective, reliable and comparable information and data;










(b)


formulation of conclusions and opinions on specific thematic topics;










(c)


publication of an annual report on fundamental rights issues covered by the areas of the Agency’s activity, an annual report on its activities and thematic reports;










(d)


development of a communication strategy and promotion of dialogue with civil society, in order to raise public awareness of fundamental rights and actively inform about its work.




Since its establishment, FRA has built up an excellent reputation as an agency that delivers high quality fact-based reports, studies and advice in the field of fundamental rights. The FRA regularly receives wide public and media attention and its director is regularly invited to present its work to the Council of the European Union and European Parliament. It delivers a wide range of reports and surveys, such as for instance the Fundamental Rights Report 2022 (2) or the Handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child (3), as well as opinions at the request of the EU institutions. The agency’s 105 staff members include legal experts, political and social scientists, statisticians as well as communication and networking experts. Its annual budget in 2022 amounted to almost EUR 25 million. For further information please visit the FRA’s website: http://fra.europa.eu/en.

We propose

The Director leads and guides the Agency in:






(a)


performing the tasks referred to in Article 4 of the Regulation, in particular carrying out scientific research, surveys, preparatory studies, feasibility studies, publish opinions on specific topics for the Union institutions and the Member States when implementing Union law as well as an annual report on fundamental-rights issues covered by the area of the Agency’s activity;










(b)


preparing and implementing the Agency’s programming document;










(c)


communicating to the public in relation to all matters within the FRA’s mission;










(d)


cooperating with governmental organisations and public bodies competent in the field of fundamental rights in the Member States, including national human rights institutions and National Liaison Officers;










(e)


cooperating with organisations at international level, including the Council of Europe, the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE);










(f)


cooperating with civil society, including through the coordination of the Fundamental Rights Platform;










(g)


implementing effective monitoring and evaluation procedures relating to the performance of the Agency against its objectives according to professionally recognised standards;










(h)


all staff matters, and in particular exercising powers in respect of staff as laid down in Article 24(2) of the Regulation;










(i)


implementing the Agency’s budget, in accordance with Article 21 of the Regulation;










(j)


performing the duties of authorising officer, in accordance with all relevant EU law provisions (4); and










(k)


taking any other action necessary to ensuring that the agency operates efficiently and in accordance with the Regulation as well as any other relevant provision of EU law.




The Director shall perform his/her tasks independently. The Director is the legal representative of FRA who is accountable for the management of his/her activities to the Management Board (5). The Director may be called upon at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council to attend a hearing on any matter linked to the Agency’s activities, in particular in order to present the FRA’s work on specific topics.
A more detailed description of the tasks can be found in Article 15 of the Regulation.

We look for (selection criteria)

The candidates should have:

Management skills







—


Ability to lead and manage teams with multidisciplinary backgrounds at senior management level and motivating staff to elevated levels of performance;










—


Sound judgement and proven success in a management position, in particular the ability to set and deliver on objectives;










—


Experience in financial resources and budget management.





Specialist skills and experience







—


In-depth knowledge and proven experience in matters concerning the respect and promotion of fundamental rights or human rights, in a national and international context;










—


Good knowledge of EU legislation, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and policies relevant in the context of the protection and promotion of fundamental rights;










—


Good understanding of the EU institutions, their functioning and interaction; additional knowledge of other international organisations would be considered an asset;










—


Experience in conducting and/or managing relevant scientific research (including, for example, postgraduate/PhD studies) would be considered an asset.





Personal qualities







—


Excellent ability to communicate fluently and efficiently to the public, in particular through and with the media and to represent the Agency in international fora as well as excellent ability to cooperate with stakeholders;










—


Commitment to equal treatment, regardless of gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or beliefs, disabilities, age or sexual orientation.





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.










—



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 one 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 (6) 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, namely fundamental rights or human rights.










—



Management experience: at least 5 years of the postgraduate professional experience must have been gained in a high–level management function (7) in a field relevant for this position.










—



Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (8) 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 five 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 (9)).





Selection and appointment

The Director will be appointed by the Management Board of FRA 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 (10)).
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 Director of the 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.
Following these interviews, the European Commission adopts a shortlist of the most suitable candidates. Inclusion on this shortlist does not guarantee appointment.
Candidates from this list will be asked to address the competent bodies of the Council and the European Parliament Committees and to reply to questions. The Management Board of the Agency will then appoint the Director, taking into account the opinions and orders of preference given by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
The selected candidate should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid security clearance certificate from his/her national security authority. A personal security clearance is an administrative decision following completion of a security screening conducted by the individual’s competent national security authority in accordance with applicable national security laws and regulations, and certifying that an individual may be allowed to access classified information up to a specified level. (Note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a security clearance can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate).
Until the personal security clearance has been granted by the Member State concerned and the clearance procedure completed with the legally required briefing from the European Commission’s Security Directorate, the candidate will not be able to access EU Classified Information (EUCI) at the level of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above, nor attend any meetings at which such EUCI is discussed.

Diversity and inclusion

The Agency recognises that a healthy work-life balance is an important motivational factor for many people and that flexible working is increasingly expected to be part of a modern working environment. As an employer, the Agency is committed to ensuring gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds, across all abilities and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States. To promote gender equality, the Agency encourages applications in particular from women. Assistance can be provided to persons with disabilities during the recruitment procedure. For further information, send an email to JUST-HR-CORRESPONDENT@ec.europa.eu.

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 FRA as a Temporary Agent at grade AD 14 (11). She/he will be classified depending on the length of his/her previous professional experience in step 1 or step 2 within that grade.
She/he will be appointed for an initial mandate of 5 years, with a possible prolongation for a maximum 5 years according to the Regulation establishing the Agency 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 nine-month probationary period.
The place of employment is Vienna, Austria.
The post is available from 16 December 2023.

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

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up his/her duties, the 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 (13), 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 online. 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 14 March 2023, 12:00 noon Brussels time, following which registration is no longer possible.


(1)  Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007 of 15 February 2007 establishing a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (OJ L 53, 22.2.2007, p. 1) as amended by Council Regulation (EU) 2022/555 (OJ L 108, 7.4.2022, p. 1).

(2)  https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2022/fundamental-rights-report-2022.

(3)  https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2022/handbook-european-law-child-rights.

(4)  Such as Articles 33 to 42 of Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2343/2002 of 19 November 2002 on the framework Financial Regulation for the bodies referred to in Article 185 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 72.).

(5)  The working languages of the Management Board are English and French, see: https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/mb-decision-2009_3_en_-mb_language_regime.pdf.

(6)  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.

(7)  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.

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

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

(10)  https://commission.europa.eu/jobs-european-commission/job-opportunities/managers-european-commission_en (only exists in English).

(11)  The correction coefficient applicable to the remuneration and pensions of officials and other servants of the European Union for Austria is set at 108,3 % as from 1 January 2022. This coefficient is subject to an annual revision.

(12)  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).

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