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Vacancy for a post of Field Operations Officer (Contract Agent, FG IV)
in the European Asylum Support Office (EASO)

REF.: EASO/2019/CA/011

The European Asylum Support Office (hereinafter referred to as "EASO"), established by Regulation 439/2010[1], strengthens European Union (EU) Member States practical cooperation on asylum, enhances the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and supports Member States whose asylum and reception systems are under particular pressure.

1.  We are

Specifically, EASO focuses on three main tasks:

1. Supporting practical cooperation among Member States on asylum mainly through training, quality activities, country of origin information (COI), statistics and analysis, specialised expert networks, practical cooperation workshops, thematic support on unaccompanied minors, trafficking in human beings and gender;
2. Supporting Member States under particular pressure through emergency support, including the deployment of asylum support teams to assist EU Member States in managing asylum applications and in putting in place appropriate reception facilities;
3. Contributing to the implementation of the CEAS by collecting and exchanging information on best practices, drawing up an annual report on the asylum situation in the EU covering the whole asylum procedure in EU Member States and adopting technical documents, on the implementation of the new EU asylum acquis.

The organisation chart of EASO can be consulted in the EASO Work Programme on EASO website (https://www.easo.europa.eu/about-us/easo-organisation-structure).

The headquarters of EASO are located in Valletta Harbour (Malta).

2. We propose

The Field Operations Officer will be working in a Sector within the Operations Unit (Greece, Italy, Cyprus Malta or External Dimension) within the Department of Operations (DOP) and will be responsible for a number of the following tasks:

1. Support for the Operations Unit Sectors in accordance with the policies of EASO and support / advise the Head of Sector thereof including the planning and execution of the annual and multi annual Sector programme at field level but also as necessary at HQ Unit, country office level;
2. Support the implementation of all Plans and Measures within the Sector[2] including the relevant coordination and collaboration with Member States and other stakeholders and actors involved in said Operational Plans primarily at field level but also as necessary at HQ Unit, country office level;
3. Support the implementation of all Specific Project Plans including emergency support plans involving for example ad hoc disembarkations and voluntary relocations and emergency support for new and/or rapid expansion of operations;
4. Inclusion in OPU Internal Deployment Roster for immediate deployment in support of no.3 above;
5. Ensure the delivery of desired field level outputs from the Unit / Sectors operational support activities / capacity building activities in the Member States in a timely and proactive manner;
6. Ensure the effective functioning and management of field offices in the Sector;
7. Supervise the work of field office staff and any other staff assigned within the Sector as necessary;
8. Contribute to the implementation of EASO’s Sector planning of work programmes at field level;
9. Report on field level activities and operations and support the Head of Sector to prepare material for MB and input for other policy documents on issues relating to assigned projects / programmes within the Sector;
10. Support the effective, monitoring and evaluation of the Sectors operations at field level through close coordination and collaboration with the concerned horizontal teams;
11. Co-operate/co-ordinate with EASO Units/Sectors/offices on issues within the incumbent’s competence for the effective functioning of the Sector;
12. Liaise with EU Institutions, Agencies, Bodies, International Organisations, Member States’ authorities and NGOs relevant to the Sector under the direction of the Head of Sector;
13. Perform any other reasonable tasks as required, upon the request of the Head of Unit / Head of Sector.

3. We look for

A) Eligibility criteria

If the eligibility criteria set out in section A) Eligibility criteria are met, the candidates’ applications will be evaluated on the basis of the selection criteria below. The most suitable candidates will be invited to an interview.

1. A level of education that corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma[3];
2. Be nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland;
3. Be entitled to their full rights as citizens;
4. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws on military service;
5. Possess a thorough knowledge of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties pertaining to the post;
6. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved[4];
7. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post[5].

B) Selection criteria

If the eligibility criteria set out in section A) Eligibility criteria are met, candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following selection criteria. The most suitable candidates evaluated on the basis of the selection criteria will be invited to an interview.

Essential

1. Demonstrated experience in the planning, development, design, implementation and monitoring of field operations in a national or international context using a Project Management methodology;
2. Demonstrated experience of operations in the field of international  protection and/or migration;
3. Demonstrated field experience in the implementation and management of operational budgets, staff teams and other resources in field operations;
4. Demonstrated experience in drafting of planning documents including providing input to reports, presentations etc.

Advantageous

1. Professional experience of field level rapid needs appraisal, implementation of rapid response/emergency programming and related reporting and compliance;
2. Experience in working in the field in an emergency operations environment, involving rapid crises / change management;
3. Professional experience of institutional decision-making processes including in the field of migration and asylum.

Evaluation during interviewing process

Candidates invited to the interviewing process (interview and written test) will be assessed based on the essential and advantageous criteria described in this Section[6], and the following additional criteria relevant to the post:

1. Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines on multiple tasks;
2. Excellent analytical capabilities and problem-solving skills;
3. Good communication skills and well developed team work and interpersonal skills;
4. Strong service-oriented attitude and flexibility;
5. Knowledge of the mission and organisation of EASO.

4.    Selection and appointment

The Regulation which provides the legal basis for EASO was adopted in May 2010 (Official Journal of the European Union L 132 of 29.5.2010).

Eligibility of candidates will be assessed by a Selection Committee according to compliance with all eligibility criteria by the closing date for the submission of applications.

The applications of the eligible candidates will also be assessed against the selection criteria. Following this assessment, the best ranking candidates may be invited for a written competency test and an interview, which will be held in English.

The interview will consist of the following components:

• General aptitude and language abilities to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties in accordance with Article 12.2(e) of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• Specific competences with reference to the applicants' profiles in line with the selection criteria of the present Vacancy Notice.

Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring originals and copies of the documents listed below:

• A document proving their citizenship (e.g. passport);
• Certificates attesting their educational and professional qualifications, in particular those giving access to the profile in question;
• Documentation evidencing the professional experience acquired after the obtaining the qualification that enabled the candidate to be eligible for the post. The documents must clearly indicate exact dates of employment (start date and end date), type of employment (part-time or full-time) and the nature of the duties carried out.

The Selection Committee will propose a shortlist of successful candidates to the Appointing Authority. These will then propose the most suitable candidate and establish a reserve list for the post in question. Candidates shall note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment. Recruitment will be based on availability of posts and budget.

The reserve list for this post will be valid until 31 December 2019 and may be extended at the discretion of the Appointing Authority.

Prior to signing the contract, the successful candidate will be asked to undergo a compulsory medical examination by one of the institutions' medical officers which will enable EASO to ensure that he/she fulfils the requirement stated in Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulations of the Officials of the European Union.

5. Equal Opportunities

EASO applies an equal opportunities policy and accepts applications without discriminating on the basis of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

6. Conditions of employment

The Contract Agent will be appointed by the Executive Director, upon recommendation of the Selection Committee, following the selection procedure.

He/she will be recruited as a Contract Agent according to Article 3a of the CEOS for a period of 3 years which may be renewed. The Contract Agent post in question will be placed in group FG IV.

Successful candidates who are recruited will undergo an initial probation period of nine months.

The pay for a Contract Agent FG IV (grade 13, step 1) consists of a basic salary of EUR 3,462.02 weighted by the correction coefficient (for Malta currently 90.2%, for Italy 96.5% and Greece 81.8%) supplemented with various allowances, where appropriate, such as expatriation and family allowances. The salaries of staff members are subject to a European Union tax deducted at source. Staff members are exempt from national tax on salary and are members of the European Union social security and pension schemes.

For further information on working conditions of Contract Agents please refer to CEOS:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

The potential places of employment are as follows:

Valletta Harbour (Malta); and locations(s) within Malta;

Rome (Italy) and locations(s) within Italy;

Athens (Greece) and multiple locations(s) within Greece, including Thessaloniki and the ‘Hotspot’ Islands (Lesvos, Chios, Leros, Kos and Samos);

Nicosia (Cyprus) and location(s) within Cyprus.

or

Duty stationed in Malta and required to undertake short and long term missions on a deployment basis to field operations and to support horizontal operational workflows or different stages of the operational project management cycle dependant on need in any of the OPU Sectors or location(s).

7. Application Procedure

For applications to be valid, candidates shall:

• Use the official application form provided on the EASO website. The candidate is requested to fully complete all sections of the application form in English;
• Send their application via email to : applications@easo.europa.eu by the proposed deadline;
• The subject of the e-mail should include the reference of this vacancy, followed by the candidate's surname.

Incomplete applications will be disqualified and treated as non-eligible.  Candidates who use the same application to apply for more than one post will also be disqualified. Application forms must be modified according to the post in question.

Please note that the selection process may take several months.

In order to facilitate the selection process, all correspondence to candidates concerning this vacancy will be in English[7].

Candidates should not approach, directly or indirectly, the Selection Committee under any circumstances in relation to this recruitment process. The Appointing Authority reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.

Closing date:

The closing date for submission of the applications is 29 November 2019 at 13:00h (Brussels time). EASO will disregard any application received after that date and time.

Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the date of the deadline to submit their applications. EASO is not held responsible for any delays in submission of applications due to technical difficulties or any other factors that may arise.

If a candidate is found to have provided false information at any stage in the selection procedure, EASO is within its capacity to disqualify the candidate in question.

8. Data Protection

The purpose of processing of the data submitted by the candidate is to manage the application(s) of the candidate in view of a possible selection and recruitment at EASO.

EASO does not make public the names of successful candidates on reserve lists. However, it is possible that, for the purposes of recruitment and related planning purposes, members of the EASO management team may have access to reserve lists and, in specific cases, to the application form of a candidate (without supporting documents, which are kept in confidence by the personnel department). Application files of non-recruited candidates are kept for two years from the expiry date of the reserve list after which time they are destroyed.

The personal information requested will be processed in line with 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/ECText with EEA relevance.

9. Appeal Procedures

Pursuant to Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, a candidate may submit a complaint against an act affecting him/her adversely. The complaint must be submitted within 3 months from the date of notification to the following address:

The Executive Director

European Asylum Support Office

MTC Block A, Winemakers Wharf, Grand Harbour Valletta, MRS 1917

Malta

Should the complaint be rejected, pursuant to Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, a candidate may request judicial review of the act. The appeal must be lodged within 3 months from the date of notification to the following address:

Court of Justice of the European Union

Rue du Fort Niedergrünewald

L-2925 Luxembourg

Luxembourg

If you believe that there was maladministration, you may lodge a complaint to the European Ombudsman within two years of the date when you became aware of the facts on which the complaint is based (see http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu ), or write to:

European Ombudsman

1, Avenue du President Robert Schuman - BP 403

F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

France

Please note that complaints to the European Ombudsman do not have the effect of suspending the period mentioned in Articles 90 and 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union for lodging complaints or submitting an appeal pursuant to Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

[1] Regulation (EU) No 439/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 (OJ L 132, 25.5.2010, p.11).

[2] Plans include all plans designed developed implemented and reviewed within the Sector including Operational Plans, Multi Annual Roadmaps, grant-specific plans etc.

[3] Only diplomas issued by EU Member State authorities and diplomas recognised as equivalent by the relevant EU Member State bodies are accepted. If the main studies took place outside the European Union, the candidate’s qualification must have been recognised by a body delegated officially for the purpose by one of the European Union Member States (such as a national Ministry of Education) and a document attesting so must be submitted if you have been invited for an interview. This will enable the selection board to assess accurately the level of the qualifications.

[4] Before the appointment, the successful candidate shall be asked to provide proof of a non-existent criminal record.

[5]  Before the appointment, the successful candidate shall be medically examined by one of the institutions' medical officers which will enable EASO to ensure that he/she fulfils the requirement stated in Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulations of the Officials of the European Union.

[6] If applicable. Some of the selection criteria, which cannot be tested during the interview/test phase (like for example post-graduate degrees), will be excluded from the assessment during the interview/test phase.

[7] In case there are discrepancies between the different linguistic versions, the English version should be taken as the correct version

this job offer is not open for applications