European Railway Agency
Valenciennes, France
Deadline for applications: 01/02/2016 (23.59 CET, Valenciennes local time)
Type of contract: Contract Agent
Function group and grade: FGIII
Place of employment: Valenciennes, France
Duration of contract: 4 years and may be renewed
Monthly basic salary: 2.536,18 EUR at step 1 with a weighting factor of 14,6 % (from 01/07/2015) plus specific allowances where applicable
Unit: Resources and Support Unit
Applications to be sent by email only to mailbox: jobs@era.europa.eu
Reserve list valid until: 31/12/2016 (the validity of the reserve list may be extended)
THE AGENCY
The European Railway Agency (ERA) provides the technical and legal framework for creating a Single EU Railway Area as mandated under European Union law. Our mission is to make the railway system work better for society, and we do this by creating a harmonised Safety Framework, removing technical barriers, advancingthe single European Train Control Communication System (ERTMS), and promoting simplified access for customers for the European rail sector. ERA is based in Valenciennes (headquarters) and Lille (meeting center), France, and currently employs 160 staff.
A new founding act with increased responsibilities for the Agency is expected to be adopted in the coming months.
For more information on the Agency, please consult our website: http://www.era.europa.eu.
THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT UNIT
The Resources and Support Unit provides the overall management of the Agency’s resources and horizontal support to the ERA activities.
The Unit is organised in three Sectors which report directly to the Head of Resources and Support Unit:
Human Resources;
Finance and Procurement; and
IT Facilities Management.
This Unit has currently approximately 40 staff members.
JOB CONTENT
The jobholder will work in the Resources and Support Unit in the ITFM Sector (Information Technology and Facility Management), under the responsibility of the Head of the ITFM Sector and under the supervision of the Admnistrative Assistant Logistician in charge of the daily Facility Management Operations.
S(he) will assist in the coordination of the Health & Safety and Security efforts across the organization, and where needed provide support and assistance in the field of the Facility Management. Stand by duty may be required.
Due to the sensitivity of the job, confidentiality is required from the successful candidate.
Main tasks and responsibilities:
Health & Safety:
To participate and help coordinate in the work of the Health & Safety Committee;
To contribute to ensuring the conformity of the Agency buidlings and premises to applicable national legislation;
To contribute to ensuring that the working conditions comply with all legislations in relation to the use of the offices and Agency activities;
To contribute to evaluating environmental, health, and safety risks and implement control strategies to eliminate or reduce environmental health and safety hazards;
To help develop and coordinate emergency procedures, firefighting and evacuation teams and first aid crews;
To help develop occupational health and safety systems, including policies, procedures and manuals;
To help supervise the investigation of accidents or inappropriate unsafe working conditions, study possible causes and recommend remedial action;
To prepare and conduct training sessions on health & safety practices and legislation for the Staff;
To promote occupational health & safety within the organization and develop safer and healthier ways of working;
To contribute to ensuring the appropriate maintenance of building equipment and systems (e.g. lifting devices, fire detection systems, etc.) to make sure they meet safety regulations;
To work and liaise with outside consultants as appropriate for independent health & safety audits and support;
To help develop and monitor environmental health and safety performance metrics and prepare data for management reporting;
To liaise with the local authorities (e.g. fire brigade) and services of other EU Institutions.
Security:
To contribute to ensuring the physical security of the Agency premises, persons and assets by developing and implementing appropriate security professional surveillance services and appropriate security building infrastructure and systems (e.g. building access control systems, video surveillance, etc.);
To help develop and implement global security policy, standards, procedures and guidelines;
To contribute to supervising security surveillance and reception services;
To identify protection goals and objectives consistent with the organization requirements;
To perform regular security risk assessments to identify possible security breaches and propose the appropriate security measures and remediation actions;
To develop and handle incident response planning;
To raise awareness and train staff on issues related to security;
To contribute to handling Data Protection related issues in the ITFM Sector;
To handle all issues related to classified information;
To work and liaise with outside consultants as appropriate for independent security audits and support;
To liaise with the local authorities (e.g. police forces) and security services of other EU Institutions.
Support to Facility Management:
If required, to provide support and assistance in the maintenance, repair and renovation of building infrastructure and systems;
If required, to provide support in other areas covered by the Facility Management;
To act as back up of the Administrative Assistant Logistician.
General Administrative Tasks:
To assist the Administrative Assistant Logistician and the ITFM Secretariat in planning and following up the relevant budget lines;
To draft Technical Specifications for specific contracts and purchase orders;
To provide input as initiating officer for the financial and legal operations required in the area of activity;
To provide support to the preparation of Yearly Work Plans an definition of Key Performance Indicators;
To administer framework contracts related to Building insurance services and Travel services.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
To be considered eligible, candidates must satisfy all the eligibility criteria as specified below on the closing date for the submission of applications:
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Have a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma1;
OR
Have a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, and appropriate professional experience of at least 3 years;
OR
Have where justified in the interests of the service, professional training or professional experience of an equivalent level;
Have a thorough knowledge2 of one of the official languages of the European Union and a satisfactory knowledge3 of another language of the European Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties pertaining to the post;
Be a national of a Member State of the European Union or the states that are parties to the EEA Agreement (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway);
Enjoy full rights as a citizen4;
Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service5;
Meet the character requirements for the duties involved;
Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post6.
All eligible applications will be assessed and scored against the requirements listed below. Please note that non-compliance with at least one of the essential criteria will result in the exclusion of the candidate from the selection. Advantageous criteria constitute additional assets and will not result in exclusion, if not fulfilled.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The following criteria shall be checked against the application documents provided by the applicant:
A) Essential
Relevant professional experience of 3 years in the Health & Safety domain;
Practical knowledge of the relevant legislations and best practices in the fields of Health & Safety;
Good command of English and French (B2 level required);
Training in First Aid, Firefighting or other Health & Safety related matters;
Experience in coordinating emergency teams (members of the first aid team, fire pickets);
Knowledge and experience in following up maintenance of building technical equipments and systems mostly related to security and safety domains (e.g. fire prevention and protection systems, etc.);
Driving licence of B category without any licence suspension;
Very good knowledge of MS Office applications, particularly MS Word and MS Excel.
B) Advantageous
Diploma or certificate in the Health & Safety domain;
Experience in the Security field (security of persons, premises and assets);
Experience in Facility Management;
Professional experience in working in an international/multicultural environment or in one of the EU Institutions, Agencies, Bodies;
Experience in Project Management.
Depending on the number of applications received, the Selection Committee may apply stricter requirements within the aforementioned selection criteria.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
For applications to be valid, the candidates must submit the following documents:
A detailed curriculum vitae (EU CV Format only). Please consult the link below:http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae/templates-instructions;
A motivation letter of no more than 2 pages, explaining why the candidate is interested in the post and what her/his added value would be to the Agency, if selected;
The eligibility grid (see annex).
Failure to comply with the above instructions will result in the exclusion from the selection procedure.
The working language of the Agency being English, candidates are encouraged to apply in English to facilitate the selection process.
Applications must be sent by email to mailbox jobs@era.europa.eu until 01/02/2016 at 23.59 CET (Valenciennes local time) at the latest, clearly indicating the call for applications reference number in the subject line.
Please note that applications submitted by fax or postal mail shall not be taken into consideration.
If at any stage in the procedure, it is established that the information provided by a candidate is incorrect, the candidate in question may be disqualified.
It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the members of the Selection Committee, or for anyone to do so on their behalf. The Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts (hereinafter AACC) reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.
A reserve list will be established, valid until 31/12/2016. The validity of the reserve list may be extended if the AACC so decides. The reserve list may be used for the engagement for other posts carrying the same profile as the one described above.
Please note that due to the large numbers of applications we might receive by the submission deadline, the system may encounter problems processing large amounts of data. Applicants are therefore advised to send their application well ahead of the deadline.
Important: Supporting documents (e.g. certified copies of degrees/diplomas, proof of experience, etc.) should NOT be sent at this stage but may be requested at a later stage of the procedure. No documents will be sent back to candidates
SELECTION PROCEDURE
The selection will be organised as below:
The Selection Committee checks the validity and eligibility criteria of all applications;
The candidates satisfying the eligibility criteria shall be assessed against the selection criteria;
The Selection Committee assesses the letters of motivation and the CVs of eligible applicants and establishes a shortlist of candidates best meeting the selection criteria as set out in the call for applications;
The invitation shall be based on the highest scores in the pre-selection screening of the selection criteria;
The Selection Committee interviews and tests the shortlisted applicants;
The written test shall be done in English;
The interview shall be done in English and in French. If your mother tongue is English, the second language indicated in the CV shall be tested during the interview;
Following the results of the interviews and written tests, the Selection Committee proposes a list of suitable candidates7 to the AACC. This list shall be in alphabetical order accompanied by the detailed list of scores obtained following the interview and written test (if applicable). Candidates achieving the qualifying marks in the interview and written tests (if applicable) shall be placed on the reserve list (if applicable). Candidates should note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee engagement;
Before engaging a contract agent, the AACC examines whether the candidate has any personal interest such as to impair his/her independence or any other conflict of interest. The candidate shall inform the AACC, using a specific form of any actual or potential conflict of interest. If necessary, the AACC shall take any appropriate measures;
The reserve list shall be valid until 31/12/2016. It may be extended via an AACC decision;
Suitable candidates shall be engaged upon decision of the AACC. Prior to being offered a post, candidates on the reserve list may be required to undergo an interview with the Executive Director.
SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
The successful candidates will be engaged in Function Group III (FGIII). The grade within Function Group III will be determined in accordance with the years of professional experience.
For more information, please refer to Chapter 4, Art. 86 (page 214) and to Chapter 7, Art. 93 (page 216) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants: http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF.
1. Salaries are exempted from national tax, instead a tax to the benefit of the European Union is deducted at source;
2. Annual leave entitlement of two days per calendar month plus additional days for age and grade, plus 2 ½ days for expatriate staff and in addition on average 16 ERA holidays per year;
3. General and applicable technical training plus professional development opportunities;
4. EU Pension Scheme (after 10 years of service);
5. EU Joint Sickness and Insurance Scheme accident and occupational disease insurance coverage, unemployment and invalidity allowance and travel insurance;
Depending on the individual’s personal situation and the place of origin, staff members may be in addition entitled to:
6. Expatriation or foreign residence allowance;
7. Household allowance;
8. Dependent child allowance;
9. Education allowance;
10. Installation allowance and reimbursement of removal costs;
11. Initial temporary daily subsistence allowance;
12. Other benefits (reimbursement of travel expenses on taking up duty, etc.).
For further information on the respective conditions, please consult the Annex VII of the Staff Regulations (from page 96 to 110): http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF.
COMMITMENTS
Commitment to promote equal opportunities:
The Agency is an equal opportunities employer and strongly encourages applications from all candidates who fulfil the eligibility and selection criteria without any distinction whatsoever on grounds of nationality, age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, gender or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or other family situation.
Appeal procedure:
A candidate who considers that a mistake has been made regarding the eligibility of his/her application may ask for a review. To this end, a request for review may be submitted, within 20 calendar days of the email informing him/her of the rejection of his/her application. The request for review should quote the reference of the selection procedure concerned and should mention clearly the eligibility criterion/a requested to be reconsidered as well as the grounds for requesting the review. This request should be addressed to the Agency’s dedicated mailbox (jobs@era.europa.eu).
The candidate shall be informed, within 15 calendar days following the receipt of his/her request, on the decision of the Selection Committee on the matter.
APPEAL AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
If a candidate considers that he/she has been adversely affected by a particular decision, he/she can lodge an administrative complaint under Article 90 (2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials and Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union, at the following address:
Executive Director
European Railway Agency
120, rue Marc Lefrancq
FR - 59300 Valenciennes
The complaint must be lodged within 3 months from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting him/her.
If the complaint is rejected the candidate may bring a case under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities before:
The European Union Civil Service Tribunal
Postal Address
L-2925 Luxembourg
http://curia.europa.eu/
Please note that the AACC does not have the power to amend the decisions of a Selection Committee. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by Selection Committee is not subject to review by the Court unless rules which govern the proceedings of Selection Committees have been infringed.
It is also possible to complain to the European Ombudsman pursuant to Article 228(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties, published in Official Journal of the European Union L 113 of 4 May 1994:
European Ombudsman
1, Avenue du Président Robert Schuman – CS 30403
FR – 67001 Strasbourg Cedex
http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu
Please note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union for lodging, respectively, a complaint or an appeal with the European Union Civil Service Tribunal under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
DATA PROTECTION
The purpose of processing of the data you submit is to manage your application in view of a possible preselection and engagement at the Agency.
The personal information we request from you will be processed in line with Regulation (EC) N° 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data.
See link:
http://www.era.europa.eu/TheAgency/Jobs/Pages/HR-Privacy-Statement.aspx
______________________________________________
1Only studies titles that have been awarded in the EU Member States or that are subject to the equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration.
2Your main language. It can be your mother tongue or another language of which you have a least a thorough knowledge corresponding to level C1 as defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/europeanlanguage-levels-cefr.
3Corresponding to level B2 as defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
4Prior to engagement, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record.
5If applicable.
6Prior to engagement, the successful candidate shall be examined in a medical centre indicated by ERA in order to confirm that the requirements of Article 28 (e) of the Staff Regulation of Officials and CEOS of EU are met.
7Only those candidates considered who have obtained an overall score of at least50%.