ABOUT EUROPOL
This selection procedure is intended to establish a reserve list of successful candidates (indicative number is 5). There are currently 2 secondment opportunities available. Europol may retain the right to make use of the serve list to select candidates for similar secondments, should business needs require so.
Organisational setting:
The position of SNE is located in the Operational Unit of the European Counter Terrorism Centre, Operations Directorate.
Mandate of the team:
The Operations Directorate deals with the core business of Europol, improving the effectiveness and cooperation of the competent authorities in the Member States in preventing and combating serious and organised crime, as well as terrorism affecting the Member States (MS). This requires close cooperation with the Liaison Bureaux at Europol and via them with the Operational Teams in the Member States.
Europol delivers a number of products and services to national law enforcement agencies to support them in their fight against international serious and organised crime, as well as terrorism.
Within the European Counter Terrorism Centre of the Operations Directorate, the EU IRU is responsible to anticipate and pre-empt terrorist abuse of online tools, as well as to play a pro-active advisory role towards EU MS and the private sector.
EU IRU benefits from dynamic online research capabilities with the support of the technical and operational expertise existing within the relevant Europol units, and has an active engagement with relevant industry partners, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and academic communities. The team operates as a service provider to EU MS in accordance with their operational priorities. To this end, it will provide a tailored service to the EU MS, from complementing their referral capabilities to handling the referrals on their behalf.
Purpose of the Secondment:
Under the supervision of the Head of Team of the EU IRU, the successful incumbent will be responsible for supporting the prevention of terrorist abuse of on-line tools.
BACKGROUND, MAIN PURPOSE AND TASKS OF THE POST
The SNE will carry out the following main functions and duties:
• Support the content identification and the referral process within EU IRU;
• Advise operational investigators on investigations within the context of EU IRU;
• Liaise with the relevant competent authorities in the Member States and third parties;
• Provide specialised knowledge and experience to EU IRU operational activities;
• Process large volume of data;
• Support on-going large operations and investigations;
• Based on Member States information, prepare reports on possible opportunities for Europol and the Member States to work together on specific intelligence and information;
• Undergo specific training;
• Establish close contacts with the Member States and Third Parties’ Liaison Officers to encourage and support operational activities in the field of responsibility of the EU IRU team.
REQUIREMENTS – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Candidates must:
• Be a member of a competent authority in the meaning of the Article 2a) of the Europol Regulation and enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State;
• Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one official language of the European Union and a satisfactory knowledge of a second language;
• Possess at least 3 years of professional experience in the field of law enforcement relevant to the duties to be carried out during the secondment.
REQUIREMENTS – SELECTION CRITERIA
a. Professional experience (assessed mainly during the shortlisting):
Essential:
• At least 3 years of experience in investigations;
• Experience in internet investigative technique;
• Experience in information research and media monitoring.
Desirable:
• Working experience at international level;
• Experience in drafting intelligence reports and products.
b. Professional knowledge (assessed during the selection procedure – written / practical test and/or interview)
• Thorough understanding of written (standard) Arabic;
• Thorough listening and speaking skills of at least one Arabic dialect;
• Sound knowledge of Open Source Intelligence methods, tools and techniques;
• Knowledge of information resources related to violent extremism and terrorism;
• Knowledge of OSINT investigative techniques;
• Knowledge of online information services and products, such as news and media databases, commercial databases, Internet search systems and related services.
c. General competencies (assessed during the Selection procedure – written / practical test and/or interview)
Essential:
Communicating:
• Very good communication skills in English, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences;
• Good presentation skills.
Analysing & problem solving:
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Keen eye for detail with the ability to maintain standards of accuracy under pressure of tight deadlines;
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.
Delivering quality and results:
• High degree of commitment and flexibility;
• High level of customer and service-orientation.
Prioritising and organising:
• Good administrative and organisational skills.
Resilience:
• Ability to work well under pressure, both independently and in a team;
• Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well as with external partners.
Living diversity:
• Ability to work effectively in an international and multi-cultural environment.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
HOW TO APPLY
Candidates endorsed by the national competent authorities are required to complete the SNE application form available on Europol’s website in English.
The application form must be accompanied by a letter from the sending authority to the Executive Director of Europol expressing willingness to second the candidate.
Applications must be submitted by means of email to Europol’s Human Resources Unit, Recruitment and Selection Team, on C2-12@europol.europa.eu via the Europol National Unit of the Member State concerned, and, if necessary, the respective Liaison Bureau.
Applications must be received by Europol the latest on the day of the deadline specified in this notice of secondment. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
Receipt of all applications is confirmed by an email of acknowledgement. Candidates may check the progress of the relevant selection procedure on Europol’s website.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
The Deputy Executive Director of Europol’s Capabilities Directorate sets up a Selection Committee, chaired by the Head of the relevant Directorate or a senior representative, and composed of a representative of the respective Unit, as well as of the Human Resources Unit.
The Selection Committee assesses the applications received in order to make an initial selection of candidates meeting all eligibility criteria and examines their qualifications, experience and skills against the selection criteria set out in the notice of secondment. For the initial selection, the operational contributions from the competent service to the project to which the SNE will be seconded will be taken into account. Only candidates scoring above the pass-mark of 60% of the total score will be considered to participate in the selection procedure.
The Selection Committee will invite the 7 highest scoring candidates. All candidates having a score equal to the 7th highest scoring candidate will be included in the list of invited candidates.
The Selection Committee conducts a structured interview with the shortlisted candidates usually performed remotely in order to evaluate their language skills, validate their experience and assess whether they possess the key skills required. The shortlisted candidates may also be invited to participate in a written test usually performed remotely. The overall pass-mark for the selection procedure is 70% of the total score.
After the selection procedure has taken place, the Selection Committee proposes a list of successful candidates to the Deputy Executive Director Capabilities. Once the outcome is confirmed, Europol informs the candidates.
The secondment is finally effected by an exchange of letters between the Deputy Executive Director Capabilities and the seconding authority, specifying the details of the secondment in accordance with the Management Board Decision laying down the rules on the secondment of National Experts of 4 October 2019.
Europol may also establish a reserve list of successful candidates valid for up to 12 months. The validity of the reserve list may be extended once for up to 12 months. The list of SNE selection procedures for which reserve lists have been established or extended is accessible on Europol’s website. Candidates who have been placed on a reserve list are informed by Europol.
Europol retains the right to make use of the reserve list to select candidates for similar posts within the organisation, should business needs require so. Inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee secondment.
SALARY
The SNE shall remain in the service of the sending authority throughout the period of secondment and shall continue to be paid by that employer. The sending authority shall also be responsible for all social rights, particularly social security and pension entitlements.
During the period of secondment the SNE is entitled to a daily subsistence allowance paid by the agency, and may also be eligible for a monthly allowance depending on the distance from the place of origin. If the SNE receives any allowance from other sources similar to the subsistence allowance paid by Europol, this amount shall be deducted.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Security screening
Candidates who have been selected to an SNE post are required to furnish a valid security clearance certificate before the start of the secondment. Failure to obtain or provide the requisite security clearance certificate at the requested level before the start of the secondment may render the offer invalid.
In case the security clearance certificate expires within six months of the start of the secondment, the renewal procedure will be initiated expeditiously. Europol may at any time terminate the secondment if the result of the security screening is not positive and the necessary security clearance level is not granted /extended.
The security clearance level required for this secondment is CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
APPEAL PROCEDURE
Candidates for SNE positions may submit a complaint to the Executive Director of Europol about a decision taken by Europol adversely affecting him / her, with the exception of decisions which are direct consequences of decisions taken by the seconding authority.
The complaint must be lodged within two months of the date the person concerned is notified of the decision. The Executive Director of Europol shall notify the person concerned of his / her reasoned decision within four months from the date on which the complaint was lodged. If at the end of that period no reply to the complaint has been received, this shall be deemed to constitute an implied decision rejecting it.
Equal opportunity
Europol is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications without distinction on the basis of gender, colour, racial, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, nationality, age, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Europol aims to create and maintain a healthy and attractive work environment that supports our colleagues in their career planning and in achieving a healthy work-life balance.
Employment at Europol is open to nationals of EU Member States. There is no nationality quota system in operation, but Europol is striving for a broad range of nationalities in order to keep a well-balanced geographical distribution among its staff members.
Privacy statement
Europol respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. Your data will be processed in accordance 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 applicable to Europol under Article 46 of the Europol Regulation.
For additional information, please consult the applicable privacy statement available on our website.
Main dates
Deadline for application: Extended until 02 February 2021, 23:59 CET
Selection procedure: February/March 2021
Contact details
For further details on the application process please call +31 (0) 70 353 1146 or +31 (0) 70 353 1152.
Source URL: https://www.europol.europa.eu/careers-procurement/vacancies/vacancy/480