ABOUT EUROPOL
This selection procedure is intended to establish a reserve list of successful candidates (indicative number is 3). Europol may retain the right to make use of the reserve list to select candidates for similar posts, should business needs require so.
There is currently 1 (one) post available.
The post of Head of Department- Information Communication and Technology is considered a restricted post that may be filled without limitation to candidates coming from a competent authority, as stipulated in Annex II of the Decision of the Management Board (MB) of Europol of 07 August 2020. The Europol Recruitment Guidelines may be consulted for further details.
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.
We aim 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 (MSs). 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.
If you would like to be part of a supportive team that allows you to make a strong contribution, and if you have seen a position that appeals to you, we would like to hear from you.
The post of Head of Department- Information Communication and Technology is located in the Capabilities Directorate.
The Capabilities Directorate hosts two Departments, ICT (C1) and Administration (C2) and a team managing Europol’s portfolio of information management products and services (CDBPM).
The ICT Department has the responsibility for devising, delivering and operating Information Technology capabilities and solutions supporting the core mission and support processes of Europol. Over 150 internal staff members and a significant number of domain-specific consultants are responsible for devising, developing, delivering and operating secure information management and communication technology capabilities that ensure enhanced criminal information analysis and exchange among Europol, Member States and third parties.
The C1 Department is comprised of the following entities reporting to the Head of Department (HoD):
The ICT Infrastructure and Operations Unit, responsible for the operations and management of the Europol ICT Infrastructure. This includes Workplace services, Customer Service Centre, Solutions Operations and Deployment services, Infrastructure services and ICT Security.
The ICT Solutions Delivery Unit, responsible for the implementation of software solutions and integrations for core business, test and quality assurance and the Law Enforcement Accelerated Team which delivers all urgent ICT operational support at Europol.
The ICT Capabilities Innovation Team, responsible for identifying the most suitable portfolio of innovative ICT Capabilities to support Law Enforcement and Corporate activities.
The ICT Solutions Architecture and Engineering Team, the design authority that coordinates the technically harmonized implementation of the ICT solutions landscape and its continuous innovation.
The HoD – ICT will be responsible for leading the innovation and transformation of Europol’s Information systems. S/he will develop and implement the organisation’s ICT strategy, ensuring alignment with the mission and objectives of the organisation and industry best practices and a focus on service excellence, impact and efficiency.
BACKGROUND, MAIN PURPOSE AND TASKS OF THE POST
The HoD ICT will be expected to demonstrate a high level of proactivity in terms of timely business planning and delivery keeping up to pace with the rapidly evolving delivery needs and the established timelines based on a sound, transparent risk management approach to instigate and bring about corporate decision-making, taking into account Europol’s specific compliance framework as a EU public service authority. S/he will deliver Europol’s portfolio in a complex stakeholder environment, as Europol’s ICT change programmes affect and thus need to be synchronised with the portfolio of several EU agencies and in EU MSs in a concurrent manner, in particular for the implementation of the EU Interoperability Agenda. Furthermore, the Head of ICT will have to adequately identify and manage Europol’s operational requirements and translate them into data protection and security compliant requirements for Europol’s IT and information management capabilities. This includes, in view of the Europol Regulation recast having been initiated, the ability to suggest legislative and policy changes by effectively identifying, managing and translating the needs of the different (external and internal) law enforcement and other stakeholders at EU level, including other institutions and agencies, with different mandates and possibly conflicting needs or interests.
The successful applicant will have to carry out the following main duties:
• Support the Executive Director (ED) and Deputy Executive Director of the Capabilities Directorate in the fulfilment of Europol’s objectives, in particular those assigned to the post
• Provide leadership and direction of the Department, including the setting, implementation and delivery of policies and objectives
• Plan, direct and coordinate the use of the organisation’s resources in the delivery of the Department’s activities, maximising effectiveness and increasing efficiency
• Coordinate and support the ICT related delivery for Europol’s corporate information management capabilities, including the management of Europol’s operational requirements as well as the deriving data protection and security aspects, in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders such as Europol’s Data Protection Officer (DPO)
• Drive Europol’s ICT governance and the related innovation of Europol’s ICT portfolio in coordination with relevant stakeholders
• Manage corporate ICT related risks and the corresponding response actions, for ensuring corporate decision-making
• Ensure strong leadership for building external relationships, with a view to integrating the business requirements of Europol’s customers, i.e. MSs and third parties, as well as Europol’s governance stakeholders
• Coordinate the organisation’s initiative with respect to legislative and policy changes relevant to the post, in Europol’s specific operating context as a law enforcement service provider for MSs
• Perform business planning, business evaluation and performance management within the Department and assume responsibility for the quality of the Department’s products and services
• Keep current with emerging IT trends, dominant technologies and technological innovations
• Represent the Department and Europol as appropriate in internal and external meetings and conferences
• Perform any other task in the area of competence as requested by the management
REQUIREMENTS – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
a. Candidates must
• Be a national of one of the Member States of the EU and enjoy full rights as a citizen
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service
• Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties
REQUIREMENTS – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
a. Candidates must
• Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the position (prior to appointment the successful candidate will be medically examined by one of the institution’s medical officers in order that the institution may be satisfied that the candidate fulfils the requirements of Article 12(2)(d) CEOS)
• Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties
b. Candidates must have
• 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 one year when the normal period of university education is 3 years
OR
• Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area (e.g. ICT area) and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:
Duration of professional training Additional professional experience required for equivalency
More than 6 months and up to 1 year 4 years
More than 1 year and up to 2 years 3 years
More than 2 years and up to 3 years 2 years
More than 3 years 1 year
• In addition to the above at least 15 years of professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.
REQUIREMENTS – SELECTION CRITERIA
a) Professional experience (assessed mainly during the shortlisting):
Essential:
• At least 10 years of proven senior managerial experience preferably in law enforcement or public security authority, in line with the duties and responsibilities pertaining to the position
• At least 10 years of proven senior managerial experience (Director level) in a complex IT environment managing and leading large, including cross functional teams and financial resources in line with the duties and responsibilities pertaining to the position
• At least 5 years of experience leading enterprise wide ICT programmes, in a concurrent manner with a large number of public and private stakeholders and their related ICT programmes
• At least 5 years of experience in implementing ICT Governance and information management frameworks with innovative solutions (data analytic tools, big data management, cloud computing, etc.)
• At least 5 years of experience in devising, designing, and leading the implementation of ICT Strategies and related policies, standards and good practices, as well as business requirements management (e.g. IT Governance, software development, service management, project management, translation of data protection and security requirements for IT and information management) and corresponding legal instruments
• Experience in managing (EU) data protection and security compliance requirements in a complex ICT portfolio environment, including the initiation of legislative and policy change of relevance to the position
Desirable:
• Experience as an ICT Director in an international and multicultural environment
• Experience of cooperating with private sector partners
b) Professional knowledge (assessed during the Pre-selection, Assessment Centre and/or Interview phases):
Essential:
• Sound knowledge of a wide range of ICT systems and technologies and industry best-practices (including but not limited to automation, security technologies, big data, AI and cloud computing)
• Sound knowledge of ICT governance
REQUIREMENTS – SELECTION CRITERIA
Essential:
• Sound knowledge of corporate ICT risk management
• Sound knowledge of change management
• Sound knowledge of information management policies and legislation
Desirable:
• Relevant ICT and Risk management qualifications/certificates
• Relevant Project/Programme Management qualifications/certificates
• Relevant Data Protection qualifications/certificates
c) General management skills (assessed during the Pre-selection, Assessment Centre and/or Interview phases):
Essential:
• The ability to set and revise objectives for the unit within the overall strategic framework and priorities of the Agency
• The ability to determine and focus on priorities and to monitor and evaluate the progress made towards achieving the Department’s and Units/Team members’ objectives set, in cooperation with managers
• The ability to organise, assign and manage the Department’s work among the members of the Units/Teams and to set them challenging but realistic objectives
• The ability to empower members of the Units and Teams while ensuring that they understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the unit’s objectives
• The ability to choose co-workers and to build strong teams with complementary strengths suited to the efficient pursuit of the Department’s objectives
• The ability to motivate members of the team to achieve the desired results and also to provide regular feedback, acknowledge success and the need for improvement in order to enable them to achieve their objectives and greatest potential
• The ability to develop and support career development and learning opportunities for the members of the team
Communication skills
• The ability to communicate clearly and present complex subjects simply, both orally and in writing, including to the members of the team
• The ability to solicit inputs from and listen to staff, partners, and stakeholders
Interpersonal skills
• The ability to deal with people effectively, respectfully and courteously
• The ability to build productive and cooperative working relationships with hierarchy and other units and colleagues
Negotiation skills
• The ability to steer discussions and generate the best possible results without compromising productive working relationships with the other parties involved
d. Leadership skills and competencies (assessed during the Pre-selection, Assessment Centre and/or Interview phases):
Essential:
• Develop vision and strategy – developing a compelling mission, vision and strategy that has mid and long-term impact and can be understood and accepted by staff as meaningful for their daily work
• Drive performance – proactively and energetically implementing Europol’s mission, vision and strategy in such a way that Europol meets its organisational objectives
• Enterprising – identifying and realising opportunities for innovation that strengthen Europol’s relevance as a key actor in its field
• Networking – establishing effective relationships within Europol and building strategic alliances with the external environment
• Managing the business – demonstrating a deep understanding of the business and taking commitment to act upon these insights to secure operational excellence
• Inspiring people – inspiring long-term motivation and organisational loyalty by acting as a role model and by complying with the organisation’s mission and values
e. Fulfil the condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary Agents, on the start date of the possible contract of employment which may be offered.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
This selection procedure is governed by the Decision of the MB of Europol of 28.2.2019 laying down general implementing provisions on the procedure governing the engagement and use of temporary staff under Art. 2(f) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the EU and the Decision of the MB of Europol of 4.10.2019 on middle management staff.
Selection procedure for HoD posts:
1) Pre-selection Panel
The ED sets up a Pre-selection Panel composed of at least 3 members, of a grade and management function equal or superior to that of the function to be filled, consisting of one chair and at least one member from the administration of Europol and one member designated by the Staff Committee. Where there are no TAs within Europol fulfilling the requirement of management function and grade, the AACC may decide to designate officials or TAs from another agency or institution who fulfil that condition.
For restricted posts, the ED shall designate up to 2 additional members of the Pre-selection Panel if so requested by the Chairperson of the MB. The additional members shall consist of a representative of the Presidency or one representative of the Presidency and one representative of another MS. The ED may invite other persons to the Pre-selection panel as observers. The panel draws up a shortlist with a maximum of 6 candidates who most correspond to the profile sought. All candidates having a score equal to the 6th highest scoring will be included in the list of shortlisted candidates invited to participate in the pre-selection, which shall rely on one or more written and oral test(s). Only candidates scoring above the pass-mark for the Pre-selection will be invited to take part in an Assessment Centre and interview with an Interview Panel.
2) Assessment Centre
All candidates scoring above the pass mark in the Pre-selection shall take part in an Assessment Centre, unless they have already taken part in such an Assessment Centre in the course of the 2 years preceding the closing date for the receipt of applications. If a candidate has taken part in an Assessment Centre within this two-year period, but not within the 18 months preceding the closing date for the receipt of applications, s/he may at her/his request be admitted to the Assessment Centre.
The Assessment Centre evaluates, through a series of group and individual exercises and activities and in-depth interviews focused on management skills, whether the candidates possess the competencies required. Assessment Centres are conducted by an external provider. The result of the Assessment Centre shall be taken into consideration by the ED.
3) Interview Panel
The candidates scoring above the pass mark in the pre-selection shall be invited to an interview with the ED and 2 members of a grade and management function equal or superior to that of the function to be filled. For restricted posts, the Interview Panel shall consist of up to 2 additional members if so requested by the Chairperson of the MB. The additional members shall consist of a representative of the Presidency or one representative of the Presidency and one representative of another MS.
General provisions
The Pre-selection Panel establishes the pass-mark for the pre-selection, typically determined as 60% of the total score. Only candidates scoring above the pass-mark for the pre-selection may be invited to pursue the selection procedure.
Candidates invited are informed about the names and functions of members of the Pre-selection and Interview Panels on the day the relevant part of the selection procedure takes place. Non-shortlisted candidates have the right to request feedback on the assessment of their application within 3 months from the date they were informed about the outcome of the pre-selection.
SALARY
SELECTION PROCEDURE – General provisions
The names and functions of Panel members are made available to non-shortlisted candidates upon request and following a decision by Europol on a case-by-case basis.
In case of candidates shortlisted for restricted posts (including Annex II/III posts) indicating membership of a competent authority in one of the MSs, Europol will seek confirmation from the relevant Europol National Unit (ENU) to ensure that those candidates indeed belong to a competent authority and hence meet the eligibility requirements in this regard. To this end, Europol may need to provide personal data of those candidates (name, citizenship, date/place of birth, address, e-mail, telephone number, current employment) to the relevant ENU.
The successful candidate(s) selected following the interview will be appointed by the ED or placed on a reserve list if established.
The ED may establish a reserve list of successful candidates, who were not appointed, valid for up to 12 months. The validity of the reserve list may be extended once for up to 12 months. The list of selection procedures for which reserve lists have been established or extended is accessible on Europol’s website.
Candidates who attend the selection procedure will be informed of the outcome and whether they have been placed on the reserve list. Candidates have the right to request feedback on the assessment of their performance within 3 months from the date they were informed about the outcome of their participation in the selection procedure. Europol will not be in a position to respond to feedback inquiries received outside this time frame.
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.
The work and deliberations of the Pre-Selection and Interview Panels is confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the members of the Panels or for anyone to do so on their behalf. All enquiries or requests for information or documentation in relation to the competition should be addressed to the Europol Recruitment Team.
Detailed information on the selection procedure, including the appeal procedure is available in the Europol Recruitment Guidelines, which can be found on Europol’s website.
Scale: AD12
The basic monthly salary is EUR 11,672.70 (step 1) or EUR 12,162.15 (step 2).
The step in grade is determined on the basis of professional experience gained after the education required for the position and in line with applicable implementing rules.
Staff pay EU tax at source but salaries are exempt from national taxes. Compulsory deductions are made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.
Subject to the applicable conditions being met, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations (EUSR)/CEOS and further specified in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, allowances such as expatriation allowance (16% of basic gross salary) or foreign residence allowance (4% of basic gross salary), household allowance, dependent child and/or education allowance may be granted.
Staff enjoy worldwide insurance coverage by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and are insured against sickness, the risk of occupational disease and accident.
Europol offers flexible working arrangements, a comprehensive provision for annual leave as well as parental leave supporting a healthy work-life balance.
Indicative net salary sample calculation AD12/1:
a) Staff member (single) in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 11,115
b) Staff member with 2 dependent children in their custody in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 13,623
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
SALARY
The above information is indicative and for information purposes only. It is merely meant to give an indication of your possible net salary in light of the currently applicable amounts of the related allowances and the level of taxation. It has no legal value and no rights can be derived from it.
The information is based on figures applicable as of July 2020
Probation period
Engagement for this position is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period of 9 months. Within this period the successful candidate will have to undergo a post-related security screening.
Europol reserves the right to terminate the contract of employment during or at the end of the probation period in accordance with Art. 14 of CEOS.
Trial period
All newly appointed heads of unit shall serve a management trial period of 9 months as a ‘probationer head of unit’, unless they have already successfully passed such a management trial period in a previous function in the EU institutions as referred to in Art.1(a), par. 2, of the EUSR.
This trial period shall provide a formal opportunity to make a definite judgement as to whether the temporary staff has the necessary managerial ability and can remain in this function.
Security screening and certificate of good conduct
All candidates who have successfully passed a selection procedure are required to apply for a national “certificate of good conduct” at the time an offer of employment is made. The “certificate of good conduct” must be provided to Europol prior the signature of the employment contract. In case of unfavourable entries in the “Certificate of good conduct” Europol reserves the right not to award an employment contract.
However, the national certificate of good conduct does not substitute a valid full Personal Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC) that must be obtained for all Europol staff at the level indicated in this Vacancy Notice. A PSCC is a certificate issued by a competent authority establishing that an individual is security cleared. It contains: the level of clearance; the date of issuance and the date of expiry. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of employment contract.
The requested level of Security Clearance for this post is: SECRET UE/EU SECRET.
Contract of employment
The successful candidate will be recruited in the type of post Head of Unit or equivalent, grade AD12 pursuant to Art. 2(f) CEOS and Annex I EUSR.
The initial contract will be concluded for a period of 5 years (full-time – 40 hours a week). The contract may be renewed only once, in principle, for a period of 4 years.
The overall duration of the contracts on restricted posts of Europol staff members will be taken into account if they are successful in the selection procedure.
The place of employment will be The Hague, The Netherlands.
For further information on terms and conditions please consult the EU Staff Regulations which are available on Europol’s website.
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 23.10.2018 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 Art. 46 of the Europol Regulation.
For additional information, please consult the applicable privacy statement available on our website.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Handling of personal data – restricted posts under Annex II
The post of HoD – ICT is a restricted post that may be filled without limitation to candidates coming from a competent authority, as stipulated in Annex II of the relevant decision of the MB of Europol of 07 August 2020.
The personal data (name, citizenship, date/place of birth, address, e-mail, telephone number, current employment) of shortlisted candidates who are members of a national competent authority applying for a restricted – Annex II post will be provided to the concerned ENU, in order to validate that the candidate is a member of a competent authority and to obtain the ENU confirmation.
The personal data (name, citizenship, date/place of birth, address, e-mail, telephone number, current employment) of shortlisted candidates for a restricted- Annex II post who declared at the time of application that they are not members of a competent authority (civilian candidates) will be provided to the concerned ENU after the closing date for applications, in order to verify their status as a civilian.
Provision of personal data to the ENU is subject to civilian candidates giving their consent at the time of application. The personal data provided data will be used for verification purposes only and retained by the ENUs for a maximum of three weeks after the closing date for applications indicated on the vacancy notice, after which they will be deleted.
If consent is not given, Europol will request documents such as copies of the latest employment contract or payslip as proof of their civilian status from shortlisted candidates.
The purpose of the verification process is to ensure conformity with the Decision of the MB of Europol of 28 February 2019 laying down general implementing provisions on the procedures governing the engagement and the use of temporary agents at Europol.
Statutory obligations upon leaving the service
Pursuant to Article 16 of the EU Staff Regulations, EU officials and, by analogy, temporary agents continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits’ after leaving the service. Those staff members intending to engage in an occupational activity within two years of leaving the service shall inform their institution, so that it may take an appropriate decision in that respect. In cases where the intended activity is related to the work carried out by the staff member during the last three years of service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of the institution, the decision to be taken may include forbidding the staff member from undertaking it or giving its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.
MAIN DATES
Deadline for application: 26 February 2021, 23:59 Amsterdam Time Zone
Recruitment procedure: March/April 2021
APPLICATION PROCESS AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
Please refer to the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES available on Europol’s website for further details on the application process and the selection procedure.
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/487