EIGE – Team Leader – Communications

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)[1] is organising a call for applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for the post of Team Leader – Communications.

The registration of applications will begin on 22 June 2021 and will close on 21 July 2021 at 13:30 Eastern European Time.

The Institute

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives envisaged to contribute and strengthen the promotion of gender equality.

To achieve its goals, the Institute collects and analyses comparable and reliable information at EU level and develops appropriate methodological tools for the integration of gender equality into all EU policies. It fosters the exchange of good practices and dialogue between stakeholders and raises EU citizen awareness of this policy area by providing technical assistance to EU institutions, in particular the European Commission, as well as the authorities of the Member States.

In the course of its work to promote and strengthen gender equality, EIGE supports policy-makers with high quality research and comparable data relevant to their work.

The post

Profile

Reporting to the Head of Unit, the jobholder will contribute to producing engaging and innovative communications products, with an aim to make EIGE’s research, data and other resources well known and used by stakeholders. This involves developing key messages in cooperation with project managers, drafting content for communication products and coordinating communication activities in line with EIGE’s Knowledge Management and Communications Strategy. In the capacity as a team leader, the jobholder will also coordinate the Communications team’s activities.

The post demands a team player who enjoys turning analytical gender equality related content to easily understandable messages for specific audiences ranging from policy makers to non-specialists, and who can thrive in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team.

Duties

The responsibilities of the post include the following tasks and activities:

• coordinate planning, implementation and reporting of communications team’s activities, including budget and procurement processes;
• contribute to quality assurance of documents and processes managed by the team;
• ensure efficient information flow among team members, across EIGE teams and with Heads of Unit;
• manage and supervise communications activities and contribute to the work of other teams as needed;
• help with prioritising work and defining objectives for team members;
• support and encourage team members to feel empowered and enabled to do their job, and to find creative solutions and effective approaches in their daily work;
• coordinate and monitor the workload distribution among team members and ensure business continuity during absences;
• support the Institute’s outreach objectives by identifying and developing high quality communication materials and activities based on the findings of EIGE’s research and results of other related activities;
• implement and monitor EIGE’s communications strategy;
• identify communications opportunities around the Institute’s annual work programmes;
• support other relevant duties in the interest of the Institute as assigned by the Head of Unit.

Qualifications & experience required

Formal requirements

To be considered eligible for selection, an applicant must meet by the closing date of this call, the following formal requirements:

• completed a university education attested by a diploma[2];
• nationality of an EU Member State;
• a good command, both spoken and written, of at least two official EU languages;
• entitlement to full rights as a citizen;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service;   
• be physically fit to perform duties linked to the post.[3]

Selection criteria

Essential:

• At least three years of professional experience gained after the award of the relevant qualification and at a suitable level corresponding to performance of tasks as defined in section 2.
• work experience in journalism and/or communications;
• a thorough knowledge of, and commitment to gender equality;
• work experience in working with social media, video, visualisation and other communication tools and monitoring the impact of communication activities;
• experience in drafting and implementing communication strategies and plans;
• experience in working with journalists and other multipliers;
• very good command (both oral and written) of English which is a predominant working language at the Institute;
• excellent communications skills and proven experience of drafting communication content in English;
• the ability to work collaboratively with other members of the team, other colleagues and independently;
• excellent interpersonal, coordination, organisational, administrative and problem solving skills.

Advantageous:

• academic education in the area of communications or journalism;
• work experience in an international or European organisation;
• good knowledge of additional EU languages;
• ability to manage priorities and competing demands, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Selection procedure

The selection procedure includes the following steps:

• Only duly completed applications submitted electronically within the deadline will be taken into consideration.
• Each duly completed application will be examined with a view to establishing that the applicant meets all eligibility criteria.
• Eligible applications will be evaluated by the appointed Selection Committee based on selection criteria defined in this vacancy notice. Depending on the number of applications received, the Selection Committee may apply stricter requirements within the selection criteria noted above.
• The best-admissible candidates will be short-listed for interview.
• Interviews and written tests will be in English.
• During the interview, the Selection Committee will examine the candidates’ profiles and assess their relevancy for the post in question. At the interview stage, candidates may also be required to undergo a competency assessment exercise.
• On the day of interviews, candidates will be requested to present originals and/or copies of documents detailing citizenship in particular a copy of identity card, passport or other official document specifying citizenship.
• If at any stage of the procedure, it were established that information in the application has been knowingly falsified, the candidate shall be disqualified from the selection process.
• Successful candidates will be included in a reserve list which will be valid for 12 months. The validity of this list may be extended. Each candidate will be informed by letter whether or not s/he has been placed on the reserve list. However inclusion of candidates on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment.
• The Director of the Institute will appoint the selected jobholder from the reserve list, taking into account the establishment of a gender balanced, geographically diverse organisation.

The internal proceedings of the Selection Committee are strictly confidential and any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Soliciting on behalf of a candidate can lead to immediate disqualification.

For applications to be valid, candidates must complete an EIGE application form available on the top of this page. It is to be forwarded electronically to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu. The subject title should include the vacancy reference number.

Applicants are requested not to attach any supporting documents at this stage, e.g. copies of ID cards, diplomas, evidence of previous professional experience, etc. Only candidates invited to an interview will be asked to present copies of these documents for verification. Applications will not be returned to candidates but will be kept on file by the Institute in line with its data protection guidelines.

Please note that the time period between the closing date for the submission of applications and the end of the process to short list candidates for the interview may take several weeks.

Due to the large volume of applications only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted.

Conditions of employment

The place of employment shall be Vilnius, Lithuania. For reasons related to the Institute’s operational requirements, the chosen candidate will be expected to be available at short notice. An AD5 Temporary Agent contract under Article 2f pursuant to the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities shall be offered, subject to a nine month probation period. The duration of the contract will be three years and may be renewed for not more than once for a fixed period. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite period.

The pay of the Temporary Agents consists of the basic remuneration as well as various allowances[4] depending on personal situation of the jobholder. For information, the current gross basic salary before deductions and the correction coefficient weighting of 76.6% for Lithuania, is approximately €5,123. Remuneration will be paid in € (Euro). Salaries are subject to tax at source but are exempt from national taxation. Deductions are also made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

The jobholder shall work in a multicultural environment where social dialogue between management and staff, including representatives of the staff, is regarded as vital. The Institute is fully computerised and working time is based around flexitime and core working hours.

Independence & declarations of interest

The jobholder will be required to enter into a commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make complete declarations of any direct or indirect interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Equal opportunities

The Institute applies a policy of equal opportunities and accepts applications without distinction on any grounds.

Appeal procedures

If a candidate considers that s/he has been adversely affected by a particular decision, s/he can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, by writing to The Director, European Institute for Gender Equality, Gedimino Prospektas 16, Vilnius, Lithuania LT01103.

The complaint must be lodged within three months. The time limit for initiating this type of procedure (see Staff Regulations as modified by Council Regulation No 723/2004 of 22nd March 2004 published in the Official Journal of the European Union L 124 of 27th April 2004) starts to run from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting her/him.

Pursuant to Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the Staff 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, it is also possible to write to: The European Ombudsman, 1 Avenue du Président Robert Schuman, CS 30403 67001 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

Further details on appeals

Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, the EIGE ensures that applicants’ personal data are processed as required by 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. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Personal data shall thus be processed solely for the purpose of the selection procedure.

Lithuania & life in Vilnius

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Area and it borders Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Its western coastline – noted for its fine beaches, dunes and majestic pines – straddles the Baltic Sea.

Vilnius has an estimated population of just over 550,000 people. In addition to ample green spaces, it is beautifully situated on the banks of the river Neris, offering excellent opportunities for outdoor activities. Vilnius has impressive Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance and Russian architecture as well as one of Europe’s largest medieval old towns, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. It has been a university city since the Middle Ages.

Today it is the centre of the country’s politics, business, science, culture and entertainment and it attracts an increasingly varied assortment of local and international events. The city centre of Vilnius is compact, clean and safe. In addition to hosting a number of international schools, Vilnius has a well-developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.

The city is easy to get around, has a good standard of living and an excellent working environment. EIGE’s premises are situated in the Europe House on the main thoroughfare of Vilnius City, Gedimino Prospektas, with easy access to amenities, both leisure and educational. 

Further information is available at http://www.vilnius-tourism.lt/en/tourism and https://investlithuania.com/why-lithuania/lifestyle.

 

[1] Established by the European Parliament: the Council Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006 of 20 December 2006 (OJ L 403/9 of 30.12.2006).

[2] Only qualifications issued by EU Member State authorities and qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant Member States authorities will be accepted.

[3] Prior to recruitment, the successful candidate will be medically examined for the purposes of Article 12(2) (d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

[4] For example: expatriation allowance, household allowance, education allowance, dependent child allowance, etc.