EEA/AD/2020/2

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is organising an open competition with a view to recruiting a temporary agent to work as Expert within the area of Organisational Learning and Knowledge Innovation and further with a view to establishing a reserve list.

THE AGENCY:

The EEA is an Agency of the European Union (EU) and one of the decentralised Union bodies. The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment, through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy-making agents and the public.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The position as Organisational Learning and Knowledge Innovation Expert is a trans-organisational as well as transdisciplinary position. The EEA has set as a strategic priority to enable co-creation of knowledge. Co-creation has both an internal dimension, where EEA wishes to enhance organisational learning as well as an external dimension where capacity building is an important element. The EEAcademy has been set up to support this endeavour and combined with other efforts (e.g. strategic partnerships, knowledge innovation labs and putting focus on ‘learning’ mechanics) this position is to lead the transformation of EEA and its networks to a learning organisation.

The position is placed in the Administration and close cooperation with the Learning and Development Expert (training coordinator) and staff working on integrated environmental assessment is expected. Under the responsibility of the Head of the Administrative Services Programme, reporting to the Executive Director the expert shall be responsible for leading the transition of the EEA and Eionet towards a learning organisation.

The position will entail the following tasks:

Knowledge innovation

• Identify organisational knowledge gaps and knowledge development needs; map possible resourcing strategies and support management decisions on organisational responses;
• Keep abreast of innovations on knowledge development within science-policy organisations; track latest developments in scientific research; liaise with the EU Agencies Network on Scientific Advice (EU ANSA); translate benchmarked practices into EEA organisational context (incl. Eionet);
• Coordinate knowledge innovation projects, create room for experimentation; support prototyping of innovations in knowledge workflows within the EEA and Eionet;
• Initiate and lead efforts to strengthen knowledge co-creation and sharing among and across Units, Eionet, Scientific Committee, project teams and external stakeholders (incl. the Environment Knowledge Community, research centres, academic institutions, etc.).

Organisational Learning

• Support strategic management and enhance EEA organisational capability as a leading knowledge centre and capacity-building hub;
• Optimise systematic learning and knowledge sharing embedded in the workflow; seek opportunities and mechanisms to infuse collective learning in existing activities / interactions with internal and external stakeholders;
• Identify and reinforce practices to leverage systemic learning; devise mechanisms to help understand the EEA as a learning system; support management of organisational systemic changes;
• Application of systems thinking to ensure proposed solutions will benefit and impact the organisation long term;
• Encourage cross functional trouble shooting to enable creation of new solutions to wider problems.

EEAcademy
Coordinate the implementation of the EEAcademy project. This includes, among other tasks:

• Project manage EEAcademy-related activities (lectures, seminars, summer schools and knowledge innovation activities);
• Coordinate work with steering group, project teams, advisory committee, scientific committee, faculty members, external stakeholders, etc.;
• Steer the set-up of communication channels for both internal and external stakeholders;
• Coordinate the EEAcademy online presence (e-learning, videos, resources);
• Articulate synergies between EEAcademy and other L&D-related activities.

The perfect candidate has a background in either environmental or social science and has a past career in designing learning activities and participatory methods for experts.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Candidates applying must satisfy the following eligibility criteria on the closing date for the submission of applications:

a)     Successful completion of university studies attested by a degree where the normal duration of university education is 4 years or more OR successful completion of university studies attested by a degree relevant to the field concerned where the normal duration of university education is at least 3 years;                                   

b)    A minimum of 6 years (with a 4 year diploma) OR 7 years (with a 3 year diploma) of relevant professional experience after award of the university degree. Please note that professional experience pursued on a part-time basis shall be calculated pro rata. A given period may only be counted once.

Please note that only qualifications issued by EU Member State authorities or EEA authorities and qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant EU or EEA Member State authorities will be accepted.

In addition, in order to be eligible a candidate must:

• Be a national of one of the member countries of the EEA (Member States of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey);
• Enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by law concerning military service;
• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the EEA member countries, and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages corresponding to level B.2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages CEFR;
• Meet the character requirements for the duties involved;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post.

Candidates should assess carefully and check before submitting their application whether they fulfil all the conditions for admission laid down in the vacancy notice, particularly in terms of qualifications and relevant professional experience.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Please include reference to experience or theoretical application of the below criteria in your CV and/or motivation letter.

Essential:

• Proven experience with application of systemic and strategic thinking to ensure knowledge innovations are aligned to wider objectives and add best value within and outside of an organisation;
• Experience with Multi-disciplinary initiatives that further enhance collaboration between work areas and with stakeholders / partners;
• Demonstrated capabilities on how to establish effective collaborative partnerships and networks;
• Excellent project management skills, including proven experience of at least 3 years of managing complex projects involving a variety of stakeholders. This should include responsibility for managing and reporting on budgets;
• Demonstrated capability to build structured relationships with diverse partners and stakeholders to collaborate on knowledge innovation (exemplified with experience);
• Proven experience with designing and developing informal and formal learning solutions using a variety of methods;
• Creation of knowledge innovation experiments with mixed teams (provide examples);
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrable ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a multicultural environment*;
• Excellent command of written and spoken* English language, at least at level C1 in all categories according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Language.

* Will only be tested at the stage of interview/written test.

Advantageous:

• Insight on environment aspects – i.e. knowledge of sustainability / environment policy needs;
• Knowledge of / experience from working in an environment knowledge organisation.

CONTRACTUAL CONDITIONS:

The successful candidate will be offered a Temporary Agent contract in accordance with Article 2f) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities. The selected candidate will be employed for an initial time period of four years, renewable.

Successful candidates who are recruited undergo an initial probation period of 9 months.

Please note that recruitment is done in the first or second step of the grade published, depending on the duration of the acquired professional experience.

For information on salary, please see information published under Temporary Agents.

Should the successful candidate currently hold a Temporary Agent 2(f) contract and qualify for a transfer under the terms of the CEOS, the band width for this position which can be accommodated is in accordance with Annex I of the Staff Regulations.

The place of work will be Copenhagen, Denmark.

It is brought to the particular attention of candidates that the provisions of Articles 11 to 26 of the Staff Regulations, concerning the rights and obligations of officials, shall apply by analogy to Temporary Agents. These rules specify that:

“An official shall carry out his duties and conduct himself solely with the interests of the Union in mind. He shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government, authority, organization or person outside his institution. He shall carry out the duties assigned to him objectively, impartially and in keeping with his duty of loyalty to the Union.

An official shall not without the permission of the appointing authority accept from any government or from any other source outside the institution to which he belongs any honour, decoration, favour, gift or payment of any kind whatever, except for services rendered either before his appointment or during special leave for military or other national service and in respect of such service.

Before recruiting an official, the appointing authority shall examine whether the candidate has any personal interest such as to impair his independence or any other conflict of interest. To that end, the candidate, using a specific form, shall inform the appointing authority of any actual or potential conflict of interest. In such cases, the appointing authority shall take this into account in a duly reasoned opinion. If necessary, the appointing authority shall take the measures referred to in Article 11a(2).”

For further information on the Staff Regulations and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union see:

Staff Regulations

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

A Selection Committee is set up for the selection procedure. It consists of members designated by the Appointing Authority and the Staff Committee. The Selection Committee is bound by the principle of confidentiality as enshrined in Article 6 of Annex III to the Staff Regulations. This works in two ways: first, it imposes obligations to ensure equal treatment for candidates; and second, it seeks to protect the Selection Committee to ensure that its decisions are totally impartial.

The Selection Committee adheres strictly to the conditions of admission laid down in the vacancy notice when deciding whether or not candidates are eligible. Candidates admitted to a previous selection procedure will not automatically be eligible. Candidates are strictly forbidden to make any contact with the members of the Selection Committee, either directly or indirectly. Any infringement of this rule will lead to disqualification from the selection procedure.

Should the Selection Committee discover at any stage in the procedure that the candidate does not meet one or more of the general or special conditions for admission to the selection procedure, the candidate will be disqualified.

The Selection Committee decides on those candidates who are admitted to the selection procedure in accordance with the requirements as specified under eligibility criteria. The applications of the candidates admitted to the selection procedure are reviewed to establish whether or not they show evidence of all requirements as specified under selection criteria. The Selection Committee will invite for an interview up to a maximum of 10 candidates that they deem best qualified. The interview will be held in English and the candidate’s knowledge of other languages will also be assessed during the interview. Candidates invited for an interview will be asked to undergo a written test in the area of expertise required for the post. The test and the interview will take place in Copenhagen (Denmark) where the EEA has its seat and where the place of employment is.

At the end of the interviews the Selection Committee will submit the list of suitable candidates to the Appointing Authority who will decide on the appointment of the successful candidate and the establishment of a reserve list for the post advertised or similar posts that may become available. This usually follows from follow-up recruitment interviews conducted by the Appointing Authority with the suitable candidates. 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 2021 and may be extended at the discretion of the Appointing Authority.

Prior to contract signature, the successful candidate will be asked:

• to provide original or certified copies of all relevant documents proving his/her eligibility, including a police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record;
• to undergo a compulsory medical examination to establish that he/she meets the standard of physical fitness necessary to perform the duties involved.

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION:

Any personal data provided by the applicant shall be processed pursuant to European Regulation related to personal data protection, in particular Regulation (EU) 1725/2018. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Personal data shall be processed solely for the purposes of this selection procedure.

The applicant shall have the right of access to his/her personal data and the right to rectify or update any such data that is inaccurate or incomplete at any time during the application procedure. The right to rectify can only be exercised up to the closing date for submission of applications. However, inaccurate identification data may be rectified at any time during and after the application procedure. Any request for access or rectification of personal data shall be addressed in writing to the Human Resource Management Group at the address: European Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, 1050 Copenhagen K, Denmark, or at the e-mail address:

recruitment.enquiries@eea.europa.eu.

The applicant can, upon request, be provided with their evaluation results at all stages of the selection procedure. The request must be submitted to the Human Resource Management Group at the address: European Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, 1050 Copenhagen K, Denmark, or at the e-mail address:

recruitment.enquiries@eea.europa.eu.

The Agency 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 Agency’s senior management team may have access to reserve lists and in specific cases, to the application of a candidate.

Should the applicant have any queries concerning the processing of his/her personal data, s/he shall address them to the European Environment Agency at the following e-mail address:

dataprotectionofficer@eea.europa.eu

Applicants are entitled to have recourse at any time to the European Data Protection Supervisor (http://www.edps.europa.eu; EDPS@edps.europa.eu) if they consider that their rights under Regulation (EU) 1725/2018 have been infringed as a result of the processing of their personal data by the EEA.

For further detailed information please refer to the privacy statement available on the EEA website at the following address: https://www.eea.europa.eu/about-us/jobs/privacy-statement-1.

EQUAL TREATMENT:

EEA is an equal opportunities employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of gender, colour, racial, social or ethnic origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation, marital status or family situation, or any other status. Staff is recruited on the broadest possible geographical basis from among nationals of all EEA member countries.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Interested candidates must apply by filling in electronically the application form below.

Please note that the address indicated on the form will be used as the location for travel for candidates invited to an interview.

To the application form must be attached:

• The Europass CV duly filled in
• A letter of motivation

Application documents:

• Template Europass CV
• Europass CV – online completion
• Instructions for Europass CV

NB: Failure to submit any of the required documents will lead to exclusion from the procedure.

Closing date for application: Monday 16 March 2020, at 12.00 noon Copenhagen time.

Applications sent after this date will be rejected.

Please ensure that you observe the following:

1. Remember to take time zones into consideration when sending your application.
2. Remember to fill in the application form below.
3. Include a CV using the Europass template attached and a letter of motivation.
4. Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an automatic reply.
5. It is your responsibility to keep the automatic reply message as proof of submission of your application.
6. Should you not receive an automatic reply message, please check whether the e-mail has been filtered by the spam filter set up on your e-mail account. Please re-submit your application if this is not the case, or contact Human Resources on the e-mail address indicated at the end of this vacancy notice.
7. Please do not leave it until the last minute to submit your application. Experience has shown that the system can become overloaded as the deadline for applications approaches and you may find it difficult to submit your application in time. Applications not submitted in time cannot be considered valid.
8. You may apply in any of the official languages of the European Union but the use of English is encouraged to facilitate the selection process.

REQUEST FOR REVIEW:

A candidate who feels that a mistake has been made regarding eligibility may ask to have his/her application reconsidered by sending, within 10 calendar days of the date of notification, a request for review, quoting the number of the selection procedure concerned to the Chairperson of the Selection Committee at the following address: European Environment Agency, Kongens Nytorv 6, 1050 Copenhagen K, Denmark, or electronically at the e-mail address: recruitment.enquiries@eea.europa.eu.   

The Selection Committee will reconsider the application and notify the candidate of its decision within 15 working days of receipt of the request for review.

APPEAL PROCEDURES:

If a candidate considers that he/she has been adversely affected by a particular decision, he/she can lodge a 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 Environment Agency
Kongens Nytorv 6
1050 Copenhagen K
Denmark

The complaint must be lodged within 3 months. The time limit for initiating this type of procedure starts to run 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 General Court of the European Union

Postal address:

L – 2925 Luxembourg

Please note that the Appointing Authority 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 Committees 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
F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex

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.

For questions only: