The Public Appointments Service, Ireland, has been requested to advertise a number of vacancies for National Experts to work on Secondment various Directorates General in the European Commission

PAS Reference Number 1437903 _________________________________________________________________________

GENERAL INFORMATION BOOKLET - PLEASE READ CAREFULLYJob Vacancy List June 2014 - List

The European Commission

Requires 15 Experts to work on Secondment in various Directorates General of the European Commission.Effective Application Deadline Thursday 19 th June 2014 for the submission of completed applications to the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU. This is in advance of the actual closing date, in order that applications may be forwarded to reach the Commission on time.

Closing Time Deadline: 15.00 hours BST

*Note: * BRUSSELS TIME / Central European Summer Time (CEST) is British Summer Time (BST) + 1 Hour

Applications

Apply using the European Union CV/Application format. A step by step guide to completing your CV in EU format is available at:  http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu

European Commission Contact Address: Commission Européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel – Belgium Telephone: (32-2) 299 11 11

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European CommissionThe European Commission is seeking to recruit “Seconded National Experts” (SNE’s) to work on secondment in the Commission (European Civil Service).

These are generally persons with knowledge, experience and expertise in particular fields which cover a broad spectrum of disciplines that may include, for example, agriculture, accountancy, audit, aviation, communications and technology, competition, consumer affairs, defence and security, development (aid) and cooperation, courts services, economics, energy, enterprise, environment, finance, food, health, law, marine, regional and urban development, regulation, research, science and technology, statistics, structural funds, transport and so on.

Opportunities arise at all levels of organisations. They may range from clerical, administrative, professional and technical to senior management posts.

The type of work or functions are also diverse, such as, policy development, enforcement, implementation, crisis management, interpretation/ translation, research and analysis, human resources, management and so on.

If you are considering a temporary, but challenging career move, you may be interested in applying for one of these posts.

VACANCIES - SECONDED NATIONAL EXPERTS (SNE) POST

15 Seconded National Expert Posts June 2014

Effective Application Deadline: Wednesday 21st May 2014 at 15.00 BST to facilitate processing your application and so that it may be forwarded to the Commission on time.

(a) What are the skills, experience and /or qualifications are required? (b) What languages are required?

This will depend of the vacancy. Please click on the MSWord icon hereunder for details in respect of individual posts. If languages are not specified, applicants are reminded that Irish is an official language of the EU.

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Job Location(s):

The main location of post(s) is Brussels, Belgium, except where otherwise stated.

Who may eligible?

Eligible applicants include those; generally, but not exclusively; working in the civil, public and state sector services at:

local, regional and national levels.

However, the concept of civil / public servant / state employee (fonctionnaire) in Institutions of the European Union is much broader than it is in Ireland. Employment Sectors include:

Civil Servants working in Government Departments/Offices; Public Servants, such as those working in Local Authorities, including local and

regional authorities, HSE, etc., Members of the Security and Defence Services, civilian and non-civilian, may also be

eligible to apply (includes An Garda Síochána, Army, Air Corps and Naval Service) Certain other Public Sector State Bodies, (such as);

Universities and other (state) Educational Institutions

Intergovernmental Agencies/Organisations;

Some quasi - autonomous non-governmental organisations (under the auspices of a department may be eligible – check with the parent department/body)

Experts from certain international organisations; Certain not for profit research centres, etc., may also be eligible: especially those

working in areas where their unique skills and knowledge are specifically required by the Commission.

Please refer the European Commission official information on http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/job/sne/index_en.htm However, full details, including categories of persons eligible to apply is available on: http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/regime_end_en.pdfThe Permanent Representative of Ireland to the European Commission may also be in a position to provide any further clarification with regard to general eligibility.

Details in relation to SNE posts are generally circulated by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to Personnel Officers, who may in turn notify staff.

Who pays a SNE’s salary and or expenses?

(a) Sponsorship in terms of salary for most SNE posts are payable by your current (national) employer. Allowable expenses are payable by the European Commission /Agency.

(b) “Cost free posts”, where stated; means that both salary and any allowable expenses are payable by your current (national) employer.

Therefore, staff working in these sectors must have the agreement of their current employer prior to applying for these posts to sponsor their salary for the duration of secondment and granting leave of absence.

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Civil Service staff should contact their department’s/office’s Personnel Officer and /or

the Department of the Taoiseach for policy on this matter Website: www.eujobs.ie Contact the EU Jobs team at: eujobs@taoiseach.ie | Twitter | Facebook | webmaster@taoiseach.gov.ie

Staff currently employed in other state sectors should, in the first instance, contact their Human Resources Manager. If the organisation is affiliated to a national, regional or local authority, the authority may need to consult with the ‘parent body’.

Why secondment to the EU and what are the benefits to the EU and Ireland?

The European Commission has a policy of promoting exchange of persons with particular knowledge, skills and experience across Institutions of the European Union. These are called “Seconded National Experts” (SNEs). SNE’s have a dual role:

they bring the high level of professional knowledge and experience they have gained in particular areas of expertise in their national authority (EU member state) to the Commission / EU Institution/Agency; and

allows their home administration an opportunity to profit from the exchange of professional experience and knowledge of EU issues / policies / processes that they acquire during their period of secondment.

How long will the secondment last?

Normally secondments are for a period of up to 2 years, which may be extended, subject to agreement. However, intending applicants should address any enquiries to the nominated officer in the office of the Directorate General; Service or, Agency; for the listed vacancy concerned (please click on the MSWord job vacancy icon for details).

General Information on the Application Process

Where do I send my application?

Completed applications must be sent to the Representatives of Ireland to the European Commission, as outlined hereunder, by the Effective Closing Date at the latest. This is in order that they may be processed and forwarded to the Commission, by the closing date. However, applicants are advised to apply for these posts well in advance of that date and, also to allow plenty of time to complete the application process.

(a) Applications should be sent to the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Commission at following email address: Jennie.Quin@dfa.ie

(b) Applications should reach Ms. Quin by close of business 15.00 hours BST that is 16.00 hours CEST on the date specified in respect of the individual post(s). 

For further information on individual post(s) please contact the nominated person in the relevant Directorate(s).

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What documents do I need to submit with my application?

1. Curriculum Vitae : CV’s must be sent in (word or pdf) and should ideally follow the Europass CV template (including language CV) format requested that can be found on: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/europass/home/hornav/Introduction.csp?loc=en_GBApplications must be made in English, French or, German. Linguistic versions, other than any of these three, shall not be taken into account by the Commission.

2. A Letter of Motivation which would usually outline the; particular qualifications, skills, competencies, together with experience that might be of particular value to the Commission; that an applicant might bring to the post for which he /she is applying.

3. A Letter of Sponsorship from your current employer, agreeing in principle to sponsoring your application in terms of leave of absence for the duration of the secondment and payment of your salary, must also be submitted. Your application will not be processed without this.

If required, Letters of Recommendation, Traineeship Reports, Diplomas, Degrees etc. will be requested from candidates who are invited to interview and/or selection.General Points of Interest

Applicants, when considering the posts for which they might be eligible in terms of qualifications, skills and experience, should note that each Directorate General may have responsibility for a number of Directorates and have a very wide competence and policy remit.

The Directorate General for Competition (COMP), for example, deals with antitrust rules in all sectors of consumer goods; merger control; and competition from a ‘fair competition’ point of view, which could be economic and /or legal etc. So, depending on the vacancy, applicants with a background in Competition; Development; Economics; Finance; Law; Taxation and Customs and so on might be required in this area. Similarly, DEVCO has a broad remit: development aid in countries in South or West Africa, for example. Another responsibility of DEVCO might be in the area of sustainable development. Areas of responsibility within a directorate might deal with diverse areas, such as budget; finance; or economic analysis etc.

It is therefore, in the interest of potential applicants to look, not only at the Directorates / Services/ Agencies involved; but also at their responsibilities, together with the general and specific qualifications required in respect of individual posts (for example, an accountant may be required for Legal Service [SJ] and a legal advisor by the Directorate for Economic and Financial Affairs [ECFIN].

It is entirely the responsibility of intending applicants to make themselves au fait with the European Commission rules in relation to Seconded National Expert posts, including Date and Time Deadlines; Eligibility; Sponsorship and the Application Process.

Useful websites:

Reference Documents & useful links

European Commission: http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

European Commission Directorates General, Services and Decentralised Agencies: http://ec.europa.eu/about/ds_en.htm

European Personnel Selection Office EPSO/EU Careers: http://europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm

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Commission Date: 25 June 2014___________________________________________________________________________

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