Communication Officer

GECOTTI - Les Arcuriales

Lille, France

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to: Programme Director

1. General

Organisation and implementation of the cross-cutting communication tasks of the Urban Innovative Actions Programme: preparation of the communication strategy, development of communication tools, follow-up of the communication call for tenders, implementation of the communication activities (events, website and multi-media, publications).

2. Programme promotion

• Responsible for the drafting and set up of the communication strategy of the Urban Innovative Actions Programme;
• Responsible for the content and update of the Programme website: update of the website pages/structure according to the Urban Innovative Actions Programme developments; publication of news, calls for proposals;
• Draft the content of Programme promotional documents: newsletter, programme leaflets, project case studies and project directory;
• Report on Programme and project activities through Programme communication channels: website, newsletter, social media;
• Contribute to the organisation of Urban Innovative Actions events promoting results at Programme level such as annual events, cooperation fairs and other events on demand;
• Develop the Urban Innovative Actions Programme graphic identity and coordinate its implementation;
• Develop press relations: build a targeted list of PR contacts, identify press relations opportunities with projects and Programme authorities, circulate press packs and follow up press contacts, monitor press articles, and produce annual press review.

3. Communication at Programme level

• Set up, develop and coordinate the implementation of the information & communication strategy of the Programme: draft communication-related sections of the Application pack, the Communication toolkit and other information material;
• Presentation of the Programme annual Communication Plan;
• Contribution to relevant sections of the Annual Report: sections relevant to promotion & publicity activities;
• Communication budget monitoring: preparation of annual work plan and budget action plan, regular updates for the Technical Assistant budget;
• Presentation of EU regulations related to Communication at training seminars for applicants or project partners and regular follow-up and assistance with project Lead partners on compliance to requirements;
• Preparation and follow-up of public call for tenders to outsource some tasks on communication products;
• Represent the Programme in EU networks relating to communication: URBACT, INTERACT and others;
• Provide input for the preparation of the future programming period.

4. Communication during the project development phase

• Participate in the organisation of project development events such as Launch events;
• Provide guidance to projects on EU communication requirements in the Programme Manual, and other information material;
• Provide guidance on communication related to individual applicants in the development of their project;
• Check project communication strategies in Application forms.

5. Communication during the project implementation phase

• Follow-up of project implementation: assistance to project lead-partners on communication issues.

6. Languages &Translation

The two official languages of the Urban Innovative Actions Programme are English and French.

• Draft content of news and website articles;
• Proofread and translate the Programme documents;
• Update the bilingual glossary for use on the Programme website.

7. Basic requirements

• Higher degree and/or professional qualification and minimum 3 years of experience in any field of relevance to the above tasks;
• High level of proficiency and fluency in English and French;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills; capacity to convey information in an informative, accurate and appealing way;
• Computer literacy;
• Good team player with the capacity to work in a multicultural/international environment;
• Flexible approach to work.

Other relevant skills/experience/expertise (taken into consideration when assessing candidates and granting seniority in the salary scale):

• Professional experience in similar employment;
• Knowledge of EU institutions and policies;
• Experience within, or in consultation with, international public or private (including nonprofit) organisations.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

• Applications should reach the Managing Authority (called “Entrusted Entity” (EE), according to Article 60 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council) by 03/07/2015at midnight. We will not consider any application sent beyond that deadline;
• A cover letter should be emailed along with your CV to the following email address only:europe@nordpasdecalais.fr. Those documents should be in English or in French. Please indicate in the subject line of your email the job position you are applying for.
• An individual email will be sent to all short-listed candidates by 06/07/2015at the latest. Candidates will be expected to confirm their participation to interviews by email return. They will then receive full information package (location, hotel...)
• Interviews will take in our offices located in Lille, France, on 20/07/2015,21/07/2015,or 22/07/2015.Transport and accommodation costs will be reimbursed in compliance with the programme rules.
• All the candidates who have not been short-listed will be notified. Due to the large number of applications foreseen, we will not be able to provide further individual feedback at that stage.

Confidentiality

Candidates are reminded that the selection is confidential and that all requests for information in relation to the selection should be emailed to:

Mr Jean-Pierre LEGRAND – Project Director: jean-pierre.legrand@nordpasdecalais.fr.

Equal opportunities

Equal opportunities policy without distinction on the grounds of gender, racial, religion or belief, disability age or sexual orientation will be applied.

Terms and conditions of employment

• The working place is located at the office based in Lille, France;
• The position is based on a contract under French law;
• Contract will be made between the individual and the GECOTTI (employer), on behalf of the Région Nord - Pas de Calais, Managing Authority (EE) of the programme;
• The corresponding assignment is based on long term contract and is expected to start as soon as possible;
• The jobholder will be offered a gross monthly salary starting from € 3647 (around € 2796 net before income tax).

THE URBAN INNOVATIVE ACTIONS PROGRAMME

1 / Background

One of the aims for the delivery of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI Funds) for the period 2014-2020 is to promote sustainable urban development. In particular, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) may support innovative actions in this area. This requires detailed rules in form of delegated acts supplementing the provisions set out in Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

One of most important new elements of the legislative framework in the period 2014-2020 is the introduction of innovative actions. These are implemented at the initiative of the Commission indirectly via the delegation of budget implementation tasks to the entities or bodies referred to in Article 58(1)(c) and Article 60 of

Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The ERDF may support innovative actions in the area of sustainable urban development. Such actions shall include studies and pilot projects to identify or test new solutions which address issues that are related to sustainable urban development and are of relevance at Union level.

2 / What is in this new program

This is to identify or test new solutions to the challenges of sustainable urban development and of interest to the EU level.

These innovative actions at the initiative of the Commission will finance studies and specific projects proposed by the urban authorities of more than 50 000 people throughout the European territory. (Cities, group or association of cities or urban authority).

3 / Budget and Programming

This program will have a budget of € 372 million for the period 2015-2024. Of these a lump sum contribution of 7% is to finance the management activities to be performed by the Managing Authority (EE) (and its secretariat) in charge of this initiative. A work program will be developed annually and approved by the Commission before the 31 of October.

4 / Projects

Calls for projects will be defined and agreed in the annual work program. The first call for projects could be launched in the second semester of 2015.
Projects should be developed along the following lines: a high degree of innovation, good quality, with a strong partnership, transferable at the EU level ; results oriented and measurable. The projects will be implemented over a maxim period of 3 years. Project selection will be including on the basis of the recommendations of a panel of experts approved by the Commission.

Approximately 15 and 20 innovative actions will be funded each year from 2015 to 2021 on one or more topics proposed by the Commission. Each action can receive up to a maximum of 5 Million € ERDF co-financing. The co-financing rate will be 80% maximum, and payment terms are 50% on signing of the agreement, 30 % on the basis of an interim report and 20 % on the basis of a final report.

THE ROLE OF THE SECRETARIAT

The Managing Authority (EE) of the UIA initiative is the Région Nord-Pas de Calais based in Lille, France.

The EE has created an international legal body, called GECOTTI, to host 3 INTERREG Programmes in Lille and now this new programme. The legal body under private law is the legal employer of the members of the Permanent Secretariat (PS) Staff.

The secretariat assists the Managing Authority (EE), the External of Auditors, the Certifying Authority, in the implementation of their tasks and responsibilities.

The Mission of the secretariat is defined as follows:

Its mission is to deliver high quality, responsive and pro-active services to its main stakeholders: EE, Commission and projects partners.

To this end, the PS will:

• Ensure the coordination of the whole of the territorial animation;
• Participate, together with the Managing Authority (EE) and the whole partners of the programme to the framework plan for the programme’s communication and publicity;
• Be responsible for providing the secretariat for the external Auditors and for various work groups set up by the Managing Authority (EE);
• Be responsible for some audits of projects;
• Collect submitted projects, acknowledging their receipt and ensure their instruction by associating with it the services instructors of the partners of the programme and the experts;
• Draw up, the conventions signed by the Managing Authority (EE) relating to Europe’s commitment to contribute to and carry out administrative monitoring for
• accepted projects;
• Collecting biannual activity reports from the final beneficiaries and carrying out a physical project progress summary (presented in a format which incorporates monitoring, implementation and impact indicators), for submission to the secretariat in order to draw up the annual or final execution report;
• Set up a data collection system to ascertain how the programme is progressing, to aid programme management operating;
• Update the systems for computerised data management and encode the necessary elements for project monitoring;
• Manage the monitoring of programming and consolidate the progress reported in the annual and final execution report, and will draw up the financial part of these reports;
• Carry out a check that all documents relating to payment of the European share are in order, before submission by the Managing Authority (EE) to the Certifying Authority;
• Carry out the day to day implementation of the EE’s responsibilities foreseen in the AWP (Annual Work Programme and in the regulations (except specific procedures i.e. 1st level control...).