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Project Control Officer

GSA - European GNSS Agency (Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency)

Prague, Czech Republic

For more information on GSA please consult our website:
http://www.gsa.europa.eu/gsa/overview
The European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) has set up a selection procedure that aims to establish a reserve list (five-year contract with the possibility of a renewal for a fixed period and a further renewal for an indefinite period on the conditions set out in the Staff Regulations and in the Conditions of Employment for Other Servants) for Project Control Officer (Vacancy Reference Number: GSA/2015/104).
Date of Publication: 23/09/2015 
Deadline for applications: 22/10/2015 23:59 hours (CET)
Type of Contract: Temporary Agent
Grade/Function Group: AD7
Place of employment: Prague (Czech Republic)
Contract Duration: 5 years with possibility of renewal1
Desired Start Date: As soon as possible
Organisational Department: Project Control Department
Reporting To: Head of Department 
Possible reserve list valid until: 31/12/2016
Level of security clearance2: SECRET UE/EU SECRET

1. PROJECT CONTROL DEPARTMENT

The Project Control Department handles all matters related to project control of the Galileo and EGNOS programmes, together with corporate planning and programming and GSA-wide document management. The Department's tasks include in particular:
  • Management and control of the Galileo and EGNOS Exploitation Programmes’ schedule, cost, risk, reporting, assets and documentation;
  • Development of the principle GSA planning and programming documents, together with preparation of the GSA Administrative Board;
  • Management of GSA Unclassified and Restreint UE documents;
  • Support to the Executive Director and his team for programme management tasks.

2. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Project Control Officer reports to the Head of Project Control Department. His/her main task is to ensure a proper monitoring and control of the GNSS programme and internal GSA activities. The specific responsibilities shall be finalised on appointment including:
  • Developing and maintaining the project control processes and tools required to properly manage the GNSS programme and internal GSA schedule, costs, risks, configuration changes, actions and documentation;
  • Developing and implementing appropriate project control metrics as contractual provisions applicable to externalised activities, including participation in tender evaluations in particular from a cost assessment perspective;
  • Managing the GNSS programme assets in close cooperation with the European Commission;
  • Preparing communication and reporting to the European Commission and Member States on the GNSS programme and GSA plans and status;
  • Developing the GSA work programme and annual activity report, and other administrative documents and reports as required;
  • Liaising with the GSA administrative departments to ensure the efficient preparation and administration of the GSA Administrative Board;
  • Developing and maintaining GSA corporate-level project control processes in particular in support of quality management as required;
  • Supporting the Head of Project Control Department for additional topics as required.

3. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

A. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The selection procedure is open to applicants who satisfy the following eligibility criteria, on the closing date for application:
  1. A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies3 attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more,
    OR
    A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and at least one year of appropriate professional experience when the normal period of university education is three years;
  2. In addition to the above,appropriate professional experience4 of at least six years;
  3. Be a national of a Member State of the European Union or Norway;
  4. Be entitled to his or her full rights as citizen;
  5. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service;
  6. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved5;
  7. Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the European Union6 and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the European Union6 to the extent necessary for the performance of his/her duties; and
  8. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post7.

B. SELECTION CRITERIA

All eligible applications, according to the afore-mentioned criteria (part A), will be assessed against the requirements listed below. Please note that non-compliance with at least one of the Essential requirements (B.1) will result in the exclusion of the candidate from the selection process.
Advantageous requirements (B.2) constitute additional assets and will not result in exclusion, if not fulfilled.

1) Essential qualifications and experience

i. University degree in an Exact Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, or Business/Economics and at least 3 years experience of the tasks described in ‘2. Tasks and Responsibilities’; or at least 6 years experience of the tasks described in ‘2. Tasks and Responsibilities’ and a university degree in another subject;
ii. Experience in public infrastructure and/or services project management, including schedule, costs and risks management;
iii. Good expertise and background in Aeronautics, Defence and/or Space programme management;
iv. Proven abilities to use electronic office equipment (e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, email, internet, etc);
v. Excellent command of both written and spoken English.

2) Advantageous qualifications and experience

vi. Experience in working at EU institutions;
vii. Experience and background in EGNOS and Galileo programmes.

3) Behavioural competences

viii. Motivation;
ix. Working with others;
x. Strong sense of responsibility, discipline and initiative;
xi. Strong sense of order, precision and organisation;
xii. Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

4. SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection procedure includes the following steps:
  • After registration, each application will be checked in order to verify that it meets the eligibility criteria;
  • All eligible applications will be evaluated by a Selection Board based on the selection criteria defined in this vacancy notice;
  • The best-qualified candidates, those who obtained the highest number of points within the evaluation, will be short-listed for an interview. The minimum threshold is 65% of the total points;
  • During the interview, the Selection Board will examine each candidate’s profile and will assess their relevancy for this post. In order to support the evaluation via interview, shortlisted candidates will be required to undergo written tests relevant to the job content (the minimum threshold for this test is 50% of the total  points allocated for it) and to complete part of the process in their second EU language. All candidates shortlisted for an interview will also be requested to complete an online Business Attitude Questionnaire;
  • Candidates will be requested to bring with them on the day of the interview photocopies of all the supporting documents for their educational qualifications and employment necessary to prove that they meet the eligibility criteria. GSA has the right to disqualify applicants who fails to submit all the required documents;
  • As a result of the interviews, the Selection Board will recommend the most suitable candidate(s) for this post to be placed on a reserve list. The minimum threshold to be placed on the reserve list is 65% of the total points. This list may also be used for recruitment of a similar post depending on the Agency’s needs Inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment;
  • The reserve list will be presented to the Appointing Authority who may decide to convene a second interview and ultimately will appoint the successful candidate to the post.
Indicative date for the interview and written test8: October/November 2015
Candidates are strictly forbidden to make any contact with the Selection Board members, either directly or indirectly. Any infringement of this rule will lead to disqualification from the selection procedure.

5. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

For applications to be considered valid, candidates must submit an email to jobs@gsa.europa.eu with a subject line of ‘SURNAME_Name_Vacancy Reference Number’ and which contains the Agency’s approved application form (Download it here: http://www.gsa.europa.eu/gsa/job-opportunities).
This form must be:
  • Completed in English;
  • Fully completed, pointing out the professional experience relevant to this position (incl. calculation of years, months);
  • Printed, signed and clearly scanned (in one single document);
  • Named as follows: SURNAME_Name_Vacancy Ref. number (e.g.SPENCER_Marc_GSA.2012.123).
The application will be rejected if it is not duly completed, if it is not signed by hand.
Further supporting documents showing evidence of the information given in the application will be requested at a later stage.
No documents will be sent back to candidates.
Applications must be sent to jobs@gsa.europa.eu and received by the deadline listed on page 01 of this vacancy notice at the latest, clearly indicating the vacancy reference number in the subject line.
Applications sent after the deadline will not be considered.

Candidates are reminded not to wait until the final days before the closing date of applications’ submissions. The Agency cannot be held responsible for any last-minute malfunction due to any overflow of the mailbox.

6. APPEAL PROCEDURE

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 of the European Communities and Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities, at the following address:
European GNSS Agency (GSA)
Human Resources Department
Janovského 438/2
170 00 Prague 7
Czech Republic
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 action adversely affecting him/her.
  • submit a judicial appeal under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (ex Art. 236 of the EC Treaty) and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities to the:
European Union Civil Service Tribunal
Boulevard Konrad Adenauer
Luxembourg 2925
LUXEMBOURG
For details of how to submit an appeal, please consult the website of the European Union Civil Service Tribunal:http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo1_6308/. The time limits for initiating this type of procedure (see Staff Regulations as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 723/2004 of 22 March 2004, published in Official Journal of the European Union L 124 of 27 April 2004 - http://eur-lex.europa.eu) start to run from the time you become aware of the act allegedly prejudicing your interests.
  • make a complaint to the European Ombudsman:
European Ombudsman
1 avenue du Président Robert Schuman
CS 30403
67001 Strasbourg Cedex
FRANCE
http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu
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 for lodging complaints or for submitting appeals to the Civil Service Tribunal under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (ex Art. 236 TEC). Please note also that, under Article 2(4) of the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, any complaint lodged with the Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative approaches to the institutions and bodies concerned.

7. SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The pay of staff members consists of a basic salary and of various allowances, if the person is entitled to them, weighted by a correction coefficient (currently 75% for CZ, 116.8% for FR, 150.7% for UK) which is revised on an annual basis with retroactive effect from 1 July. The full pay is exempt from national taxation.
In addition to the basic salary, staff members may be entitled to various allowances, as indicated below:

Temporary Agent AD7


Indicative amounts depending on family situation and application of the coefficient
Precise entitlements are determined upon recruitment, based on documentary evidence.
Basic net salary (entry level) – correction coefficient applied
Deduction made from salary at source for:
  • Pension (10,1%);
  • Health insurance (1,70%);
  • Accident cover (0,10%);
  • Income tax (levied at a progressive rate);
  • Solidarity levy (6%);
  • Unemployment insurance (0,81%).

  € 3,233.12

Expatriation allowance
  € 898.02 - without children
  € 1,003.58 - 1 child
Household allowance
  € 284.13
Dependent child allowance
  € 375.59
Pre-school allowance
  € 91.75
Education allowance
 
  Up to € 509.66 (subject to conditions)
In addition, newcomers may also be entitled to the reimbursement of removal costs, temporary daily subsistence allowance and installation allowance.
The GSA fully covers the tuition fees for 12 international schools in Prague (main languages: English, French or German).
Staff is entitled to annual leave of two working days per each complete calendar month of service plus additional days for the grade, age, home leaves for expatriates and an average of 16 GSA public holidays per year.
Special leave is granted for certain circumstances such as marriage, moving, election, birth or adoption of a child, serious sickness of spouse, etc.
The GSA’s benefits include an attractive health insurance and an independent pension scheme, providing a very competitive pension after a period 10 years employment. Pension rights acquired in one or more national schemes before starting to work at GSA may be transferred into the EU pension system.
Staff is covered 24/7 and worldwide by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS). Staff is insured against sickness, accident and occupational disease, and could be entitled to unemployment and to invalidity allowances.
The GSA aims at creating and maintaining a supportive and healthy work environment that enables staff members to have balance between work and personal responsibilities, for example through flexible working time arrangements.
GSA also offers a wide range of training courses to develop staff members’ personal skills and keep in touch with the latest developments in their field. The training and professional development opportunities are attuned to the career plan and requirements of the departments.

For further information on working conditions of temporary staff please refer to the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS):

8. COMMITMENT

Declaration of commitment to serve the public interest independently:

The jobholder will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in relation to any interest that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. The jobholder will be required to carry out his/her duties and conduct him/herself solely with the interests of the European Union in mind; he/she shall neither seek nor take instruction from any government, authority, organisation or person outside his/her institution. He/she shall carry out the duties assigned with objectivity, impartiality and loyalty to the European Union.

Commitment to promote equal opportunities:

The Agency is an equal opportunities employer and strongly encourages applications from all candidates who fulfil the eligibility and selection criteria without any distinction whatsoever on grounds of nationality, age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, gender or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or other family situation.

9. DATA PROTECTION

The personal information GSA requests from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EC) N° 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data.
The purpose of processing personal data which candidates submit is to manage applications in view of possible pre-selection and recruitment at GSA. All personal data collected will only be used for this purpose and will in no case be transmitted to any third party. Any data provided will be treated in the strictest confidence and with high standards of security.
Applicants’ documents will only be kept for as long as it is mandatory to fulfil the requirements of existing auditing/control procedures applicable to GSA.
Applicants have a right to access their data. They have a right to update or correct at any time their identification data. On the other hand, data demonstrating compliance with the eligibility and selection criteria may not be updated or corrected after the closing date for the respective selection procedure.
Applicants are entitled to have recourse at any time to the European Data Protection Supervisor (http://www.edps.europa.euEDPS@edps.europa.eu) if they consider that their rights under Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 have been infringed as a result of the processing of their personal data by the GSA.
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1 The contract is renewable, a second renewal shall be for an indefinite period.
2 The successful candidate must hold a valid personnel security clearance at the above defined EU level or be able and willing to apply for a security clearance immediately after the contract award. The procedure for obtaining a personnel security clearance shall be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate.
3 Only study titles that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are subject to the equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration.
4 Only appropriate professional experience acquired after achieving the minimum qualification stated in A.1 shall be considered. Where additional periods of training and study are accompanied by periods of professional activity, only the latter shall be considered as professional experience. Compulsory military service or equivalent civilian service accomplished after achieving the minimum qualification stated in A.1. shall be taken into consideration. Internships will be taken into consideration if they are paid. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the percentage of full-time hours worked. A given period may be counted only once.
5 Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a Police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record.
6 The languages of the EU are: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Irish, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish.
7 Before a successful candidate can be appointed, s/he will be medically examined by a selected medical service so that the Agency will be satisfied that s/he fulfils the requirement of Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulation of Officials of the European Communities.
8 The date might be modified depending on the availability of the Selection Board members.