Deadline: 14 May 2018
Contract Agent
Operations Directorate
ABOUT EUROPOL
This selection procedure is intended to establish a reserve list of successful candidates of possibly at least 6 candidates who can be deployed to any of the three countries, unless specifically indicated in the application.
Europol is a well-established and recognized organisation that became an EU agency in 2010. It is constantly looking for creative, self-reliant and energetic employees, who are up to the challenges involved in international crime-fighting, to work in its state-of-the-art headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands.
It employs more than 1,000 personnel, including around 130 analysts, to identify and track the most dangerous criminal and terrorist networks in Europe. Our people come from a variety of professional backgrounds such us law enforcement, finance, legal, information technologies, human resources, communication, etc.
Working in close-knit teams, our specialists use their expertise and our cutting-edge technology to support investigations into serious organised crime and terrorism within and outside the EU.
Europol has:
• disrupted many criminal and terrorist networks
• contributed to the arrest of thousands of dangerous criminals
• helped recover millions of euros of crime proceeds
• helped hundreds of victims of trafficking and abuse, including children.
The working environment at Europol has a lot to offer. It is:
• highly collaborative
• intellectually stimulating
• multilingual
• multidisciplinary
• international
Prospective candidates should be prepared to work in a dynamic and fast-moving environment that requires a high level of flexibility, and should have the ability to perform well within a team.
Equal opportunity
Europol is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications without distinction on the basis of gender, colour, racial, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, nationality, age, sexual orientation or gender identity.
We aim to create and maintain a healthy and attractive work environment that supports women and men in their career planning and in achieving a healthy work-life balance.
Employment at Europol is open to nationals of EU Member States. There is no nationality quota system in operation, but Europol is striving for a broad range of nationalities in order to keep a well-balanced geographical distribution among its staff members. Applications from female candidates are particularly encouraged.
If you would like to be part of a supportive team that allows you to make a strong contribution, and if you have seen a position that appeals to you, we’d like to hear from you.
BACKGROUND, MAIN PURPOSE AND TASKS OF THE POST
Having in mind the need to strengthen cooperation between Western Balkan countries and Europol, the European Commission (“Commission”) proposed to financially support Europol to deploy Europol Liaison Officers (ELO) in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Serbia.
The ELOs would bring the local national authorities up to speed in their cooperation with Europol and the EU Member States in order to complement the existing cooperation tools by strengthening the partners’ institutional capacities to fight crime and build robust criminal justice systems. The ELOs’ role would be complementary to the existing bilateral liaison networks established by EU Member States.
Under Europol’s organisational structure, the Operations Directorate hosts five distinct Departments: Front Office, European Serious Organised Crime Centre, European Cyber Crime Centre, European Counter Terrorism Centre, and Horizontal Operational Services.
Horizontal Operational Services (HOS) delivers support across the Operations Directorate. These functions do not belong to one specific Centre but deliver added value to all three Centres and the Front Office. The Europol ELOs in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia will be integrated as part of the O56- Liaison & Stakeholders support within HOS, similar to the Europol Liaison Officers in USA and Interpol.
The successful applicant will have to carry out the following main duties:
• Facilitate the cooperative relations between Europol and the receiving third country in order to support the Member States of the European Union in preventing and combating organised crime, terrorism and other forms of international crime within Europol’s mandate
• Establish contacts with relevant designated competent authorities falling within the mandate of Europol and the operational cooperation agreement of the receiving third country;
• Support the information exchange between parties;
• Provide support to Europol on-going initiatives and tools in the receiving third country;
• Facilitate and support implementation of the operational cooperation agreement in place with the competent national authorities, highlighting opportunities while addressing shortcomings;
• Support co-operation and co-ordination of Europol activities; monitoring of the criminal situation including cross-border crime and terrorism, contributing to maintaining an updated situational picture, in cooperation with local law enforcement officers, thereby increasing mutual understanding and trust;
• Promote and train the local authorities in Europol’s best practices and solutions, such as intelligence led policing, proper strategic analysis (SOCTA and TESAT methodology) and involvement of the relevant authorities in EU Policy Cycle ( EMPACT) activities;
• Assist Europol in monitoring the organisational and operational developments in the receiving country;
• Strengthen coordination and assistance in the organisation of meetings, trainings, workshops, seminars and other activities held by Member States and Europol;
• Support drafting the regional and country SOCTA/TOCTA, TE-SAT etc.
• Facilitate Europol’s participation in meetings on strategic and operational matters;
• Support coordination meetings with the relevant EU Delegation, Member States, IPA projects, Interpol, OSCE, UNODC, and other donors/stakeholders;
• Perform any other tasks as assigned by the line management.
REQUIREMENTS – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
CANDIDATES MUST:
• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the position (prior to appointment, the successful candidate will be medically examined by one of the institution’s medical officers in order that the institution may be satisfied that the candidate fulfils the requirements of Article 12(2)(d) CEOS)
• Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.
CANDIDATES MUST HAVE:
• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies, attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 3 years or more.
OR
• Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area (e.g. Police Officer’s School) and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:
| Duration of professional training | Professional experience |
| More than 6 months and up to 1 year | 3 years |
| More than 1 year and up to 2 years | 2 years |
| More than 2 years and up to 3 years | 1 year |
REQUIREMENTS – SELECTION CRITERIA
a. Professional experience (assessed mainly during the Shortlisting phase):
Essential:
• At least 5 years of experience in combating serious and organised crime and/or counter terrorism investigations at international level, in multiple crime areas – please provide clear examples;
• Experience and ability to participate in project oriented work or JITs (Joint Investigation Teams) – please provide clear examples;
• Experience in handling information and intelligence in relation with Europol data protection rules and security regulations;
• Experience in drafting strategic and operational reports;
• Experience in liaison/diplomatic work in on bilateral or international level, preferably in the Western Balkans.
Desirable:
• Previous experience in working at Europol as Europol staff, as Seconded National Expert and/or Liaison officer at the National Liaison Bureaux at Europol.
b. Professional knowledge (assessed during the Selection procedure – Written/Practical test and/or Interview):
Essential:
• Knowledge of Europol’s strategic and operational products and services;
• Sound knowledge of the Western Balkans and the region’s political and security situation;
• Good understanding of relevant EU policies and international and EU institutions, organisations and agencies involved in the Western Balkans.
• Very good knowledge and practical experience of international law enforcement co-operation regulations and procedures;
• Good knowledge of international law enforcement structures;
Desirable:
• Proficiency in the language of the country of deployment or in a language which is commonly spoken in the country of deployment, such as Serbo-Croatian, Albanian, Italian, etc.
c. General competencies (assessed during the Selection procedure – Written/Practical test and/or Interview):
Communicating:
• Very good communication skills in English, both orally and in writing;
• Very good drafting skills and attention to detail.
Analysing & problem solving:
• Keen eye for detail with the ability to maintain standards of accuracy under pressure of tight deadlines;
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills including the ability to anticipate potential problems, determine and implement solutions;
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.
Delivering quality and results:
• High degree of commitment and flexibility;
• High level of customer and service-orientation.
Prioritising and organising:
• Good administrative and organisational skills.
Resilience:
• Ability to work well under pressure, both independently and in a team.
• Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well as with external partners.
Living diversity:
• Ability to work effectively in an international and multi-cultural environment.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
The Contracting Authority sets up a Selection Committee which consists of at least three members, one from the Human Resources Unit of Europol, one from the concerned Unit or Department and one designated by the Staff Committee.
For non-restricted posts the Contracting Authority may designate up to two additional members to the Selection Committee on a proposal from the Management Board, either from another service of Europol, from outside Europol or from outside the community institutions including Member States.
The Selection Committee determines candidates’ suitability for the position by assessing their skills, experience and qualifications against the established job profile and makes an initial selection from the applications received.
The Selection Committee will invite the 10 highest scoring candidates (short-listed). All candidates having a score equal to the 10th highest scoring candidate will be included in the list of invited candidates. Shortlisted applicants are invited to participate in a post-related selection procedure, generally consisting of written and/or practical tests and competency-based interviews.
The Contracting Authority makes a decision of appointment on the basis of advice from the Selection Committee. The Contracting Authority will inform the Committee of its decision. All candidates who attend the selection procedure will be informed of the outcome.
Candidates who attended a selection procedure may request feedback on their performance of the written test and interview within three months after the selection procedure. Europol will not be in a position to respond to feedback inquiries received outside this time frame.
The Selection Committee’s work and deliberations are confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the members of the Selection Committee or for anyone to do so on their behalf. All enquiries or requests for information or documentation in relation to the competition should be addressed to the Europol Recruitment Office.
Detailed information on the selection procedure, including the appeal procedure is available in the Europol Recruitment Guidelines, which can be found on Europol’s website.
SALARY
Scale: FG IV
The basic monthly salary is grade 13 (EUR 3 404.15), grade 14 (EUR 3 851.61) or grade 16 (EUR 4 930.71).
The step in grade is determined on the basis of professional experience gained after the education required for the position and in line with applicable implementing rules.
| Grade | Proven professional experience |
| 13 | Up to 7 years |
| 14 | More than 7 years |
| 16 | More than 20 years |
In addition, allowances and benefits foreseen by Annex X of the EU Staff Regulations for staff member serving in a third country will be granted.
In addition, if applicable, allowances such as expatriation allowance, household allowance, dependent child and education allowance may be granted.
Europol offers a comprehensive welfare package comprising additional benefits such as medical insurance, unemployment and invalidity allowance as well as a pension scheme.
Salaries are subject to a community tax but exempt from national taxation.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
PROBATION PERIOD
Engagement for this position is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period of 9 months. Within this period the successful candidate will have to undergo a post-related security screening.
Europol reserves the right to terminate the contract of employment during or at the end of the probation period in accordance with Article 14 of CEOS.
SECURITY SCREENING AND CERTIFICATE OF GOOD CONDUCT
All candidates who have successfully passed a selection procedure are required to apply for a national “Certificate of good conduct” at the time an offer of employment is made.
The “certificate of good conduct” must be provided to Europol prior the signature of the employment contract. In case of unfavourable entries in the “Certificate of good conduct” Europol reserves the right not to award an employment contract. However, the national certificate of good conduct does not substitute a valid full Personal Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC) that must be obtained for all Europol staff at the level indicated in the Job Description.
A PSCC is a certificate issued by a competent authority establishing that an individual is security cleared. It contains: the level of clearance, the date of issuance and the date of expiry. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of employment contract.
The requested level of Security Clearance for this post is: SECRET UE/EU SECRET.
CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
The successful candidate will be recruited as Contract Agent FG IV pursuant to Article 3 (a) of the Staff Regulations of Officials and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities, for a period of 18 months (full-time – 40 hours a week).
The contract may be renewed once for another fixed-term period, subject to the interest of the service and/or the extension of the grant from the Commission.
The contractual situation of Europol staff members will be taken into account if they are successful in the selection procedure.
The place of employment will be The Hague, The Netherlands, but the selected candidates will be deployed as from the beginning of their employment to any of the three countries mentioned above, according to the Annex X of the EU Staff Regulations.
For further information on terms and conditions please consult the EC Staff Regulations which are available on Europol’s website.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MAIN DATES
| Deadline for application: | 14 May 2018, 23:59 CET |
| Recruitment procedure: | June/July 2018 |
| Starting date of employment: | to be confirmed |
APPLICATION PROCESS AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
Please refer to the Europol Recruitment Guidelines available on Europol’s website for further details on the application process and the selection procedure.
CONTACT DETAILS
For further details on the application process please call +31 (0) 70 353 1298 or +31 (0) 70 302 5235. You may also contact us by email.
DATA PROTECTION
The data submitted is processed in order to assess the suitability of candidates for a position at Europol. All personal data collected for the purpose of the selection procedure will only be used within this specific context and will not be disclosed to any third party, except for restricted posts in which the application may be transmitted to the National Unit as part of the application process.
Any data provided will be treated in strict confidence and in full compliance with all applicable data protection rules. The legal bases for the processing of personal data are the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities (Title III Chapter 1) and their implementing rules.
All documents provided to Europol will be kept in Europol’s files and will not be returned to the candidate. Applications of non-recruited candidates will be kept for a maximum of seven years. Data of non-recruited applicants on the reserve list for appointment will be kept for a maximum of five years after the expiry of the reserve list. Data of recruited candidates will be transferred to their personal file. The Business Manager Human Resources is responsible for the data processing operation.
Candidates have the right to access, rectify, block and erase their personal data in accordance with the applicable data protection rules. Candidates have a right of recourse to the Europol Data Protection Officer (Europol – Data Protection Office – Eisenhowerlaan 73, 2517 KK The Hague, The Netherlands) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (www.edps.europa.eu).
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