Senior specialist policy advisor

Governance, National Security, International Organisation and Security

Contract Type:

Type:
Temporary employment

Location:
Den Haag

Education Level:

Education:
Bachelor (EQF 6), Master (EQF 7)

Published on:

Published:
11/08/2020

Status:
Open

Apply before:
15/09/2020

Hours p/wk:
40

Description:

ABOUT EUROPOL

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.

Europol employs more than 1,000 personnel, including around 160 analysts, to identify and track the most dangerous criminal and terrorist networks in Europe. Our people come from a variety of professional backgrounds such as 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.

A solid track record

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 our colleagues 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.

BACKGROUND, MAIN PURPOSE AND TASKS OF THE POST

The position of Senior Specialist – Policy Advisor, is located in the Corporate Services Department, Governance Directorate.
The Governance Directorate is responsible for supporting and assisting Europol Management and the rest of the organisation by providing advice and maintaining strategic links with relevant EU bodies and law enforcement agencies of the Member States.

Maintaining close cooperation with other directorates, particularly on key corporate matters and monitor business planning and performance management, are also among the Directorate’s task.

Furthermore, the Governance Directorate is responsible for promoting Europol's achievements in the media and among the general public and the representation of the organisation at internal and external meetings as well as ensuring Europol’s physical and data security.

The Corporate Services Department deals with tasks which are central to Europol's corporate functioning. It is the interface between the organisation and the political arena assisting Europol’s senior management with up-to-date information, political assessments, managing political relations and preparing the Management Board interactions.

The post holder is responsible for the effective discharge of his/her responsibilities under the supervision of the Head of Department Corporate Services.

S/he will be providing guidance and advice on policy and regulatory issues relevant to Europol to the teams in the Department and contribute to policy development across a range of areas.

The successful applicant will carry out the following duties:

• Collect and analyse data, proposals and legislation and monitor communications on relevant policy, with a view to develop and evaluate alternatives, advise on implications and provide clear options and policy recommendations to management;
• Conduct research and analysis on a wide range of issues affecting the organisation, coordinating closely with other departments, units and teams; promote policy expertise across the organisation and encourage ideas and solutions from all levels to ensure development of best fitting policy recommendations;
• Provide strategic perspective on policy through the development of reports and briefings for discussion with the policy and strategic community; contribute to discussions on policy, regulatory and strategic issues;
• Prepare and deliver presentations summarizing key elements of analysis and recommendations to management;
• Identify, define and scope major initiatives and lead or contribute to projects in areas of relevance;
• Ensure a continuous and consistent flow of communication on policy-related issues within and outside the Department; build effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders;
• Represent the unit and / or department in internal and external consultations, meetings and policy-related discussions;
• Perform any other related tasks as assigned by line management.

REQUIREMENTS - ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

a. 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.

b. Candidates must have

• Possess a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is at least 4 years;

OR

• A level of education, which corresponds to completed university studies, attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least 1 year when the normal period of university education is 3 years.

OR

• Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience indicated in the table below:

Duration of professional training Additional professional experience required for equivalency
More than 6 months and up to 1 year 4 years
More than 1 year and up to 2 years 3 years
More than 2 years and up to 3 years 2 years
More than 3 years 1 years

• In addition to the above at least 9 years of professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.

REQUIREMENTS - SELECTION CRITERIA

a. Professional experience (assessed mainly during the shortlisting):

Essential:

• At least 8 years of work experience in policy advice and formulation obtained within an international organisation or national administration, government / ministry;
• Experience in producing a wide range of documents for high-level target audiences;
• Experience in international affairs, including at bilateral and multilateral level;
• Experience of working in an international, multidisciplinary work environment.

Desirable:

• Experience in the area of internal security at national and/or international level;
• Experience working with issues relevant to the area of Justice and Home Affairs.

b. Professional knowledge (assessed during the Selection procedure - Written/Practical test and/or Interview):

Essential:

• Sound knowledge of policy research, advice and formulation;
• Knowledge of policy and strategic issues and current affairs in the Justice and Home Affairs area;
• Sound knowledge of international political affairs.

Desirable:

• Master degree in law or public administration

c. General competencies (assessed during the selection procedure - Written/Practical test and/or Interview):

Essential:

Communicating:

• Excellent communication skills in English, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.

Analysing & problem solving:

• Structured approach to work aimed at getting results.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• 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:

• Excellent organizational skills including the ability to plan own work load, establish clear priorities and exercise initiative.
• Ability to manage projects and familiarity with project management terminology and methodology.

Resilience:

• Strong ability to work well both independently and in a team.
• Very good interpersonal skills, including the

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