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EUROJUST

Vacancy notice for the post of:

Assistant to the Data Protection Officer
Reference: 09/EJ/213
Temporary agent – AD 5
M/F

Applicants are invited to apply for the post of Assistant to the Data Protection Officer.

EUROJUST is a European Union body established in 2002 (Council Decision 2002/187/JHA of 28 February 2002 on the setting up of EUROJUST, amended by Council Decision 2003/659/JHA of 18 June 2003 and by Council Decision 2009/426/JHA of 16 December 2008 on the strengthening of Eurojust) to enhance the effectiveness of the competent authorities within Member States dealing with serious cross-border and organised crime.

The College of EUROJUST is composed of 27 National Members, one nominated by each EU Member State. The College elects one of the National Members to be its President. The Administrative Director is responsible, under the supervision of the President, for the day-to-day administration of Eurojust and staff management.

For further information, please consult our website: www.eurojust.europa.eu

As defined in Article 17 of the Eurojust Decision, the role of the Data Protection Officer is to ensure, in an independent manner, lawfulness and compliance with the provisions of the Eurojust Decision concerning the processing of personal data and any other applicable rules, in particular the rules of procedure on the processing and protection of personal data at Eurojust and the additional rules defining some specific aspects of the application of those rules to non-case-related operations.

The Assistant to the Data Protection Officer shall directly report to the Data Protection Officer (DPO), implementing action plans and putting in place the strategic lines adopted, as well as supporting the DP service in all aspects of the work with the College, the Joint Supervisory Body and the Administration of Eurojust.

1. Key accountabilities

The successful applicant will be responsible for:

• Ensuring lawfulness and compliance with the provisions of the Eurojust Decision concerning the processing of personal data and the Data Protection Rules, in particular through the monitoring of the case management system;
• Monitoring of the implementation of the data protection rules and regulations;
• Drafting legal opinions and notes on data Protection issues;
• Drafting and/or reviewing legal texts and policies on data protection related issues;
• Assessing the adequacy of the level of protection of third countries or parties in the context of article 26a of the Eurojust Decision;
• The maintenance and updating of the register of notification of processing operations;
• Handling complaints and dealing with requests for access, information, blocking or deletion of personal data;
• The preparation and realisation of information materials, presentations and information sessions concerning Data Protections issues;
• Assisting the DPO during the performance of annual surveys and Data Protections audits;
• Monitoring and reporting - on developments in the field of data protection at European/international level;
• Dealing with the administration linked to the smooth coordination and communication between the DPO, the College of Eurojust and the Joint Supervisory Body;
• Representing the DPO when he/she is absent;
• Undertaking legal research and analysis for the DPO on issues arising out of data protection;
• Performing any other tasks assigned by the DPO.

2. Qualifications and experience required

a- Eligibility criteria

Candidates will be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following criteria to be fulfilled by the closing date for applications:

• A level of education that corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma;
• Thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Communities and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Communities to the extent necessary for the performance of his/her duties.

Furthermore, in order to be eligible, a candidate must:

• Be a national of one of the Member States of the Communities;
• Enjoy his/her full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed on him/her by the laws on military service;
• Meet the character requirements for the duties involved;
• Be physically fit to perform his/her duties.

b- Selection criteria

Candidates selected on the basis of the above eligibility criteria will then be evaluated according to the following selection criteria:

Essential

• Professional experience and knowledge in the areas mentioned above under “key accountabilities”;
• A university degree in an area relevant to the field of data protection, such as Law (in particular International or European Law studies) or Political Sciences;
• Have at least five years of professional experience, gained after obtaining the relevant degree, at a level equivalent to the post, in the field of data protection;
• Demonstrate an ability to work within a team, to communicate effectively at all levels within Eurojust and with its external partners;
• Demonstrate an ability to understand the underlying legislative and policy issues relating to the administrative and operational work of Eurojust;
• Be able to work flexibly in a multicultural environment;
• Ability to speak in public and give presentations;
• Negotiating skills;
• Good computer skills;
• Good organisation skills;
• Fluency in written and spoken English, English being the vehicular language at Eurojust.

Advantageous

The following will be considered as additional assets:

• Experience working at a Data Protection Authority, especially if involved in international or European working groups, or as a DPO for an organisation;
• Additional years of working experience in the field of data protection will be positively evaluated;
• Knowledge of more EU languages.

3. Selection phase

A Selection Board is nominated by the Appointing Authority. The Human Resources Unit assists the Selection Board by checking the fulfilment of all formal requirements and eligibility criteria. The responsibility for any decision made during this exercise lies with the Selection Board. Failure to comply with one of the formal requirements or eligibility criteria will result in a disqualification of the applicant concerned.

The Selection Board then makes the decision on who is to be considered an eligible applicant for the selection process, in accordance with the requirements outlined in the vacancy notice, and decides from among the eligible applicants those who are to be invited to attend an interview. Candidates invited for an interview may be asked to undergo a written test.

The selection phase consists of an interview with the Selection Board, in order to evaluate the capacities of the candidates to perform the key accountabilities mentioned above. During the interview special attention will be paid to the specific knowledge required for the current post and the suitability and capacity of the candidate to adapt to a multicultural environment. The work of the Selection Board ends with the drawing up of a list of applicants suitable and a list of applicants unsuitable to occupy the position advertised.

Reserve list

The list of suitable is submitted to the Appointing Authority who decides on the appointment of the successful candidate(s) and the establishment of a reserve list for the post advertised. Candidates should note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment. Recruitment will be based on availability of posts and budget.

The reserve list may be used by other units or services in order to fulfil the same or similar positions within Eurojust.

The reserve list for this post will be valid until 31 December 2010 and may be extended at the discretion of the Appointing Authority of Eurojust.

4. Contractual conditions

The Appointing Authority will appoint the successful candidate(s) as (a) member(s) of the temporary staff pursuant to Article 2(a) of the Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities, to which he/she will be subject, for a period of 5 years. The contract may be renewed.

Remuneration will be based on the Community scale of salaries. Pay is subject to Community tax and other deductions laid down in the Staff Regulations. Remuneration is, however, exempt from any national taxation.

The grade for this position is AD5. The basic monthly salary of a temporary agent in the first step at AD5 level, before any deductions or allowances, is approximately EUR 4190.

The place of employment will be The Hague, where Eurojust has its official seat.

Prior to contract signature, the successful candidate will be requested:

• to provide Eurojust with original or certified copies of all relevant documents proving the candidate’s eligibility criteria, including an extract from the candidates police file; and
• to undergo a compulsory medical examination to establish that the candidate meets the standard of physical fitness necessary to perform the duties involved.

For any further information on contractual and working conditions, please refer to the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities and its Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities, which is available on the following web page:

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/personnel_administration/statut/tocen100.pdf

Confirmation of appointment
Temporary staff are required to serve a probationary period of six months.

Essential requirement for the selected applicants: Security Clearance
Eurojust requires selected applicants to sensitive posts to undergo a security screening procedure and obtain a positive national opinion. The level of the latter depends on the specific classified data that post-holders deal with. For this post, the required level of clearance is SECRET.

Applicants who currently hold a valid and positive national security screening opinion at the above-mentioned level do not need to obtain a new one. They shall then provide a copy of such opinion to Eurojust and specify the issuing authority, level and date of expiry. In case the temporal validity of the opinion expires within a year, the renewal procedure shall be initiated expeditiously.

In case selected applicants do not currently hold a valid and positive national security screening opinion at the above-mentioned level, Eurojust will require them to sign a pre-screening self-declaration. Eurojust will request such opinion from the National Security Agency of the applicants’ state of nationality.

In case such agency issues a negative opinion at the above-mentioned level after the signature of the contract of employment, Eurojust has the right to terminate the latter.

Essential requirement for the selected applicants: Security Clearance
Eurojust requires selected applicants to sensitive posts to undergo a security screening procedure and obtain a positive national opinion. The level of the latter depends on the specific classified data that post-holders deal with. For this post, the required level of clearance is SECRET.

Applicants who currently hold a valid and positive national security screening opinion at the above-mentioned level do not need to obtain a new one. They shall then provide a copy of such opinion to Eurojust and specify the issuing authority, level and date of expiry. In case the temporal validity of the opinion expires within a year, the renewal procedure shall be initiated expeditiously.

In case selected applicants do not currently hold a valid and positive national security screening opinion at the above-mentioned level, Eurojust will require them to sign a pre-screening self-declaration. Eurojust will request such opinion from the National Security Agency of the applicants’ state of nationality.

In case such agency issues a negative opinion at the above-mentioned level after the signature of the contract of employment, Eurojust has the right to terminate the latter.

Declaration of commitment to serve public interest independently
The successful candidate will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in relation to interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence.

The successful candidate will be required to carry out his/her duties and conduct him/herself solely with the interests of the Communities 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, impartially and loyalty to the Communities.

Equal opportunities
EUROJUST applies a policy of equal opportunity for men and women and accepts applications without distinction on grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic characteristics, and language, religious, political or other convictions or opinions, financial situation, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or family situation.

5. Submission of applications

Your E-application must arrive at the following e-mail address:
applications@eurojust.europa.eu by 31 December 2009 at midnight CET.

Please indicate the reference number on the application form, in the heading of your e-mail and in all future correspondence relating to this application.

Candidates must use the E-application form available on the website of Eurojust and must mention the reference number and the title of the post for which they are applying. All the questions on the form must be completed in full (whether or not the candidate decides to attach personal curriculum vitae). A separate “eligibility and selection criteria grid” available on the website of Eurojust must be returned in respect of each vacancy for which you apply.

The candidate should apply by filling in the E-application form which is available on the website of Eurojust. The E-application must be completed in English and in any one of the other 22 official EU languages. The E-application is available on the website of Eurojust in all 23 official EU languages. Eurojust publishes posts in parallel and if the candidate wishes to apply for more than one post, he/she must submit a separate E-application form for each post.

At the second stage, should applicants be invited for an interview, in order for the application to be considered complete, they must bring with them on the day of the interview photocopies of all the supporting documents (diplomas, certificates, professional references, etc.) necessary to prove that they satisfy all eligibility criteria. All documentary evidence of professional experience must indicate start and end dates of previous positions and the start date and continuity of the current position held.

Candidates who fail to submit all the documents specified on the date of the interview will be disqualified.

Please note that any documents submitted will not be returned to the candidates.

Application forms sent by fax or by postal mail will not be accepted, except for candidates who have a proven disability that prevents them from applying via E-application. These candidates may submit by postal mail, no later than the indicated closing date for the submission of applications (the postmark date will serve as proof), a printed version of the E-application form, and mail it with reference number of the selection procedure and title of the post to EUROJUST, Recruitment Office, P.O. Box 16183, 2500 BD The Hague, The Netherlands.

Closing Date: Closing dates for the submission of applications are strictly adhered to. Your E-application must arrive at the following e-mail address applications@eurojust.europa.eu by 31 December 2009 at midnight CET. In the heading of the e-mail the reference number of the post and the title of the post for which a candidate is applying must be mentioned.

To summarise:

The Human Resources Unit will acknowledge receipt of applications. Due to the volume of applications, only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted further. Candidates are invited to follow the recruitment process status on Eurojust website.

Please note that the Selection Board’s work and deliberations are strictly confidential and that any contact, directly or indirectly, with its members is strictly forbidden.

All personal data collected for any selection procedure to be handled by Eurojust will only be used for its purposes 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. All documents provided to Eurojust during any selection procedure will be kept in Eurojust’s files and will not be returned to applicants. Applicants' documents will only be kept for as long as it is mandatory to fulfil the requirements of existing auditing/control procedures applicable to Eurojust. The Head of the HR Unit of Eurojust acts as controller of such data, which will be collected and further processed in full compliance with all applicable data protection regulations and, in particular, with the rules on the protection and processing of personal data at Eurojust (OJ C 68/1, 19.3.2005). The rights of information, access, correction, blocking and deletion of personal data are guaranteed under these rules.

Date of publication on Eurojust website: 26.11.2009