COMPETITION PE/AD/301/2024 ADMINISTRATORS OF DUTCH NATIONALITY (AD 6)

COMPETITION PE/AD/301/2024

Administrators of Dutch nationality (AD 6)

Before applying, you must read carefully the Guide for candidates attached to this competition notice. The Guide is an integral part of the competition notice and will help you to understand the rules governing competitions and selection procedures and how to go about applying.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A.               JOB DESCRIPTION AND ELIGIBILITY

B.               PROCEDURE

C.               APPLICATIONS

ANNEX:      GUIDE FOR CANDIDATES IN OPEN COMPETITIONS / SELECTION PROCEDURES ORGANISED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

A. JOB DESCRIPTION AND ELIGIBILITY

 1.       General remarks

The European Parliament has decided to organise an open competition (grade AD 6) to draw up a list of suitable candidates from which it may recruit nationals of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The profile sought is that of an administrator for the European Parliament´s Secretariat with a target number of 90 suitable candidates.

This competition is organised on the basis of Article 29(1) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (hereinafter the ‘Staff Regulations’) and on the basis of the European Parliament’s Bureau decision of 21 November 2022 giving effect to Article 27 of the Staff Regulations by adopting General Implementing Provisions (hereinafter the ‘Bureau decision’; available at https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/47001db4-d61c-4677-af45-0b5ce0d388fc/library/55a654c7-f358-44cb-b527-a2baa4dd5e71/details).

The significant majority of the European Parliament’s posts are based in Brussels, in Luxembourg and in Strasbourg (Parliament’s main places of work) in accordance with the needs of Parliament’s services. The duties may involve travel between Parliament’s places of work.

Recruitment will be at grade AD 6, first step, the basic salary for which is EUR 6 231,42 per month. This salary is subject to Union tax and to the other deductions provided for by the Staff Regulations. It is exempt from national tax. The step at which the suitable candidates are recruited may be adjusted in accordance with their professional experience. Moreover, in certain circumstances allowances will be paid in addition to the basic salary.

The European Parliament is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications without discrimination on any ground such as gender, ethnicity, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or family situation.

2.       Job description

Administrators in the Secretariat of the European Parliament are working in a wide range of areas. They carry out management, planning and research duties which may include, depending on the department in the Secretariat to which the suitable candidate is posted, one or more of the following activities:

(a)          In the area of the provision of advice and support to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and parliamentary bodies:

–               drawing up short-, medium- and long-term work forecasts for parliamentary bodies, and managing that work;

–               dealing with matters arising in a parliamentary body and contributing, through reports, analyses and specialised research, to the drafting and establishment of the European Parliament’s positions;

–               establishing networks of contacts, particularly between MEPs and other EU institutions or bodies and economic and social circles in the Member States;

–               helping to organise external events (conferences, seminars, etc.) and speaking in public.

(b)         In the area of resource management:

–               helping to manage Parliament’s staff, including by assessing staffing needs, drawing up job descriptions, designing, managing and monitoring training programmes, applying and enforcing the Staff Regulations, overseeing or coordinating specific projects and liaising with the departments involved and/or with corresponding departments at interinstitutional level;

–               helping to manage Parliament’s financial resources, for example by contributing to the drawing-up of budget forecasts, monitoring, coordinating and scrutinising budgetary and contract management, setting up and carrying out internal financial controls, and ensuring that financial channels and procedures are consistent with the EU Financial Regulation and the relevant implementing rules. 

(c)          In the area of law: 

–               following developments in the case law of European Union courts and informing departments in the Secretariat;

–               following major political issues in the light of their legal impact;

–               writing studies, notes and summaries;

–               analysing, devising and preparing draft rules in their area of responsibility and on all topics relating to the management of the department at the request of senior management;

–               studying and monitoring the rules and case law, informing and advising management and the departments on regulatory developments and certain specific cases;

–               ensuring the drafting quality of acts from a legal viewpoint.

(d)         In the area of information and communication policy:

–               preparing, drafting, publishing and disseminating to the media and the general public information on the European Parliament’s activities, including drafting press releases, assisting and briefing media representatives, assisting Members in their dealings with the press (press conferences, etc.);

–               organising and running seminars on European issues for opinion multipliers;

–               preparing and overseeing communication activities, including designing, organising and/or taking part in events to raise public awareness, organising and managing visits (by groups or individuals), giving talks, designing and adapting communication materials, etc.

(e)          In the area of IT, of IT security and of security:

–               helping to define IT standards, performing technological vigilance tasks and providing technical advice in this field;

–               designing, defining, customising, implementing and overseeing IT service management processes and their continuous improvement;

–               developing IT security standards and policies and guidelines for their implementation, covering persons, property and information;

–               analysing all security threats and risks linked to the interests and activities of the institutions;

–               implementing threat assessment and risk analysis procedures in connection with technical specifications or organisational/operational procedures for complex systems, including IT systems;

–               implementing and overseeing the coordination of operational security services, such as prevention and surveillance, security guard supervision services and VIP close protection services.

(f)           In the area of project management:

–               overseeing and coordinating specific projects;

–               preparing and facilitating management decision-making by proposing innovative solutions;

–               drawing up analysis, reports, notes, letters, statistics and any other type of document, including draft rules;

–               helping to draft and follow up invitations to tender;

–               accompanying senior management to or representing management at meetings and on internal and external working parties and taking part in or chairing administrative meetings.

These tasks call for the ability to find adequate solutions to varied and often complex problems, to react quickly to changing circumstances and to communicate effectively. Candidates must show initiative, creativity and strong motivation. They must be capable of influencing others, working intensively, both on their own and as part of a team, and forming networks in a multicultural working environment. Candidates should also be keen to continue their learning and development throughout their career.

3.       Eligibility 

On the closing date for applications, you must meet all the general and specific eligibility criteria listed below:

(a)     General criteria

In accordance with Article 28 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in accordance with Article 1, paragraph 1, point (i) of Annex III of the Staff Regulations, and taking into account the Bureau decision, you must:

–          be a national of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;

–          enjoy full rights as a citizen;

–          have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you by the laws on military service;

–          be able to produce the appropriate character references as to your suitability for the performance of the duties concerned.

NB: In this context, you must declare on your word of honour that you are a national of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, by selecting ‘Netherlands’ as the country of your ‘eligible citizenship’. You must also tick the checkbox in Apply4EP which declares you are a ‘national of one of the Member States’.

You will be asked to provide a copy of your Dutch passport or your Dutch national identity card later in the procedure.

(b)     Specific criteria

(i)      Qualifications required

You must have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years, attested by a diploma officially recognised in one of the Member States of the European Union.

Diplomas, whether issued in a Member State or in a non-EU country, must be recognised by an official body of an EU Member State, such as the ministry of education.

Candidates holding diplomas issued in a non-EU country must enclose with their application an EU equivalence for their diplomas. For further information on recognition of qualifications obtained in a non-EU country in the ENIC-NARIC networks, please consult the following link: https://www.enic-naric.net. The selection board will take account of the differences between education systems. Examples of the minimum qualifications required are given in the table included in the Guide for candidates. Candidates who will not enclose an EU equivalence for their diplomas and/or candidates with diplomas not recognised by an official body of an EU Member State will not be admitted to the competition.

(ii)     Professional experience required

After obtaining the qualifications giving access to the competition (see point (i) above), you must have acquired at least two years’ professional experience relevant to the activities listed in the job description (i.e. under the areas of work: advice and support to Members of Parliament and parliamentary bodies, resource management, law, information and communication policy, IT, IT security and security, project management). While the job description in Section A.2 lists general tasks that are specific for the work of an administrator in the Secretariat of the European Parliament, the selection board will also consider the relevance of professional experience acquired outside the European Parliament and the EU institutions.

(iii)    Knowledge of languages

You must have a thorough knowledge (level C1 minimum) of Dutch (language 1),

and

a satisfactory knowledge (level B2 minimum) of one of the other European Union official languages (language 2): Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish or Swedish.

Please note that the minimum levels required above apply to each area of linguistic ability (speaking, writing, reading and listening) referred to on the application form. These abilities correspond to those specified in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (https://europa.eu/europass/common-european-framework-reference-language-skills). Please note that level C2 is the highest level in the framework, while A1 is the lowest level.

B. PROCEDURE

The Appointing Authority shall draw up a list of candidates who declare that they satisfy the criteria laid down in Section A.3.(a) of the notice, and who have submitted their application file in accordance with the arrangements and by the deadline stipulated in Section C of the notice. This list will be sent to the Chair of the selection board.

The competition is based on tests. It consists of two stages:

1.      Pre-selection (MCQ test) and eligibility check

a)      Pre-selection (MCQ test)

b)      Check of specific eligibility criteria

2.      Tests

a)      Drafting test

b)      Interview

1.      Pre-selection (MCQ test) and eligibility check

a)         Pre-selection (MCQ test)

The candidates whose names figure on the Appointing Authority’s list will be invited to take the pre-selection test in the form of a set of computer-based multiple-choice questions (MCQ).

The MCQ test will be in Dutch (language 1).

The MCQ test will consist of a maximum of 40 questions intended to assess the candidates’ knowledge of the following four areas: knowledge of the European Union, knowledge of the European Parliament, verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning. The candidates will be sent sample questions in good time prior to the date of the test.

This test will last a maximum of 60 minutes and will be held online. The candidates will receive instructions concerning the tests in good time. The tests will take place at a specific time on a specific date. The candidates will be informed of the precise duration of the test when they are sent the invitation and instructions.

b)         Check of specific eligibility criteria

The selection board will check the specific eligibility of the candidates who obtained the highest points in the MCQ test. This will be performed in descending order starting with the files of candidates who obtained the highest scores. The selection board will stop performing the eligibility checks when the number of candidates found to be eligible reaches 4 times the number of suitable candidates sought. The selection board will admit any eligible candidates tied for the final qualifying place in the MCQ test.

The selection board will draw up a list of candidates who comply with the specific eligibility criteria set out in Section A.3.(b) of this notice. Candidates on this list are admitted to the competition. The selection board will take the decision on a candidate’s eligibility by comparing (a) the declarations made in the application form and (b) the documents uploaded to the application form on Apply4EP to support those declarations.

The selection board will base its decisions solely on the information given on the application form and which is substantiated by the supporting documents attached to it. (See the Guide for candidates for further details.)

2.         Tests

All candidates admitted to the competition are invited to the drafting test. At this stage, the selection board will invite candidates to provide documentary proof of their Dutch nationality. Candidates who fail to provide the necessary proof will be excluded from the competition.

a)         Drafting test in Dutch (language 1) based on a set of documents, to test the candidates’ ability to analyse and summarise information and their drafting skills. There will be no choice of subject of the written test.

Maximum time allowed: 120 minutes

Marking: 0 to 50 points

Pass mark: 25 points

The test will be held online.

The candidates who obtained the highest number of points in the drafting test will be invited to the interview, provided they have achieved the pass mark in the drafting test. The maximum number of candidates invited to the interview equals 2 times the number of suitable candidates sought. The selection board will invite any candidates tied for the final qualifying place.

b)         Interview with the selection board in Dutch (language 1) to test candidates’ alignment with Parliament’s core competencies: continuous improvement, showing flexibility, team spirit & cooperation, result orientation and showing reliability. The selection board will also test knowledge of language 2 as stated by the candidates on the application form.  

Maximum duration: 60 minutes

Marking: 0 to 50 points

Pass mark: 25 points

            The test may be held in person. 

The candidates will receive instructions concerning the tests in good time. The tests will take place at a specific time on a specific date. If a candidate does not reply to an invitation, cannot be contacted by email or fails to show up for a test, the candidate shall be disqualified, except in cases of force majeure. The candidates must follow the instructions to the letter. Any failure to follow the instructions or any action not consistent with the instructions will lead to immediate disqualification.

3.       List of suitable candidates

The selection board will draw up a list of suitable candidates containing the names of the 90 eligible candidates with the highest overall scores in the tests, as laid down in Section A.1 ‘General remarks’. These overall scores are the total number of points obtained in the drafting test and the interview with the selection board set out in in Section B.2.(a) and B.2.(b) respectively, provided the candidate has achieved the pass mark in both of these tests. The list may include any candidates tied for the final place. The names of the suitable candidates will be included on the list in alphabetical order.

The list of suitable candidates will remain valid until 31 December 2027. Its validity may be extended by decision of the Appointing Authority. If it is extended, the candidates whose names have been included on the list will be informed in good time.

The successful candidates will be informed individually of their results, and the list of suitable candidates will be posted on the official website of the European Parliament.

If you are offered a job, you will be required to produce the originals of all requisite documents, including diplomas and employment certificates, for verification.

Inclusion on a list of suitable candidates does not constitute either a right to, or a guarantee of, recruitment.

It is important to note that, as set out in Article 3 (‘Recruitment’) of the Bureau decision, ‘With a view to ensuring compliance with the obligation that no posts shall be reserved for nationals of any specific Member State, as provided for in Article 27 of the Staff Regulations, and without prejudice to competitions organised in accordance with Article 29(3) of the Staff Regulations, the successful candidates from the competitions organised on the basis of Article 2 of these provisions shall be on an equal footing with the successful candidates from other competitions organised by the European Parliament or EPSO’.

C. APPLICATIONS

How to apply:

You must apply via the Apply4EP platform: https://apply4ep.gestmax.eu/search

You must read carefully the Guide for candidates in competitions organised by the European Parliament before completing the application form and provide the relevant supporting documents.

Closing date for applications:

The deadline for applications is

12.00 (noon), Brussels time, on 12 April 2024.

An acknowledgement of receipt will automatically be sent to you as soon as your application form has been validated.

You should only communicate about this competition via your Apply4EP account. Please DO NOT TELEPHONE to ask about this competition.

You are responsible for regularly checking the inbox of the email address you indicated in your  Apply4EP account.