Call for expressions of interest - Secretaries

WHO WE ARE

The European Court of Auditors (ECA) was established in 1975 as the European Union’s external auditor. One of the EU’s seven institutions, it is based in Luxembourg and employs around 1000 audit, support and administrative staff of all EU nationalities.

The ECA operates as a collegiate body of 27 Members, one from each EU member state. Our auditors check that the EU keeps good accounts and correctly applies its financial rules, and that its policies and programmes achieve their intended objectives and deliver value for money.

Through our work, we contribute to improving the EU’s financial management and promote accountability and transparency. We warn of risks, provide assurance, indicate shortcomings and successes and offer guidance to EU policymakers and legislators. We present our observations and recommendations to the European Parliament, the Council of the EU, and national governments and parliaments, as well as the general public.

We are a modern and dynamic organisation striving for and promoting excellence, professionalism, transparency and integrity. We define ourselves as a diverse, flexible and equitable institution which offers every individual the opportunity to maximise their talent. Through our individual and collective involvement in the ECA’s activities and our ambitious training programme, our aim is to make the ECA an intellectually stimulating workplace, and a learning-based organisation that relies on institutional knowledge and motivated and well-trained people to serve the EU and its citizens.

We are an EU institution on a human scale: this facilitates integration, allows for easier interaction, and encourages teamwork. We offer flexible working hours and opportunities for teleworking, including from outside the place of residence[1]. We value diversity and inclusion, promote equal opportunities, and ensure a respectful working environment based on open communication, dialogue, and mutual trust. Staff engagement, well-being and greening are important pillars of our internal policies.

The ECA is divided into 10 audit and administrative directorates (see https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/organisation).

‒    The audit directorates, which are organised into five chambers, deal with different policy areas. Staff are assigned to a chamber according to the priorities that stem from its work programme.

‒    The Directorate for Audit Quality Control ensures that the necessary quality standards are observed and provides audit support to audit teams through a dedicated data and technology team, IT audits, and sophisticated data analyses.

‒    The Directorate of the Presidency supports the ECA through external communication, international relations and strategic planning and foresight activities.

‒    Three directorates within the Secretariat-General ensure the necessary administrative, training, IT and language support to ensure that the institution operates smoothly.

WHAT WE ARE OFFERING

We are launching this call to establish a list of candidates from which to recruit secretaries as contract agents in function group II. As needs arise, candidates on the list who have successfully completed the assessment phase as described under the “Procedure” section, may be offered a contract in accordance with the provisions of Article 3b of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS), for a 2-year period, renewable for a maximum period of another 4 years. The initial contract will be subject to a probationary period of 9 months.

The recruited staff will be based and carry out their duties at the ECA offices in Luxembourg. 

The basic monthly salary for contract staff, function group II (grade 6, step 1) is currently €3 204.41. 

Under the conditions laid down in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants[2], certain allowances may be added to the basic salary, which is subject to EU tax and exempt from national tax.

The EU institutions have their own pension and health systems for which contributions are deducted at source.

Staff members’ children can benefit from free enrolment at the European School.

What tasks can you expect to perform 

Under the authority of the principal manager(s), the secretaries will carry out secretarial tasks, office management and other equivalent tasks requiring a certain degree of autonomy. Based on the needs of the services, and, if applicable, their profiles, the secretaries may be assigned to any of the ECA directorates.

Secretaries may perform duties such as[3]:

-    supporting the organisation and coordination of the service’s activities (meetings, missions, agendas); 

-    managing documents and requests for action (receipt, processing, follow-up, and filing of documents, reports and correspondence); 

-    preparing, processing, finalising, and checking documents and tables (editing, formatting); 

-    finding, compiling, and disseminating information (updating databases, files);

-    participating in meetings, taking notes, writing minutes;

-    supporting the managers and staff in their daily work.

 
[2]     https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20140501&from=EN 

[3]    Non exhaustive list.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

1.       Legal requirements

In accordance with Article 82(3) of the CEOS, candidates must, on the date of their application:

-        be a national of one of the EU’s Member States,

-        enjoy their full rights as citizens,

-        have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the recruitment laws concerning military service, and

-        meet the character requirements for the duties involved.

2.       Qualifications

In accordance with Article 82(2) of the CEOS:

            i.            a level of post-secondary education attested by a diploma, or

          ii.            a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, and appropriate professional experience of at least 3 years.

Please note that only diplomas or professional qualifications that have been awarded or recognised in EU (or former EU) member states or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by the authorities of one of these member states shall be taken into consideration.

3.        Experience

We are looking for applicants who, by the deadline, will be able to demonstrate at least 3 years of relevant professional experience as secretary[4], after obtaining the above-mentioned qualifications.

4.        Knowledge of languages

—        Excellent command (mother tongue or minimum level C2 in understanding, speaking and writing) of one official EU language.

—        As English and French are the ECA’s official working languages, a sound knowledge of one of these languages (minimum level C1 in understanding, speaking and writing) is required. A good knowledge of the other language would be considered an asset.

—       If the candidate’s mother tongue is English or French, a good knowledge of the other working language of the ECA (minimum level B2 in understanding, speaking and writing) is required. 

Please indicate in your CV the language level according to the following assessment model:
https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference

5.        Skills

Candidates should be able to demonstrate:

-    a sound knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook);

-    good prioritisation and organisational skills;

-    eye for detail and ability to deliver quality work under pressure;

-    ability to work autonomously and as part of a team;

-    good written and oral communication skills;

-    good interpersonal skills.

[4]    Where not clearly stated in the title or the official description of the post concerned, the selection committee will determine which professional experience to validate as relevant.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

(a)      Eligibility check

Applications will be examined against eligibility criteria, points 2, 3 and 4 outlined under “What we are looking for” by a selection committee appointed by the ECA authority empowered to conclude contracts of employment (hereafter AECCE)[5]. Candidates who fail to satisfy any of these eligibility criteria will be excluded from the selection process.

The selection committee will draw up a list of candidates who meet the aforementioned criteria.

The list will be valid until 31 December 2025, and may be extended.

The inclusion of candidates in the list does not, in any way, constitute an entitlement to recruitment.

(b)      Assessment phase

When needs arise, the recruiting service will consult the list to identify and shortlist candidates whose profiles align with their specific needs, based on the information provided in their applications. If shortlisted, candidates will be invited to tests and/or interviews conducted by the selection committee. The tests and/or interviews are designed to evaluate candidates’ skills and abilities for the relevant position (see point 5 of the “What we are looking for” section). The nature and time frame of these tests will be communicated to the shortlisted candidates in due time.

The tests and/or interviews will be held in English or French.

(c)       Recruitment

Following the tests and/or interviews, the selection committee will propose to the AECCE the names of the candidates (in alphabetical order) who meet the requirements for the duties to be performed (criteria 3 to 5 above). Based on service needs and budget availability, the AECCE may then offer employment to one or more of the candidates. 

[5]     The composition of the selection committee will be published on the ECA website.

APPLICATIONS

The deadline for applications is 12:00 (midday) Luxembourg time on 15 October 2024.

Applications must be drafted in English or French and submitted only via the online form provided. They must comprise the following documents in English or French:

-    a cover letter (maximum one page);

-    an up-to-date CV (maximum five pages), in the Europass format  (see https://europa.eu/europass/).

Any application that does not comply with the formal instructions mentioned above (see the “Applications” section), or is received after the deadline, or is not submitted using the online form provided for this purpose, will be rejected.

The selection committee will evaluate applications based solely on the information given in these documents. It may ask candidates to provide supporting evidence for statements made in their applications. If candidates fail to provide such evidence when it is requested, their applications will be rejected.

To ensure that your application is completed on time, we strongly advise you not to wait until the last few hours to apply. Experience has shown that the system may become overloaded as the deadline approaches.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

In line with the ECA’s Diversity and Inclusion policy and Article 1d of the Staff Regulations, the ECA embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We accept applications without discrimination on any grounds, and we take steps to ensure that recruitment is evenly balanced between women and men, as required by Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. We also take measures to reconcile working life with family life.

If you require any special arrangements for a specific handicap or disability in order to take part in this selection procedure, please send an email in good time to ECA-Selection@eca.europa.eu.

DATA PROTECTION

The ECA is committed to ensuring that applicants' personal data are processed in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018, on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC.

For more information, see our specific privacy statement on recruitment at the following address:

https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/Specific_Privacy_Statement_vacancies/Specific_Privacy_Statement_vacancies_EN.PDF

The list containing the names of candidates who meet the eligibility criteria set out in this call for expressions of interest will be published on the ECA website. The list will remain on our website until it is no longer valid. Prior to publication, the eligible candidates will be given an opportunity to have their names removed from the published list by sending an email to ECA-Selection@eca.europa.eu. Removing a name from the published list will have no impact on the consideration of that candidate for a possible selection.

REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION — COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS — COMPLAINTS TO THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN

If, at any stage in the selection procedure, you believe that a decision adversely affects you, the following options are available:

Request for the selection board to reconsider its decision

You may submit a written reasoned request for reconsideration of a decision taken by the selection committee. Such a request must be submitted to the following address within 10 calendar days of notification of the decision, to ECA-Recours@eca.europa.eu. Where the last day of this period is a public holiday, Saturday or Sunday, the period shall end with the expiry of the last hour of the following working day.

Complaints

Under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations, you may submit a written complaint against the ECA’s decision to reject your application within three months of being notified thereof, to the following address:

The Secretary-General
European Court of Auditors
12, rue Alcide De Gasperi
L-1615 Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG

Judicial appeals

Under Article 91 of the Staff Regulations, you may appeal against a decision to reject your complaint, insofar as it adversely affects you, to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The action must be brought by a lawyer within three months of notification of the decision to reject the complaint.

Complaints to the European Ombudsman

If you believe that the handling of your application has involved maladministration by the ECA, you may submit a complaint to the European Ombudsman, having first contacted the ECA with a view to settling the dispute. You must submit your complaint in writing within 2 years of discovering the relevant facts. An electronic complaints form is available on the European Ombudsman’s website. Complaining to the European Ombudsman will not suspend the above-mentioned appeal deadlines.