Gender-based violence officer

The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)[1] is organising a call for applications with a view to establishing a reserve list for the post of Gender-based Violence (GBV) Projects Officer. The registration of applications will begin on 8 June 2018 and will close on 9 July 2018 at 13:30 Eastern European Time.

The Institute

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a regulatory agency of the European Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives envisaged to contribute to, and strengthen, the promotion of gender equality.

The Institute collects and analyses comparable and reliable information at EU level and develops appropriate methodological tools for the integration of gender equality into all EU policies. It fosters the exchange of good practices and dialogue between stakeholders and raises awareness by providing technical assistance to EU institutions, in particular the European Commission, as well as the authorities of the Member States.

In the course of its work to promote and strengthen gender equality, EIGE supports policy makers with high quality data relevant to their work.

The post

Profile

Combating Gender-based Violence is one of the five strategic areas of the EU Commission’s Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality.  In response to the proposed ratification of the Istanbul Convention, there is increased demand from the Member States for support in strengthening their institutional response to combating Violence against Women.  EIGE has been mandated with the task to provide this support through evidence based research and analyses.

Under the supervision of the Head of the Operations and the Programme Coordinator for gender based violence and working in close collaboration with other colleagues, the jobholder will enhance the Unit’s operational and research capacity on gender based violence.

The post requires a very good understanding of contemporary policies and research on violence against women, in addition to analytical skills, excellent writing skills in English and very good communication abilities.

The fieldwork for EIGE’s major studies and research on combating Gender-based Violence is contracted out following which the team conducts the in-depth analyses and completes the research report.  This is the main focus of the role.

The post requires a team player who shares learning and information as part of a multicultural and multidisciplinary team.

Duties

The responsibilities of the post include the following tasks and activities:

• Support the development of the terms of reference  for research projects on gender-based violence;
• Manage all aspects of specific contracted research projects, ensuring the high quality of the content;
• Analyse latest developments in gender-based violence policies, research and data collection including methodologies, at national and European levels;
• Draft and edit high quality policy relevant reports,  recommendations and presentations on the status of gender-based violence in cooperation with the Institute's communications team;
• Assess and ensure the quality of relevant data, indicators and statistics, and propose new indicators relevant to EIGE’s work on gender-based violence;
• Engage systematically with the Institute’s key stakeholders on gender based violence to identify their needs and provide, if requested, evidence based input;
• Build and maintain an exchange of research information with relevant national, international and EU institutions;
• Initiate and organise expert meetings to support the Institute’s work, on  gender-based violence;
• Represent EIGE in meetings and events with its stakeholders;
• Any other relevant tasks assigned by EIGE’s management.

Qualifications & experience required

Formal requirements

To be considered eligible for selection, an applicant must meet by the closing date of this call, the following formal requirements:

• completed a university education attested by a diploma[2];
• nationality of an EU Member State;
• a good command, both spoken and written, of at least two official EU languages;
• entitlement to full rights as a citizen;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service;   
• be physically fit to perform duties linked to the post.[3]

 Selection criteria

Essential:

• At least three years of professional experience[4] gained after the award of the relevant qualification and at a suitable level corresponding to performance of tasks as defined in section 2.
• Knowledge/experience in project management, in addition to strong organisational and administrative skills including the ability to manage priorities, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience in policy relevant international research on gender based violence.
• Good understanding of EU policies and priorities related to gender equality.
• Proven record of work with surveys, administrative data and indicators on gender based violence at a national, EU or international level.
• Evidence of ability to write/edit reports and policy papers in excellent English, which should be substantiated by a list in the applicant’s application form of publications and/or reports/policy papers that she/he has written.
• Excellent English which is the working language at the Institute.
• Very good presentation and communication skills.

Advantageous:

• Post-graduate qualification in social sciences.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis software, e.g. Excel, SPSS and/or Stata.
• Work experience in EU or international organisations.
• Knowledge of financial and procurement rules and procedures applicable to public international organisations.
• Previous exposure to international and/or multicultural /multilingual environment.

Selection procedure

The selection procedure includes the following steps:

• Only duly completed applications submitted electronically within the deadline will be taken into consideration.
• Each duly completed application will be examined with a view to establishing that the candidate meets all eligibility criteria.
• Eligible applications will be evaluated by the appointed Selection Committee based on selection criteria defined in this vacancy notice. Depending on the number of applications received, the Selection Committee may apply stricter requirements within the selection criteria noted above.
• The best-admissible candidates will be short-listed for interview.
• Interviews and written tests will be in English.
• During the interview, the Selection Committee will examine the candidates' profiles and assess their relevancy for the post in question.
• On the day of interview candidates will be requested to present originals and copies of documents detailing citizenship, studies and professional experience, in particular:
  • a copy of identity card, passport or other official document specifying citizenship;
  • a copy of diploma certifying a required level of academic qualifications;
  • documentary evidence of professional experience, clearly indicating starting and finishing dates.
• Copies of these documents will be retained by the Institute.

If at any stage of the procedure, it is established that information in the application has been knowingly falsified, the candidate shall be disqualified from the selection process.

Successful candidates will be included on a reserve list which will be valid for 12 months. The validity of this list may be extended. Each candidate will be informed by letter whether or not s/he has been placed on the reserve list. However inclusion of candidates on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment.

The Director of the Institute will appoint the selected jobholder from the reserve list, taking into account the establishment of a gender balanced, geographically diverse organisation.

The internal proceedings of the Selection Committee are strictly confidential and any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Soliciting on behalf of a candidate can lead to immediate disqualification.

For applications to be valid, candidates must complete an EIGE application form available on the top of this page. It is to be forwarded electronically to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu. The subject title should include the vacancy reference number.

Applicants are requested not to attach any supporting documents at this stage, e.g. copies of ID cards, diplomas, evidence of previous professional experience, etc. Only candidates invited to an interview will be asked to present copies of these documents for verification. Applications will not be returned to candidates but will be kept on file by the Institute in line with its data protection guidelines.

Please note that the time period between the closing date for the submission of applications and the end of the process to short list candidates for the interview may take several weeks.

Due to the large volume of applications only candidates selected for the interviews will be contacted.

Conditions of employment

The place of employment shall be Vilnius, Lithuania. For reasons related to the Institute’s operational requirements, the chosen candidate will be expected to be available at short notice. An AD5 Temporary Agent contract under Article 2f pursuant to the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union shall be offered, subject to nine months’ probation. The duration of the contract will be three years and may be renewed.

The pay of a Temporary Agent consists of the basic remuneration as well as various allowances[5] depending on personal situation of the jobholder. For information, the current gross basic salary before deductions and the correction coefficient weighting of 74.3 % for Lithuania, starts at approximately 4,905.14 EUR. Salaries are subject to tax at source but are exempt from national taxation. Deductions are also made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

The job holder shall work in a multicultural environment where social dialogue between management and staff, including representatives of the staff, is regarded as vital. The Institute is fully computerised and working time is based around flexitime and core working hours.

Independence & declarations of interest

The job holder will be required to enter into a commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make complete declarations of any direct or indirect interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Equal opportunities

The Institute applies a policy of equal opportunities and accepts applications without distinction on any grounds.

Appeal procedures

If a candidate considers that s/he has been adversely affected by a particular decision, s/he can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities, by writing to The Director, European Institute for Gender Equality, Gedimino Prospektas 16, Vilnius, Lithuania LT01103.

The complaint must be lodged within three months. The time limit for initiating this type of procedure (see Staff Regulations as modified by Council Regulation No 723/2004 of 22nd March 2004 published in the Official Journal of the European Union L 124 of 27th April 2004) starts to run from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting her/him.

Pursuant to Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the Staff Regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties, published in Official Journal of the European Union L 113 of 4 May 1994, it is also possible to write to: The European Ombudsman, 1 Avenue du Président Robert Schuman, CS 30403 67001 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

Further details on appeals

Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, EIGE ensures that applicants’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data (Official Journal of the European Communities, L 8 of 12 January 2001). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Personal data shall thus be processed solely for the purpose of the selection procedure

Lithuania & life in Vilnius

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Area and it borders Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Its western coastline - noted for its fine beaches, dunes and majestic pines - meets the Baltic Sea. Vilnius is Lithuania's capital with an estimated population of just over half a million citizens. Lithuanian summers are sunny and warm with an average temperature of +17 C. Winter is white and generally cold with average temperatures that hover around – 4 C.

In addition to ample green spaces, Vilnius is beautifully situated on the banks of the river Neris. The city has impressive Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance and Russian architecture as well as one of Europe's largest medieval old towns, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.  Vilnius has been a university city since the Middle Ages. Today it is the centre of the country's politics, business, science, culture and entertainment and it attracts an increasingly varied assortment of local and international events. In addition to hosting a number of international schools, it has a well-developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.

Further information is available on the website of the the Vilnius Tourism Board

[1] Established by the European Parliament: the Council Regulation (EC) No 1922/2006 of 20 December 2006 (OJ L 403/9 of 30.12.2006).

[2] Only qualifications issued by EU Member State authorities and qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant Member States authorities will be accepted.

[3] Prior to recruitment, the successful candidate will be medically examined for the purposes of Article 12(2) (d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities.

[4] Professional experience will be counted from the date on which the applicant acquired the minimum qualification for access to the profile in question. Only duly documented professional activity (i.e. remunerated employment or self-employment) is taken into account. Part-time work will be taken into account in proportion to the percentage of full-time hours worked. Periods of education or training and unremunerated traineeships are not taken into account Fellowships, grants and PhDs can be counted as professional experience up to a maximum of 3 years. Any given time period can be counted only once (e.g. if the applicant had a full-time job and did freelance consultancy work in the evenings and weekends, the days spent on the latter will not be added to the period of the former). Freelance or self-employed applicants will be asked to provide either a practising certificate (or equivalent) or a copy of the entry in the relevant trade register, or any other official document (for example a tax document) showing clearly the length of relevant professional experience.

[5] For example: expatriation allowance, household allowance, education allowance, dependent child allowance etc.