Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking

Publication of a vacancy for the function of

Executive Director of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking

(Temporary Agent – Grade AD 14)

COM/2022/20082

(2022/C 221 A/03)

 

We are

The Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking (GH EDCTP3 JU) is a partnership between the European Union and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Association whose members are several EU Member States and Associated countries and several African countries. The GH EDCTP3 JU is established by the Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe (1). It aims at supporting clinical research to deliver solutions to reduce the burden of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and strengthen research capacities to prepare and respond to emerging infectious diseases.

The first and second European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) programmes (2), (3) represent since 2003 a flagship for conducting sound multi-country clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa, building a true partnership between Europe and Africa, and fostering African leadership in scientific research. These programmes have also contributed to improving linkages between African researchers and African research organisations, which resulted in the launch of four African Regional Networks of Excellence for clinical trials. Moreover, they have strengthened the ethics review capacity and national regulatory authorities in many African countries and contributed to establish relevant organisations in the region.

Building on the positive experience of the previous EDCTP programmes, the GH EDCTP3 JU intends to:

—	reduce the socio-economic burden of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by promoting the development and uptake of new or improved health technologies;

—	increase health security in sub-Saharan Africa and globally by strengthening the research and innovation-based capacities for preparedness and response to control infectious diseases.

GH EDCTP3 JU will implement a budget of approximately EUR 1 600 000 000 for the period 2021-2027 and will have a programme office of around 34 highly qualified scientific, clinical and administrative professionals from multi-cultural backgrounds from Europe and Africa, operating in a multilingual context. The budget comes from the European Union Horizon Europe Framework Programme of Research and Innovation, the EDCTP Association member countries and additional contributing partners, such as philanthropic organisations and industry, which will contribute on an ad-hoc basis. More information can be found in the Regulation establishing the JU, notably in its Articles 99-114.

GH EDCTP3 JU is established until 31 December 2031.

We propose

The Executive Director will manage the Joint Undertaking, as well as be its legal representative and public face. The successful candidate shall be independent in the performance of her/his duties and shall be accountable for her/his activities to the Governing Board, composed of six representatives from the EDCTP Association and six representatives of the European Commission.

The Executive Director will have a central role in running the Joint Undertaking. She/he will be responsible for establishing and managing the administrative, operational and financial measures necessary for its proper operation.

Without prejudice to the respective competencies of the European Commission and the Governing Board, the Executive Director shall assume full responsibility for the tasks entrusted to the Joint Undertaking and shall be subject to the annual discharge procedure to be carried out in accordance with the financial rules of the Joint Undertaking.

The Executive Director is the chief executive responsible for the day-to-day management of the Joint Undertaking in accordance with the decisions of the Governing Board. She/he shall provide the Governing Board with all information necessary for the performance of its functions. Without prejudice to the respective competencies of the Union institutions and the Governing Board, the Executive Director shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or from any other body.

The Executive Director shall implement the budget of the Joint Undertaking, ensure the coordination between the different bodies and services of the Joint Undertaking and carry out the tasks for the Joint Undertaking, in accordance with Article 19 of the Regulation establishing the JU.

The Executive Director shall build up and manage the programme office for the execution under her/his responsibility, of all support tasks of the Joint Undertaking deriving from the Regulation establishing the JU as well as managing, motivating and contributing to develop staff (or making sure this is done). The programme office shall be composed of the staff of the Joint Undertaking and shall in particular carry out the following tasks:

—	provide support in establishing and managing an appropriate accounting system in accordance with the financial rules for the Joint Undertaking;

—	manage the implementation of the work programme of the Joint Undertaking throughout the implementation cycle;

—	provide to the members and the bodies of the Joint Undertaking all relevant information and support necessary for them to perform their duties;

—	act as the secretariat of the bodies of the Joint Undertaking and provide support to advisory groups set up by the Governing Board.

We look for (selection criteria):

The ideal candidate should fulfil the following selection criteria:

a)    Management skills:

—	experience in budgetary, financial and human resources management in a national, European or international context commensurate with the nature of the JU;

—	ability to care for, lead and motivate a multidisciplinary and multicultural team;

—	capacity to develop a forward-looking vision, identify strategies, set priorities and implement a newly created structure;

—	very good decision making skills, including the capacity to deliver impact within fixed budget and timing.

b)    Specialist knowledge and experience:

—	good understanding of research and innovation in the health sector, in particular as regards infectious diseases and/or global health, including the challenges of clinical research;

—	experience in building international research partnerships and collaborations.

The following qualities would be considered as an asset:

—	a university degree in medical or life sciences;

—	a good understanding of the European Institutions and how they operate and interact;

—	experience in clinical research including risk management;

—	experience in project management and research funding processes.

c)    Personal qualities:

—	aptitude to build and maintain good working relations with EU institutions, competent national and international authorities and other stakeholders;

—	capacity to act with tact, political sensitivity and diplomacy in international fora, and to represent the Joint Undertaking at high level;

—	ability to communicate fluently and efficiently;

—	in view of interaction in the sub-Saharan African region, knowledge of European languages used in the region would be an asset.

Candidates must (eligibility requirements)

Candidates will only be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following formal requirements to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:

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Nationality: Candidates must be a citizen of one of the Member State of the European Union. Subject to a decision of the GH EDCTP3 JU Governing Board to authorise an exception in accordance with Article 12.2(a) of the conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union, if necessary, for the appointment of the Executive Director, applications can also be submitted by citizens of: — one of the following sub-Saharan African countries that are members of the EDCTP Association and participating in the Global Health EDCTP3 programme at the closing date of the application: Congo (Republic), Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. — Associated countries to Horizon Europe that are members of the EDCTP Association and participating in the Global Health EDCTP3 programme at the closing date of the application: Norway.

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University degree or diploma: Candidates must have either: — a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 4 years or more; — 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 at least 3 years (this 1 year professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below).

—	Professional experience: Candidates must have at least 15 years postgraduate professional experience (4) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in the area of the activities of the Joint Undertaking.

—	Management experience: Of these 15 years of professional experience, candidates must have at least 5 years at a high-level management function (5) in a field relevant for this position.

—

Languages: Candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (6) and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these official languages. Selection panels will verify during the interview(s) whether candidates comply with the requirement of a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language. This may include (part of) the interview being conducted in this other language.

—

Age limit: At the deadline for applications, candidates must be able to complete the full mandate of 4 years before reaching the retirement age. For temporary staff of the European Union, the retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 years in accordance with Article 47 of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (7).

Selection and appointment

The Executive Director will be appointed by the Governing Board of the GH EDCTP3 JU on the basis of a shortlist provided by the European Commission. The open and transparent selection procedure will respect the principle of gender equality.

To establish this shortlist, the European Commission organises a selection in accordance with its selection and recruitment procedures (see the Document on Senior Officials Policy (8)).

As part of this selection procedure, the European Commission will set up a pre-selection panel. This panel will analyse all applications, proceed with a first eligibility verification and, taking into consideration the selection criteria mentioned above, will identify those candidates with the best profile for the specific requirements of the post for an interview with the pre-selection panel. This pre-selection panel will include a representative appointed by each type of members other than the Union of the Joint Undertaking and one observer appointed by the Governing Board.

Following these interviews, the pre-selection panel draws up its conclusions and proposes a list of candidates for further interviews with the European Commission’s Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA). The CCA, taking into consideration the conclusions of the pre-selection panel, will decide on the candidates to be invited for further interviews.

Candidates who are called for an interview with the CCA participate in a full-day management assessment centre run by external recruitment consultants. Taking account of the results of the interview and the report of the assessment centre, the CCA establishes a shortlist of candidates it considers suitable to exercise the function of the Executive Director of the GH EDCTP3 JU.

Candidates on the CCA shortlist will be interviewed by the Member of the Commission responsible for the Directorate-General in charge of the relations with the Joint Undertaking (9).

Following these interviews, the European Commission adopts a shortlist of the most suitable candidates, preferably at least three, which will be communicated to the Governing Board of the GH EDCTP3 JU. The latter may decide to interview the candidates before appointing the Executive Director from among the candidates on the Commission shortlist. Inclusion on this shortlist does not guarantee appointment.

Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews and/or tests in addition to those indicated above. They could also be required to deliver a statement before the relevant committee(s) of the European Parliament.

Equal opportunities

The European Commission and the GH EDCTP3 JU apply a policy of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in accordance with Article 1d of the Staff Regulations (10). Applications that could contribute towards more diversity, gender equality and overall geographical balance are welcome.

The Regulation establishing the JU specifically sets out that the procedure will respect the principle of gender balance. Applications from female candidates are particularly encouraged.

Conditions of employment

The salaries and conditions of employment are laid down in the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants.

The successful candidate will be appointed by the Governing Board of the GH EDCTP3 JU as a Temporary Agent at grade AD 14. She/he will be classified depending on the length of her/his previous professional experience in step 1 or step 2 within that grade.

She/he will be appointed for an initial mandate of 4 years, with a possible prolongation for a maximum 3 years.

Applicants should note the requirement under the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants for all new staff to complete successfully a nine-month probationary period.

The place of employment is Brussels, Belgium, where the GH EDCTP3 JU is based.

Independence and declaration of interests

Before taking up her/his duties, the Executive Director will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to declare any interests, which might be considered prejudicial to her/his independence.

Application procedure

Before submitting their application, candidates should carefully check whether they meet all eligibility requirements (‘Candidates must’), particularly concerning the types of diploma, high-level professional experience as well as linguistic capacity required. Failure to meet any of the eligibility requirements means an automatic exclusion from the selection procedure.

Candidates must register via the Internet on the following website and follow the instructions concerning the various stages of the procedure:

https://ec.europa.eu/dgs/human-resources/seniormanagementvacancies/

Candidates must have a valid e-mail address. This will be used to confirm registration as well as to remain in contact with candidates during the different stages of the procedure. Therefore, candidates must keep the European Commission informed about any change in their e-mail address.

To complete the application, candidates need to upload a CV in PDF format, preferably using the Europass CV format (11), and to fill out, online, a letter of motivation (maximum 8 000 characters). The CV and the letter of motivation may be submitted in any of the official languages of the European Union.

Once the candidate has finished the online registration, she/he will receive an electronic mail confirming that the application has been registered. If the candidate does not receive a confirmation mail, the application has not been registered!

It is not possible to monitor the progress of applications online. Candidates will be contacted directly by the European Commission regarding the status of their application.

For more information or in case of technical problems, candidates can send an e-mail to: HR-MANAGEMENT-ONLINE@ec.europa.eu

Closing date

The closing date for registration is 18 July 2022, 12.00 noon Brussels time, following which registration is no longer possible.

It is candidates’ responsibility to complete their online registration in time. We strongly advise candidates not to wait until the last few days before applying, since heavy internet traffic or a fault with internet connection could lead to the online registration being terminated before completed, thereby obliging candidates to repeat the whole process. Once the deadline for the submission of registrations has passed, candidates will no longer be able to introduce any data. Late registrations are not accepted.

Important information for candidates

Candidates are reminded that the work of the different selection panels is confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with their individual members or for anybody to do so on their behalf. Any query must be addressed to the secretariat of the relevant panel.

Protection of personal data

The Commission will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (12). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

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(1)  Council Regulation (EU)2021/2085 of 19 November 2021 establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe and repealing Regulations (EC) No 219/2007, (EU) No 557/2014, (EU) No 558/2014, (EU) No 559/2014, (EU) No 560/2014, (EU) No 561/2014 and (EU) No 642/2014 (OJ L 427, 30.11.2021, p. 17).

(2)  Decision No 556/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the participation of the Union in a second European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Programme (EDCTP2) jointly undertaken by several Member States (OJ L 169, 7.6.2014, p. 38).

(3)  Decision No 1209/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 June 2003 on Community participation in a research and development programme aimed at developing new clinical interventions to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through a long-term partnership between Europe and developing countries, undertaken by several Member States (OJ L 169, 8.7.2003, p. 1).

(4)  Professional experience is only taken into consideration if it represents an actual work relationship defined as real, genuine work, on a paid basis and as employee (any type of contract) or provider of a service. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the certified percentage of full-time hours worked. Maternity leave / parental leave / leave for adoption is taken into consideration if it is in the framework of a work contract. PhDs are assimilated to professional experience, even when unpaid, but for a duration of 3 years maximum, provided that the PhD has been successfully completed. A given period may be counted only once.

(5)  In their curriculum vitae, candidates should clearly indicate for all years during which management experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of management positions held; (2) numbers of staff overseen in these positions; (3) the size of budgets managed; (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below; and (5) number of peers.

(6)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01958R0001-20130701

(7)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20140701

(8)  https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/compilation-of-the-senior-official-policy-at-the-european-commission_en.pdf (only exists in English).

(9)  Unless the Member of the Commission concerned, in line with the Commission Decision of 5 December 2007 (PV(2007) 1811) and 30 September 2020 (PV(2020) 2351), has delegated this task.

(10)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20140701

(11)  You can find information on how to create your Europass CV online at: https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv.

(12)  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 (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39).