Under the authority of the Director of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare and the Head of the Publications and Multimedia Department, the incumbent shall contribute to the smooth running of ICT systems.

The incumbent performs all or a combination of the following duties:

-          carries out software development pertaining to the EDQM’s implementation of SAP; 

-          supports business needs by providing development and implementation expertise for SAP using ABAP and JAVA technologies;

-          collaborates with other teams within DPM, as well as sub-contracted companies involved in definition of functional requirements based on business processes and translating them into tangible development projects and activities;

-          undertakes rigorous, controlled, testing of SAP instances, simulating real-world situations and deploys approved solutions as stability improvements or enhancements;

-          provides expert knowledge and understanding of SAP ecosystem including its interfacing abilities to  DPM;

-          provides application development support through facilitation of  change requests/enhancements/other issues) and ensures stringent quality control prior - and after- release of new functionalities and other deliverables; 

-          as a key member of SAP project team, provides technical expertise to DPM and/or sub-contracted companies involved in applications development and maintenance activities;

-          assists in preparation of training documentation and transition plans.

Please note that the incumbent may be required to perform other duties not listed in the vacancy notice.

·           Qualifications: completed university degree in Computer Science or a related area;

·           Experience: at least five years of professional development experience with SAP ABAP related technologies, structured programming and significant JAVA development experience;   

·           Managerial skills: management of ICT projects;

·           Language requirements: very good knowledge of one official language of the Council of Europe (French or English) in oral and written communication and knowledge of the other;

·           Nationality: must be a national of a Council of Europe member state;

·           Age: under 65 years of age, at the closing date of the vacancy notice.

Please note that only applicants meeting the above-mentioned requirements will be considered for shortlisting. Moreover, these being only minimum requirements, there is no guarantee that applicants will be shortlisted, even if they meet all of these.

Essential:

·         Managerial skills: coaching of others;

·         Technical and IT competencies:  Knowledge of SAP data structures (tables, data elements and domains), ABAP reports, interfaces, enhancements, conversion programs and forms; ability to develop, test, and implement new applications and changes to existing applications; demonstrated understanding of relational databases and SQL concepts; understanding of testing methodologies and ability to build test plans; and ability to prepare comprehensive technical documentation; JAVA programming.

·         Professional competencies: able to co-ordinate work to maximise efficiency and productivity;  analyse complex and wide-ranging questions, issues or information;

·         Interpersonal skills: capacity to discover underlying needs, to deliver solutions that meet needs and give added value; establishes and maintains excellent working relations.

·         Communication and linguistic skills: has very good knowledge of one of the official languages (English or French) in oral and written communication, and knowledge of the other.

Desirable:

·         Qualifications: qualifications in .SAP ABAP, JAVA certifications and project management (PMP or PRINCE2); 

·         Experience: experience and knowledge of change management and delivery methods.

For more information, please refer to the competency inventory of the Council of Europe.

Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system and submitted at the latest 7 November 2013 (midnight Central European Time). By connecting to our website http://www.coe-recruitment.com you can create and submit your on-line application.   

The selection procedure may vary according to the specific requirements of the job vacancy. It consists of preliminary selection, written papers and/or other assessments, and an interview. Assessments can include ability tests, behavioural questionnaires, job related examinations, situational exercises, language tests as well as full assessment centres.

Depending on the number of applicants, the length of the required professional experience may be increased.  

Candidates with the best results in the previous stages of the procedure (tests, exams, etc.) will be invited for an interview.

Following this competition, a reserve list of successful candidates, in order of merit, may be established. This list will be valid for two years with the possibility of extending it to a maximum of four years. It should be noted that placement on a reserve list does not give candidates the right to an appointment within the Council of Europe.  Moreover, the choice of candidates from a reserve list is not made solely according to the order of merit.  

During the period of validity of the reserve list, candidates on the list can be offered fixed-term contracts, which may be prolonged one or more times. The first year of employment will constitute a probationary period.

The compulsory retirement age is 65. 

Details on conditions of employment including salaries, allowances, pension scheme and social insurance can be consulted on the Council of Europe recruitment website. 

Under its equal opportunities policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve parity in the number of women and men employed in each category and grade. In the event of equal merit, preference will therefore be given to the applicant belonging to the under-represented sex.

The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.

During the different stages of the recruitment procedure, specific measures may be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities.

The Organisation 

The Council of Europe is a political organisation founded in 1949 in order to promote greater unity between its members. It now numbers 47 member States. The Organisation’s main aims are to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to develop common responses to political, social, cultural and legal challenges in its member States. Since 1989 it has integrated most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and supported them in their efforts to implement and consolidate their reforms.

The Council of Europe has its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg (France). By Statute, it has two constituent organs: the Committee of Ministers, composed of the member States’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and the Parliamentary Assembly, comprising delegations from the national parliaments. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe represents the entities of local and regional self-government within the member States.

The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body competent to adjudicate complaints brought against a state by individuals, associations or other contracting states on grounds of violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (http://www.edqm.eu) is a leading organisation that protects public health by enabling the development, supporting the implementation and monitoring the application of quality standards for safe medicines and their safe use. Its standards are recognised as a scientific benchmark world-wide. The European Pharmacopoeia is legally binding in European member states.  Similarly, the EDQM develops guidance and standards in the areas of blood transfusion, organ transplantations and consumer health issues.  Its mission is to contribute to the basic human right of access to good quality medicines and healthcare and to promote and protect human and animal health.