FIXED-TERM CONTRACT

* External recruitment procedure organised in accordance with Article 15B of the Regulations on Appointments

Under the authority of the Director of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) and the Head of the Department for Publications and Multimedia (DPM), the post-holder  ensures efficient management of the IT Service Delivery Section in compliance with relevant mandates, regulations and Council of Europe values. 

The incumbent performs the following key duties:

·        Leads and manages the IT Service Delivery Section’s activities including supervising and coaching of the following teams:

•  
  • the Infrastructure support team in charge of development and maintenance of EDQM’s technical architecture and its security;
  •  the Helpdesk team providing efficient and effective ICT support in-person, by telephone and in writing to internal and external clients of EDQM;
  • application support team providing technical maintenance for EDQM applications
  • the Product Support & Quality team in charge of application testing, documentation and ICT training coordination;

·        Ensures efficient and effective relationship with internal clients, identifying client needs and ensuring that external service providers are able to meet these needs with an appropriate catalogue of services.

·        Advising and participating in defining the direction, objectives and scope of ICT projects, and managing ICT projects in support of EDQM’s strategic objectives;  participating in defining and analysing the client’s requirements from financial, functional, and technical perspectives; contributing to the related tendering and purchasing of services; and ensuring the effective use of technology in day-to-day operations.

·        Defining, monitoring and following up on service levels for outsourced activities, most notably maintenance of client computing;

·        Overseeing the EDQM’s IT disaster recovery efforts including undertaking official journeys to the disaster recovery site;

·        Participates in the EDQM’s « stand-by » team for crisis management purposes;

·        Reports on the results achieved, on further requirements, risks and opportunities, and translates them into concrete targets, often via the department’s project management unit.

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

Only applicants who best meet the following criteria will be considered for shortlisting.

Qualifications:

-        A higher education degree or qualification in Computer Science or a related area is essential; 

-        Professional qualifications in project management would be an advantage;

Experience:

›        At least 4 years of professional experience in a similar role;  

Language requirements:

›        Very good knowledge of one of the official languages (English or French) and knowledge of the other. 

Nationality:

›        Nationality of one of the 47 Council of Europe member states; 

Age:

›        Under 65 years of age at the closing date of the vacancy notice.  

Council of Europe staff members adhere to the values Professionalism, Integrity and Respect.

Essential:

• Professional and technical expertise

-       Detailed understanding of ICT norms and standards; awareness of ICT technology trends;  

-       ICT project management;

-       Understanding of all aspects of IT service management (Service Catalogue, Service Level, Risk, Capacity, Availability, IT Service Continuity, IT Security, Compliance, IT Architecture, and Supplier management)

-       understanding of budgetary and financial administration.

›        Management of teams

›        Planning and work organisation

›        Analysis and problem solving

›        Service orientation

›        Teamwork and co-operation

›        Relationship building

›        Concern for quality

Desirable: 

›        Drafting skills

›        Initiative

›        Negotiation

›        Creativity and innovation

For more information, please refer to the Competency Framework of the Council of Europe.

Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system.  By connecting to our website www.coe.int/jobs you can create and submit your on-line application.  Applications must be submitted at the latest 14 March 2016 (midnight Central European Time).

The selection procedure consists of shortlisting, assessment(s), and a panel interview.  Assessments may include one or more of the following: ability tests, behavioural questionnaires, job-related examinations, situational exercises, language tests, interviews and full assessment centres. At least one assessment will be eliminatory.

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, as a last stage of the procedure, be invited for an interview with a panel.

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.  The choice of candidates from a reserve list is not made solely according to the order of merit but also takes into account the requirements of the position to be filled and the qualifications of the candidates.

During the period of validity of the reserve list, candidates on the list may be offered employment on a fixed-term contract, which may be renewed one or several times. There is a statutory probationary period of two years.

The compulsory retirement age is 65.

Details on conditions of employment including salaries, allowances, pension scheme and social insurance can be consulted on our 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 the continent’s leading organisation in the protection of human rights, democracy and rule of law. It was founded in 1949 in order to promote greater unity between its members  and  now includes 47 member states, all having signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights.

By Statute, the Council of Europe 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 Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent and impartial institution within the Council of Europe mandated to promote the awareness of and respect for human rights in member states.

The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body which oversees the implementation of the Convention in the member states. Individuals can bring complaints of human rights violations to the Strasbourg Court once all possibilities of appeal have been exhausted in the member state concerned.

The Council of Europe has its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg (France) and in addition it maintains external presence in more than twenty countries. More information about Council of Europe external presence.