Research and Youth Policy Officers - Montesquieu Institute

Job Mission

Duty station: Brussels, Belgium

Fixed-term contract[1]

Notice is hereby given of the above two vacancies which will be filled by competition based on qualifications open to nationals of Council of Europe member states

Job mission

Under the authority of the Head of the Partnership Secretariat of the Directorate of Youth and Sport, the incumbents will plan, coordinate, implement and evaluate the activities of the partnership between the European Commission and the Council of Europe in the area of evidence-based youth policy, particularly the further development of the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy, or in the field of networking and co-operation in the field of youth research and youth policy, the production of knowledge on youth and its provision and presentation in the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy, in compliance with guidelines and priorities and with a concern for quality, efficiency and accuracy.

[1] The total length of employment will not exceed five years.

Key Activities

PROFILE A: Research and policy officer

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  prepares and supervises the implementation of activities related to evidence-based youth policy, in particular the collection and provision of knowledge on young people at European level and the organisation of seminars, workshops, fora and symposia with experts from youth policy, research and practice;
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  contributes to the further development of the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy (EKCYP) by providing and presenting knowledge on youth and by linking the activities on evidence-based policy-making to this tool;
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  coordinates the high-level network of researchers, called Pool of European Youth Researchers (PEYR) and organises regularly the Youth Knowledge Forum, inviting experts from policy, research and practice to discuss trends and developments in the youth field;
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  co-operates closely with external partners working in the youth field such as National Agencies of the Youth in Action Programme, SALTO Resource Centres, governments, international and non-governmental (youth) organisations, researchers and specialised agencies;
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  participates in the development of innovative projects in the youth field (conceptual development, programme design and implementation) and of the strategy for a better recognition and visibility of youth work and youth workers;

PROFILE B: Research officer responsible for the European Knolwedge Centre for Youth Policy

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  prepares and supervises activities related to evidence-based youth policy, in particular the collection and provision of scientific and experiential knowledge on young people at European level gained in seminars, workshops, fora and symposia with experts from youth policy, research and practice;
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  coordinates the further development of the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy (EKCYP) as an integral part of the partnership web portal by providing and presenting knowledge on youth, monitoring its content and by linking the activities on evidence-based policy-making to this tool;
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  organises and leads the work of the activities around the European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy, specifically the annual meeting of correspondents and acting as a liaison person and point of information for correspondents, external partners and other resource persons;
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  contributes to the high-level network of researchers, called Pool of European Youth Researchers (PEYR) and to the regularly held Youth Knowledge Forum, which invites experts from policy, research and practice to discuss trends and developments in the youth field and making the results visible in EKCYP;
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  co-operates closely with external partners working in the youth field and particularly those providing information on and for young people and youth experts, such as ERIYCA, Eurodesk, National Agencies of the Youth in Action Programme, SALTO Resource Centres, governments, international and non-governmental (youth) organisations, researchers and specialised agencies.

Both incumbents perform the following activities:

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  supervises, evaluates and develops the quality of activities in terms of content, methodology and impact;
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  assures the administrative follow-up and reporting of activities to the Council of Europe, the European Commission and to the management structures under the EU-CoE youth partnership agreement;
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  draws up documents, reports and statements, assures the preparation of drafts, the editing of documents and finalisation of texts;
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  ensures, in co-operation with other colleagues, the secretariat of the management structures under the partnership agreement and preparing the Management Board and Advisory Group meetings;
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  oversees the production of publications falling under the responsibility of the incumbent, in co-operation with the administrative assistant for publications;
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  ensures the visibility of activities of the partnership by contributing to a coherent communication strategy and maintaining relevant external contacts;
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  liaises and coordinates with the secretariat of the Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe and the technical staff in charge of activities as well as with the youth units of the European Commission, Directorate General of Education and Culture;
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  manages and supervises the work of the secretarial assistants of the Partnership Unit, by setting priorities according to needs and by accompanying their professional development as necessary;
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  reports to the hierarchical supervisor on activities in progress, particularly when problems occur.

Competencies

§ Vision on international affairs: awareness of the international political, economic, social, and cultural context; organisational awareness.

§ Managerial skills: management of programmes and coaching of others.

§ Professional and technical competencies:

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  professional qualifications: completed university degree equivalent to a masters degree (2nd cycle of the Bologna process framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area).
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  professional expertise: at least three years of appropriate professional experience of international project management and project evaluation in the field of youth policy, non-formal education and youth work practise, including experience in working with NGOs;
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  experience in publishing and information strategies and publishing/information services would be an advantage;
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  ICT skills: can use current ICT tools, including management software;
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  planning and work organisation, information seeking, analytical thinking, problem solving and judgment skills.
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  conceptual thinking

§ Interpersonal skills: service and client orientation, team working, relationship building and networking, advising, negotiating and diplomacy

§ Communication and linguistic skills: communication, writing and presentation skills; has very good knowledge of one of the official languages (English or French) and a good knowledge of the other; knowledge of other European languages would be an advantage; can express oneself, present and draft clearly, concisely and convincingly in English or French.

§ Personal attitudes: initiative and responsibility, result orientation and sense of continuous improvement, concern for quality and efficiency, adaptability, self-management and development, organisational alignment.

§ Personal values: integrity, loyalty and conscience, discretion, independence and confidence, respect for diversity.

Language Requirements

Has very good knowledge of one of the official languages (English or French) and a good knowledge of the other; knowledge of other European languages would be an advantage.

Additional Information

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 Directorate of Youth and Sport which is part of Directorate General of Education, Culture, Heritage, Youth and Sport, co-operates closely with member states, non-governmental youth organisations, other international institutions active in the youth field and the research community. Its programme consists of expert conferences, study sessions and training courses mainly related to human rights, intercultural dialogue, social inclusion and the development of youth-policy institutions and approaches.

Applications

Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system. By connecting to our website http://www.coe-recruitment.com you can create and submit your on-line application. Applications must be submitted by 12 August 2010 (midnight Central European Summer Time) at the latest.

Additional Information

The recruitment procedure consists of the following stages: preliminary selection, if necessary job-related tests, and an interview (external recruitment procedure organised in accordance with Article 16 of the Regulations on Appointments).

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

The successful candidate will be appointed on an initial fixed term contract, at grade A1 or A2, depending on the professional experience of the candidate. The first year of employment will constitute a probationary period. Provided the staff members’ work is considered satisfactory, he/she may be offered contracts of fixed term duration. However, the total length of employment will not exceed five years. The staff member so recruited shall not be eligible for any subsequent internal competition, promotion or transfer to a post, nor for secondment. The compulsory retirement age is 65.

The duty station for these positions will be Brussels, Belgium.

Following this competition, a list of eligible candidates, in order of merit, for posts or positions with identical duties and qualification requirements may be established. It will be notified to the applicants concerned. This list will be valid for two years with the possibility of extending it to a maximum of four years. During the period of validity of the list, candidates on the list may be offered employment of fixed term duration, should an identical permanent post or a fixed-term position become vacant. It should be noted that placement on this list does not give candidates the right to an appointment within the Council of Europe.

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

Please note: remuneration for these positions in Brussels is based on the coordinated salary scale for Council of Europe staff serving in Belgium.

Observation: The nature of the Youth Partnership multilateral activities with civil society organisations and young people requires occasional presence of the Research and Youth Policy Officer outside usual office hours, i.e. at evenings and weekends. The weekly working hours of Council of Europe staff are 39.75 hours. The position will be located in Brussels with frequent presence in Strasbourg to liaise with the European Union-Council of Europe youth partnership secretariat and other Council of Europe services.

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 (at the time of the appointments Board making its recommendation).

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.

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