Ref.: EUISS (2024) TEMP 06

Status: Temporary staff member

Place of employment: Brussels

Starting date: as soon as possible

Duration:

The successful candidate will be offered a full-time contract of 18 months, subject to the availability of funds.

Salary:

The monthly remuneration for this position is calculated based on grade A2/A3 according to the salary scale of the Coordinated Organisations, depending on the level of experience of the successful candidate, and subject to national taxes and social insurance.

Job description

The EUISS is currently leading two EU-funded projects in the domain of cyber diplomacy: the ‘EU Cyber Direct – EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative’ (EUCD) and the ‘Advancing the Cyber Programme of Action Initiative’ (PoA). As the lead organisation, the EUISS assumes the managerial and secretarial responsibilities for both projects.

The EUCD project supports the EU’s cyber diplomacy and international digital engagements to strengthen the rules-based order in cyberspace and build cyber-resilient societies. While the current funding period ends in 2024, the project is likely to be extended by 18 months until June 2026.

The PoA project aims to strengthen the EU’s diplomatic efforts leading up to the conclusion of the UN Open-ended Working Group on security of and in the use of information and communications technologies (OEWG) in July 2025.

The EUISS seeks to hire an experienced Project Director who will be responsible for the overall coordination, implementation and development of activities under each of the projects. In this role, the incumbent will lead a small team of project support staff, work closely with partner organisations and report to the EUISS Director.

Main responsibilities

• take decisions about the strategic direction of the EUCD and PoA projects, including the development and adoption of periodic work plans;
• ensure the thorough implementation and oversee the sound administrative and financial management of all project-related activities;
• represent the projects externally in meetings, conferences and relevant fora, and also by liaising with contracting authorities and key institutional stakeholders;
• provide own expert advice and contribute to content development and research across thematic issues covered by the projects, in particular, concerning policy and advocacy work as well as Cyber Consultations;
• warrant rigorous periodic reporting and evaluation of project activities with contracting authorities, with support from the broader administrative and finance capacity at the EUISS;
• Closely coordinate and monitor the work of the in-house project support teams and the project coordinators at the partner organisations.

Eligibility criteria

On the closing date for applications, candidates must fulfil all the following conditions:

• Be a national of a member state of the European Union who enjoys full rights as a citizen attested by a recent extract from judicial records and/or certificate of good conduct;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national law on military service;
• Be physically fit to perform the required duties.

Selection criteria

Professional experience

• At least four years of work experience in project implementation, including managing and facilitating stakeholder networks, involving the coordination of project partners from the EU, national governments, civil society and private sector;
• At least two years of work experience in an entity dealing with the external dimension of cybersecurity (including capacity building and cyber diplomacy);
• Prior experience in working with/on EU institutions and/or United Nations processes;
• At least two years of proven experience in leading or coordinating teams;
• Demonstrated experience in Cyber Diplomacy, UNGA First Committee Affairs and EU programming will be considered an advantage;
• Experience in public diplomacy actions will be considered an asset.

Qualifications and skills

• A Master’s degree, preferably in Political Science, International Relations, Security Studies, or other disciplines relevant to this position;
• Excellent communication skills, and ability to liaise effectively with different stakeholder groups;
• Excellent organisational skills paired with the proven ability to work well under pressure and to deliver high-quality results under tight deadlines;
• Strong interpersonal and team coordination skills, including the ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment;

• Proficient use of common IT tools and Microsoft technologies (Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Excellent command of English (written and spoken) and a satisfactory knowledge of another official language of the European Union.

Procedure

All interested candidates must complete the online application form and attach:

• A detailed CV in English (with a clear indication of educational attainment and professional experience);
• A cover letter in English addressed to the EUISS Director;

Applications received by email or post will not be considered. Only correctly and fully completed applications will be accepted.

The deadline for submitting applications is Thursday 12 December 2024, 12:00 CET.

All eligible applications will be scrutinised by a Selection Committee. Candidates whose applications best match the selection criteria will be invited for an interview. In addition, a second interview or written tests may be carried out.

The successful candidates will be offered a contract of 18 months year with a four-month probationary period.

All applicants will be informed of the results of their application by the end of the procedure.

The EUISS is an equal opportunities employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of age, race, political or religious conviction, sex or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or family situation.

Any questions related to this selection procedure have to be submitted to EUISS Human Resources via the online contact form and indicating the reference of the vacancy notice.

The processing of personal data by the EUISS is governed by 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) N° 45/2001 and Decision N° 1247/2002/EC. By submitting an application, the applicant consents to the processing of the personal data contained in the application form and the supporting documents enclosed therewith, in the sense of Article 5.1 (a) of the Regulation. The personal data in question is collected by the EUISS for the sole purpose of this selection process.