WITHIN THE EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY

(PARMA)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the keystone of European Union (EU)

risk assessment regarding food and feed safety. In close collaboration with national authorities and in open consultation with its stakeholders, EFSA provides independent scientific advice and clear communication on existing and emerging risks.

The Authority has set up a selection procedure that aims to establish a reserve list for Temporary Agents (5-year contract renewable at the conditions set out in the Staff Regulations and in the Conditions of Employment for Other Servants) for:

Press Officer

Grade AD 6

Ref.: EFSA/X/AD/2010/019

The Communications Directorate

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is committed to ensuring that all interested parties, stakeholders and the public at large receive timely, reliable, objective and meaningful information based on the risk assessments of its Scientific Committee and Panels and its own scientific expertise. Communicating its own initiatives and promoting collaboration with Member States and stakeholders are crucial to building coherence in risk communications and consumer confidence in the risk assessment process. Working closely with other EFSA colleagues, in particular EFSA Science and External Relations, the EFSA Communications team develops and contributes to strategies, programmes and initiatives to achieve these goals. The Communications Directorate includes the Press Office unit, the Public Information and Events Unit and the Web Team.

The Press Office

The Press Office is responsible for drafting material, such as press releases, aimed at the media and other audiences to build awareness and understanding of EFSA's

scientific work and of EFSA's mission and contribution to food safety in the European Union. The unit develops media materials, provides advice on media strategy, monitors and analyses media coverage, organises press conferences and interviews, and co-ordinates media training for EFSA's scientific officers.

The job

Press officers are responsible for information, both written and oral, provided to the media. This includes working closely with scientific and corporate colleagues to obtain, assess and communicate in accessible language for lay audiences information on the full range of EFSA's scientific and corporate activities. Press officers oversee, and, where appropriate, line manage the work of media assistants and secretarial staff who support this activity. They also manage, where appropriate, external contracts and lead work on specific projects for the press office and, on occasions, across the communications team.

Press officers report to the Head of Press Office who is responsible for the overall quality of outputs and processes. Press officers have both generic and specific responsibilities, and work as a team, covering and backing each other up across issues and responsibilities as required by circumstances.

The tasks may include:

· Advise on media handling on EFSA business and develop media strategies;

· Develop and agree communications with scientific and corporate colleagues;

· Organise and deliver media relations activity;

· Prepare a range of written materials for approval;

· Develop relations with media contacts;

· Answer enquiries and requests from the media for EFSA;

· Take and handle media interview bids;

· Act as a spokesperson for EFSA;

· Cooperate and liaise with communications counterparts at the European Commission, other EU and International institutions and EU Member States (e.g. members of the Advisory Forum Communications Working Group);

· Maintain and establish contacts with Scientific Panel Members, with stakeholders and national authorities as appropriate;

· Be on-duty call with colleagues on a rota basis;

· To work across teams in communications, such as the web team and publications, and with other EFSA units;

· To contribute to the development and execution of the communications activity calendar for EFSA;

· Other tasks and responsibilities on an ad hoc basis as required by the line manager.

The Jobholder reports to the Head of the Press Office.

The requirements

Qualifications and experience

A.

Eligibility criteria

• i. 

  A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three (3) years attested by a diploma;
• ii. 

  In addition to the above, at least three (3) years of relevant and proven professional experience
• - 

  gained after obtaining the diploma;

iii.

• - 

  Thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the Communities and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Communities;

iv.

• - 

  Candidates must be nationals of a Member State of the European Communities, Iceland or Norway;
• v. 

  Candidates must have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by laws concerning military service;

vi.

• - 

  Meet the character requirements for the duties involved;

vii.

• - 

  Candidates must be entitled to his or her full rights as a citizen;

2viii. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post.

B. Selection criteria

Essential criteria

· Out of the three (3) years professional experience mentioned above, at least two (2) years as press officer;

·

• - 

  Experience acquired in an international and multicultural environment;

·

• - 

  Proven and relevant experience of writing, editing and media relations;

·

• - 

  Excellent knowledge of both written and spoken English;

·

• - 

  Knowledge of the media environment (EU and/or international);

·

• - 

  Fluency with IT tools and databases (MS Office; MS Outlook; Internet);

·

• - 

  Ability to work independently as well as with others;

· Ability to communicate, orally and in writing, complex, specialised information in a clear and understandable language.

Assets

· Experience in communication related to food and/or science and/or health sectors;

·

• - 

  Affinity with EFSA's scientific work;

·

• - 

  Experience in crisis communication;

·

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  Knowledge (by training or experience) of media relations tools (e.g. media monitoring software);

(note: 2 Before the appointment, a successful candidate shall be medically examined by an institutions' medical officer in order that the European Food Safety Authority may be satisfied that he/she fulfils the requirement of article 28(e) of the Staff Regulations of the Officials of the European Communities.)

· Wide theoretical and practical knowledge of public sector communication (non-profit/governmental);

·

• - 

  Knowledge of German or Italian or French;

·

• - 

  Ability to react to situations quickly, sense of urgency;

·

• - 

  Attention to detail;

·

• - 

  Sharp ability to identify priorities and to meet deadlines;

· Creative, hands on approach to problem solving.

Selection procedure

The eligibility of candidates will be assessed only if the requirements requested in the vacancy notice are met by the closing date of the submission of applications.

Depending on the needs of the Authority and its teams, a shortlist will be established.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview by the Selection Board and may be also interviewed by the Executive Director. The interview will mainly be held in English and during the selection process candidates may be required to undergo a competency assessment exercise. The interview will take place in Parma (Italy), where the Authority has its seat and where the place of employment is.

Candidates invited to an interview will be requested to submit, on the day of the interview, a non-certified copy of their diploma(s) and evidence of their professional experience, clearly indicating the starting and finishing dates, the function(s) and the exact nature of the duties carried out. However, prior to contract signature, the successful candidate/s will be requested to provide EFSA with original or certified copies of all relevant documents proving the eligibility requirements.

The Selection Board will establish a reserve list composed of at least three (3)

candidates, provided that they meet the above mentioned essential criteria and assets.

The Executive Director will appoint the selected jobholder/s. This reserve list may be used for the recruitment of a similar post depending on the needs of the Authority, and will be valid until 31/12/2011 (the validity of the reserve list may be extended).

Candidates should note that inclusion on a reserve list does not guarantee recruitment.

Please note that the Selection Board's internal proceedings are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is strictly forbidden.

Appeal procedures

If a candidate considers that he/she has been adversely affected by a particular decision, he/she can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Communities and Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities, at the following address:

The Executive Director EFSA Selection procedure Ref.: EFSA/X/AD/2010/019

Largo N. Palli, 5/A I-43121 PARMA

The complaint must be lodged within three (3) months. The time limit for initiating this type of procedure starts to run from the time the completion of the selection procedure is published on the Web-site at:

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/aboutefsa/jobs.htm.

Conditions of employment

Depending on the budgetary situation, selected candidate/s may be offered a five-year contract in accordance with the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Communities. Before signing the contract, the selected candidates will be asked to sign a declaration of interest. The successful candidates will be recruited in the grade AD6. The basic monthly salary for the grade AD6 (step 1) is 4,828.65. In addition to the basic salary, staff members may be entitled to various allowances, such as a household allowance, expatriation allowance (16% of basic salary), dependent child allowance and education allowance. The salary is subject to a Community tax deducted at source and staff members are exempt of national taxation.

Please note that recruitment is done in the first or second step of the indicated grade, depending on the duration of the acquired professional experience. EFSA offers a comprehensive welfare package including pension scheme, medical accident and occupational disease insurance coverage, unemployment and invalidity allowance and travel insurance. Further information regarding rights and conditions of employment can be found in the following document:

http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/toc100_en.pdf The Authority is an equal opportunities employer and takes care to avoid any form of discrimination.

Submission of applications

Candidates are requested to submit their application online through the Authority's website:

www.efsa.europa.eu or download the forms from the EFSA website and send their application by registered mail to the following address: EFSA Human Resources Unit

Ref.: EFSA/X/AD/2010/019

Largo N. Palli, 5/A I-43121 PARMA

Candidates should note that the online application is the recommended method.

Moreover, the online method will allow candidates to enter into their application until the deadline in order to make changes.

Applications delivered via email will not be accepted. An application will be deemed admissible only if it includes a duly completed application form. This vacancy notice and the form are only available in English. Candidates are kindly invited to fill in their

application form in English, in order to facilitate the recruitment procedure. The Authority regrets that, due to the large volume of applications only candidates selected for interviews will be notified. Information concerning the status of the selection procedure can be found at the following address:

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/aboutefsa/jobs.htm

.

Please note that EFSA will not return applications to candidates. The personal information EFSA requests from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EC) N° 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data. The purpose of processing of the personal data candidates submit is to manage applications in view of a possible pre-selection and recruitment at EFSA.

More information on personal data protection in relation to selection and recruitment can be found on the EFSA website:

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/legalnotice.htm

.

Deadline

Applications must be sent no later than 9

th September 2010 at midnight (Local time, GMT +1). For those sent by registered mail, the postmark date will serve as a proof.

The Authority will disregard any applications received after that date.

Please note that, due to the extremely large number of applications we receive, when reaching the deadline for submission of applications, the system may have problems to process the large amounts of data. We therefore advise the applicants to send in their application well ahead of the deadline.

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