This selection procedure is intended to fill one currently available post.

Europol retains the right to make use of the reserve list to select candidates for similar posts within the organisation, should business needs require so.

Organisational setting:
The post of Specialist – Procurement is located in the Financial Administration Team in the Finance Unit, Administration Department, Capabilities Directorate.

The Finance Unit consists of 40-45 people and is responsible for financial administration, financial planning and reporting, procurement & contract administration and grant administration.

Finance Unit is centralised, accurate, innovative and transparent service oriented partner providing reliable and compliant support to all internal and external stakeholders equipped with dedicated and specialised resources under a unified management umbrella contributing to the overall positive image of the organisation and maximisation of the ethical usage of Europol funds.

Purpose of the post:
The Specialist – Procurement plays a crucial role in the Finance Unit, by delivering proficient and streamlined support and expertise in the field of procurement.

The jobholder is mainly responsible for managing and administering files related to procurement procedures and resulting contracts contributing to financial compliance, legality and regularity in accordance with the financial rules applicable to Europol.

Reporting lines:
The incumbent reports to the Head of the Procurement and Contract Team and/or Head of Unit – Finance.

FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

The incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:
• Implement the annual procurement plan of Europol by organising procurement procedures in compliance with applicable legal and financial rules. This entails , including the following tasks:
- Prepare procurement documents taking into account the technical and financial input provided by Europol’s business areas;
- Manage procurement procedures from initiation to completion (including organising tender evaluations and maintaining communication with tenderers/external parties;
- Carry out ex ante and ex post publication of procurement procedures and contracts while addressing requests from external parties related to procurement procedures;
• Assist and advise Europol’s business areas on ad-hoc requests related to procurement and contracts;
• Manage the files of the Procurement and Contracts Team and ensure that files are complete and correctly stored, in compliance with the internal rules and practices related to document management, audit trail, data protection, confidentiality and data retention;
• Foster cooperation with EU institutions, agencies and bodies in the area of procurement and coordinate Europol’s participation in inter-institutional/ joint procurement procedures;
• Advise management and staff members on issues related to procurement and propose, prepare and implement appropriate measures for improvement, including procedures, templates, (e-procurement) tools and guidance materials;
• Provide input for various reports in the area of competence;
• Perform any other tasks in the area of competence as assigned by the line management.

REQUIREMENTS - ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Requirements - Eligibility criteria

a. Candidates must
• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as further specified in Article 13 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

b. Candidates must have
• A level of education that corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is three years or more;

OR

• Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:

Duration of professional training Additional professional experience required for equivalency
More than 6 months and up to 1 year 3 years
More than 1 year and up to 2 years 2 years
More than 2 years 1 year

• In addition to the above at least 3 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.

Requirements - Selection criteria

a. Professional experience:
Essential:
• Experience in public procurement preferably five years or more, including carrying out competitive public procurement procedures;
• Experience in providing advice on contract and procurement matters;
• Experience in drafting framework contracts in the context of procurement procedures.

Desirable:
• Experience with the administration of procurement procedures in line with the general EU rules on procurement;
• Experience in the area of public procurement in an EU institutions/agencies or bodies;
• Experience in drafting policy documents (policies, guidelines, procedures).

b. Professional knowledge
Essential:
• Knowledge of principles, best practices and processes applicable to public procurement;
• Ability to understand and apply the EU Financial Regulation (2018/1046 ), in particular the rules applicable to public procurement;
• Commercial acumen, in order to provide guidance in activities such as calculating the value of contracts, defining the price criteria and assessment of offers;
• Knowledge of project management principles and ability to apply a structured project management approach.

c. General competencies
Essential:
Communicating:
• Very good communication skills in English, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.
Analysing & problem solving:
• Keen eye for detail with the ability to maintain standards of accuracy under pressure of tight deadlines;
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.
Delivering quality and results:
• High degree of commitment and flexibility;
• High level of customer and service-orientation.
Prioritising and organising:
• Good administrative and organisational skills.
Resilience:
• Very good interpersonal skills, with the ability to work well, both independently and in a team;
• Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.
Living diversity:
• Ability to work effectively in an international and multi-cultural environment.

d. Additional conditions:
Fulfil the condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary Agents, on the start date of the possible contract of employment which may be offered.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

All applications for Temporary Agent posts must be submitted through the online recruitment system accessible via Europol’s website . For further information, please consult the Europol Recruitment Guidelines.

The Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC) sets up a Selection Committee, composed of at least three members, consisting of one chair and at least one member from the administration and one member designated by the Staff Committee.

The selection criteria, set out in this Vacancy Notice, will be assessed by the Selection Committee throughout the different stages of the selection procedure. Before the start of the selection procedure, the Selection Committee will decide which selection criteria will be used at each stage of the selection procedure. Certain selection criteria will be assessed only for shortlisted candidates during a written test and/or a competency-based interview.

The Selection Committee will assess the applications received in order to make an initial selection of those candidates meeting all eligibility criteria and matching best the selection criteria (suitability).

The minimum pass-mark for being shortlisted, i.e. invited to participate in a post-related selection procedure, consisting of a written test and a competency-based interview, is established as 60% of the total maximum score.

The Selection Committee will shortlist the 6 highest scoring candidates. All candidates having a score equal to the 6th highest scoring candidate will be invited to take part in the selection procedure. At shortlisting stage, the Selection Committee will establish the pass-mark for the selection procedure.

It is intended for the selection procedure to be conducted remotely. Should the Selection Committee consider it necessary to conduct the selection procedure on-site at Europol in the interest of the proceedings, and subject to budget availability, the candidates invited to participate in the selection procedure will be informed accordingly.

After the selection procedure has taken place, the Selection Committee will establish a list of successful candidates, i.e. those scoring above the pre-defined pass-mark, which is shared with the AACC.

The Selection Committee makes a proposal to the AACC on the candidate(s) to appoint. Following that proposal, the AACC makes a decision of appointment.

Candidates who participated in the interview will be informed of the outcome, i.e. whether they have been successful or not. In view of the list of successful candidates established by the Selection Committee, the AACC retains the discretion to constitute a Reserve List. A Reserve List is valid for 24 months.

Candidates who participated in the interview will be informed of the outcome, i.e. whether they have been successful or not.

The Selection Committee’s work and deliberations are confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the members of the Selection Committee or for anyone to do so on their behalf.

All enquiries related to a selection procedure should be addressed to the Europol HR Operational Support Team at the following email address: C2-12@europol.europa.eu. Detailed information on the selection procedure- including enquiries, measures of redress and their applicable deadlines is available in the Europol Recruitment Guidelines, which can be found on Europol’s website .

COMPENSATION, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Scale: AD6
The gross basic monthly salary is EUR 6,231.42 (step 1) or EUR 6,492.29 (step 2).

The step in grade is determined on the basis of professional experience gained after the education required for the post and in line with applicable implementing rules.

Staff pay EU tax at source but salaries are exempt from national taxes. Compulsory deductions are made for health insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

Subject to the applicable conditions being met, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations (EUSR)/CEOS and further specified in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, allowances such as expatriation allowance (16% of basic gross salary) or foreign residence allowance (4% of basic gross salary), household allowance, dependent child and / or education allowance may be granted.

Staff enjoy worldwide insurance coverage by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and are insured against sickness, the risk of occupational disease and accident.

Europol offers flexible working arrangements, a comprehensive provision for annual leave as well as parental leave supporting a healthy work-life balance.

Indicative net salary sample calculation AD6/1:
a) Staff member (single) in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 6,659.82
b) Staff member with two dependent children in their custody in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 8,658.86

The above information is indicative and for information purposes only. It is merely meant to give an indication of the possible net salary in light of the currently applicable amounts of the related allowances and the level of taxation. It has no legal value and no rights can be derived from it.

The information is based on figures applicable as of July 2023 .

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The initial contract will be concluded for a period of 4 years (full-time – 40 hours a week). The contract may be renewed, in principle, for a period of 2 years. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite duration.

If the successful candidate is already a member of temporary staff 2(f) in the relevant function group, he/she may be offered the opportunity of contract continuity, should the relevant conditions be fulfilled.

Conditions of engagement
Before the employment contract is concluded by Europol, the successful candidate will have to:
• declare any conflict of interest;
• undergo a pre-employment medical examination to confirm that he/she is physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post or, alternatively, receive the confirmation from Europol that he/she fulfils the conditions laid down in the Decision of the Deputy Executive Director of the Capabilities Directorate on the pre-employment medical examination available on
• in case of candidates for restricted posts ( including restricted - Annex II posts ) who had indicated membership of a competent authority in one of the Member States, provide confirmation of his/her membership of a competent authority in one of the Member States within the meaning of the Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation.

The place of employment will be The Hague, The Netherlands.

In exceptional cases, where justified in the interest of the service, the AACC may recruit a candidate who is a successful candidate in a selection procedure for temporary staff 2(f) CEOS as contract staff 3(a) CEOS, if the selection procedure is considered to be appropriate to the duties to be performed.

For further information on terms and conditions, please consult the EUSR/CEOS available on Europol’s website .

Probation period
Engagement for this post is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period of 9 months.

If the successful candidate chooses contract continuity, and has already successfuly completed the probationary period provided for in Article 14 of the CEOS, in the relevant function group, he/she will not serve the probationary period.

Europol reserves the right to terminate the contract of employment during or at the end of the probation period in accordance with Article 14 CEOS.

Security screening and certificate of good conduct
Candidates who have been recruited to a post at Europol are required to furnish a valid certificate of good conduct before the start of their employment. The certificate of good conduct must be provided to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract. The certificate of good conduct must be issued by the relevant authorities of the country of nationality of the candidate and must not be older than three months at the time of submission to Europol. Europol reserves the right not to proceed with the signature of the contract based on the content of the certificate or if the candidate fails to provide the certificate to Europol.

The certificate of good conduct does not substitute a valid security clearance required for all Europol staff at the level indicated in the vacancy notice. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the employment contract.

Candidates who currently hold a valid security clearance at the level indicated in the vacancy notice or above do not need to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a new security clearance and must provide a copy of the current security clearance certificate to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract. Europol shall verify and confirm the continued validity of the security clearance. In case Europol determines that the security clearance is not valid, the candidate will be required to provide a valid certificate of good conduct prior to the signature of the employment contract. Europol may at any time terminate the employment contract if the result of the security screening is not positive and the necessary clearance level is not granted or extended.

The requested level of security clearance for this post is: CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Equal opportunity
Europol is an equal opportunity employer. Europol accepts applications without distinction on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, national, ethnic or social origin, religion or beliefs, family situation, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications, experience and skills.

Europol lives diversity and provides an inclusive work environment to all. Europol strives to recruit, develop and retain a diverse and talented workforce through application of equal opportunity and impartiality.

Privacy Notice
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) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC, applies to the processing of personal data carried out in the process of selection and recruitment of staff at Europol, following the application of this Regulation to all administrative personal data held by Europol in accordance with Article 46 of the Europol Regulation.

For additional information, please consult the applicable privacy notice inserted in the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES available on Europol’s website .

Statutory obligations upon leaving the service
Pursuant to Article 16 of the EUSR, EU officials and, by analogy, temporary agents continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits after leaving the service. Those staff members intending to engage in an occupational activity within two years of leaving the service shall inform their institution, so that it may take an appropriate decision in that respect. In cases where the intended activity is related to the work carried out by the staff member during the last three years of service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of the institution, the decision to be taken may include forbidding the staff member from undertaking it or giving its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.

Main dates
Publication date: 18 January 2024
Deadline for application: 23 February 2024, 23:59 Amsterdam Time Zone
Selection procedure: April 2024

Application process and selection procedure
For further details on the application process and the selection procedure, please consult our FAQs or refer to the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES available on Europol’s website .

Contact details
For further details on the application process please call +31 (0) 70 353 1154.

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