WE ARE

The European External Action Service (EEAS) supports the High Representative in the exercise of his/her mandate to conduct and implement an effective and coherent EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), to represent the EU and to chair the Foreign Affairs Council.

It also supports the High Representative in his/her capacity as Vice-President of the Commission with regard to his/her responsibilities within the Commission in the external relations field including the coordination of other aspects of the EU’s external action. The EEAS works in close cooperation with the EU Member States as well as the General Secretariat of the Council, the services of the Commission and the Secretariat-General of the European Parliament.

The Policy Planning and Strategic Foresight Division (SG.STRAT.1 also known as STRAT- POL) provides policy analysis and advice to the HRVP, the EEAS Senior Management and the rest of the EEAS, including EU Delegations, across a wide range of topics in the areas of geopolitics and geo-economics and in support of formulation and implementation of EU common foreign, security and defence policies. SG.STRAT.1’s mission as part of the Directorate for Strategic Communication and Foresight is to provide strategic perspectives and ideas on how to advance EU interests and values in the world and on how to enhance a coherent and effective projection of the EU in the world. Core functions and main activities are: (a) to develop policy analysis and strategic foresight, (b) to foster strategic culture, and

3. to monitor perceptions and help to shape narratives.

WE PROPOSE

Two positions of Speech Writer in the Policy planning and strategic Foresight Division (SG.STRAT.1). Administrator – AD07.

The main responsibilities are as follows:

• Be responsible for drafting speeches, interventions, articles, op-eds, blogs and other such activities for the HR/VP.
• Assist the Director and the Head of Division in ensuring effective and timely formulation of narratives to be used within and outside the EU in key policy topics and contribute to define strategies to disseminate them.
• Coordinate with the whole Directorate in helping to ensure strategic coherence of narratives, strategic communication and other dissemination activities with the HR/VP’s public communication activities.
• Contribute to the drafting of speeches, interventions, articles and other such activities for the EEAS SG and DSGs or other members of the EEAS senior management helping to ensure strategic coherence with the HR/VP’s public communication activities.

LEGAL BASIS

The vacancies are to be filled in accordance with the conditions stipulated under the

Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS)(1), in accordance with EEAS Decision ADMIN(2015)20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents.

The successful candidates will be offered a contract as Temporary Agent under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS) at the grade of AD07 for a 4-year duration, renewable for another 2 years.

WE LOOK FOR

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Candidates must meet all of the following general and specific conditions on the closing date for online applications:

• Be a national of one of the EU Member States and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Meet any obligations imposed on him or her by the laws concerning military service;
• Provide the appropriate character references as to his suitability for the performance of his duties;
• Have the capacity to work in languages of the CFSP (English and French);
• Possess a level of education
  1. which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, OR
  2. which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and relevant professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years.
• Have gained at least 6 years full time professional experience. This experience must have been gained after obtaining the four-year diploma or after obtaining the three- year diploma and the one year relevant professional experience;
• Have at least two years’ proven, pertinent working experience in external relations.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates should:

• have an excellent ability to maintain diplomatic relations and to ensure representation, communication and management in a complex, multicultural environment;
• have an excellent capacity to create constructive working relations with other colleagues both within and outside the organisation;
• have strong drafting, communication, research and analytical skills combined with sound judgement;
• be fluent in writing in English;
• have sound judgement, excellent knowledge of EU foreign, security and defence policies and of the major international challenges of our times as well as good understanding of the complexities and sensitivities of international politics;
• have a great ability to work fast and under pressure in a complex and multicultural environment.

Furthermore:

• have previous high-level experience as speech writer in political, diplomatic or other relevant contexts

would be considered an asset.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE (2)

The selection procedure will take place in three different and successive steps:

1. Expression of Interest

Expressions of interest should be sent by e-mail to the following email addresses: [email protected]

For the purposes of the e-mail application, this post will appear under the subject of the email:

“EoI: Speech Writer – SG.STRAT.1 / 2024-EoI-HQ (AD)-TA2b-AD07 460829 +447597 – NAME APPLICANT”

Such an expression of interest must be accompanied by:

• An updated Curriculum vitae. Candidates are invited to use the "Europass" CV format (https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/documents/curriculum-vitae) for their applications.
• A letter of motivation (maximum 2 pages) in either English or in French.

Expressions of interest/applications may be submitted until 22/11/2024 at 12.00h midday (CET - Brussels' time).

2. Pre-selection

The selection panel will make a pre-selection of the eligible expressions of interest on the basis of the qualifications and the professional experience described in the CV and motivation letter.

3. Selection

The candidates who have passed the pre-selection step will be invited for an interview so that the selection panel can evaluate these candidates objectively and without prejudice based on their qualifications, professional experience and linguistic skills. Additional specific written or oral tests might be organized by the panel.

On the basis of the outcome of the comparative merits of the interviewed candidates, the selection panel will recommend to the Authority Authorized to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC) a shortlist of a limited number of eligible candidates who best meet the selection criteria for the posts.

For correspondence concerning the selection procedure, please use the following email address (the e-mail must have in the subject the following title: “2024-EoI-HQ (AD)- TA2b-AD07- 460829 + 447597”: [email protected]

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The EEAS is committed to an equal opportunities policy for all its employees and applicants for employment. As an employer, the EEAS is committed to promoting gender equality and to preventing discrimination on any grounds. It actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds and from the broadest possible geographical basis amongst the EU Member States. We aim at a service, which is truly representative of society, where each staff member feels respected, is able to give their best and can develop their full potential.

If pre-selected, candidates with disabilities are invited to contact us at EEAS-HQ- [email protected] in order to accommodate any special needs and provide assistance to ensure the possibility to pass the selection procedure in equality of opportunities with other candidates.

If a candidate with a disability is selected and recruited, the EEAS is committed to appropriate measures in order to accommodate his or her special needs to the working place or working conditions in accordance with Art 1d(4) of the Staff Regulations.

APPOINTMENT

The selected candidates will be recruited as temporary agents under Article 2(b) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants (CEOS), in accordance with EEAS Decision ADMIN(2015) 20 on the engagement and use of temporary agents.

The selected candidates will be required to undergo a medical fitness examination in accordance with Article 13 of the CEOS.

The requested level of security clearance for this post is: SECRET UE/EU SECRET. A description of the EU classified information levels is available under Article 2 of Annex A of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS (3).

The selected candidates should hold, or be in the position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance (PSC)(4) issued by the competent authority of the Member State concerned.

Candidates who do not already have a valid PSC will be required to go through the security clearance vetting procedure of their Member State to obtain this clearance in accordance with national laws and regulations and with the procedure laid down in the Decision ADMIN(2019)7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019 and in Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS. Until the PSC is issued by the competent authority of the Member State concerned, the selected candidates will not be authorised to access EUCI at the level of CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above, or to participate in any meetings or workflow where EUCI is processed.

Please note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidates.

In case of failure to obtain or renew the required PSC, the AACC may take the appropriate measures in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Decision ADMIN(2019) 7 on Security Clearance Requirements and Procedures for the EEAS of 08 March 2019.

In case of positive results on the medical fitness examination and after assessment of the PSC conditions, the candidates will be offered a contract as Temporary Agent, Grade AD7 for a duration 4 years renewable only once for another 2 years.

All members of the temporary staff shall serve initially a nine-month probationary period in accordance with Article 14 CEOS.

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Brussels, Belgium

POST AVAILABLE: 01/12/2024

CONTACT:    Alexandros Yannis, Head of Division. +32 2584-81 12. Email: [email protected]

The closing date for submissions is 22/11/2024 at 12.00 midday (CET - Brussels' time).

1. Staff Regulations of Officials (SR) and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). For reference, see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1570023902133&uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20190101

2. Your personal data will be processed in accordance with Regulation (EC) 2018/1725. The privacy statement is available on EEAS webpage: http://eeas.europa.eu/data_protection/rights/index_en.htm

3. OJ C 263, 26 July 2023, p.16.

4. The ‘Personnel Security Clearance’ is defined under point 2 of Annex A I of the Decision ADMIN(2023) 18 on the security rules of the EEAS as “a statement by a competent authority of a Member State which is made following completion of a security investigation conducted by the competent authorities of a Member State and which certifies that an individual may, provided his ‘need-to-know’ has been determined, be granted access to EUCI up to a specified level (CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above) until a specified date; the individual thus described is said to be ‘security cleared’.”