Finance and Administration Officer

Availability of position as S/C is pending the approval of employment regime changes

EUCAP Somalia bears a High-Risk Non-Family Mission status. For security reasons, the Mission Members are obliged to live in restricted areas, where security responsibilities are borne by the Mission. Mission Members will contribute towards the overall cost of the accommodation.

Seconded Personnel – For seconded positions, only personnel nominations received through official channels from EU Member States/contributing third States (contributing States) will be considered. Contributing States will bear all personnel-related costs for seconded personnel, e.g. salaries, medical coverage, travel expenses to and from the Mission area (including home leave) and allowances other than those paid according to the Council documents 7291/09 (10 March 2009) and 9084/13 (30 April 2013). Personnel seconded from contributing Third States are not entitled to receive allowances paid according to the Council documents 7291/09 (10 March 2009) and 9084/13 (30 April 2013).

Contracted Personnel – The Mission may recruit international staff on a contractual basis as required, through an employment contract. The employment contract with the Mission establishes the conditions of employment, rights and obligations, remuneration, allowances, travel and removal expenses and the applicable high-risk insurance policy. Preference will be given to seconded candidates. A seconded staff member of EUCAP Somalia is eligible to apply for a contracted post only if his/her secondment will end within three (3) months from the deadline for applications and if his/her request for extension of the secondment has not been supported by the relevant State or EU Institution.

Documents supporting educational qualifications and work experience should be accompanied by certified translations of the original documents in the English language, if issued in another language, in accordance with the European Commission Guidelines for Lifelong Learning, which ensures transparency in higher education and fair and informed judgements about qualifications.

Tour of Duty/Contract Period – Subject to the adoption of another Council Decision extending the Mission mandate and approving the appropriate Budgetary Impact Statement, the initial duration of the deployment should be of 12 months.

The Civilian Operations Commander requests that contributing States propose candidates for the following international expert positions for EUCAP Somalia, according to the requirements and profiles described below:

1. GENERAL CONDITIONS

Citizenship – Candidates must have a citizenship of an EU Member State or of a Contributing Third State.

Integrity – Candidates must maintain the highest standards of personal integrity, impartiality and self-discipline within the Mission. Selected candidates are not allowed to provide or discuss any information or document as a result of access to classified and/or sensitive information relating to the Mission or respective tasks and activities. They shall carry out their duties and act in the interest of the Mission.

Flexibility and Adaptability – Candidates must be able to work in arduous conditions with a limited network of support, with unpredictable working hours and a considerable workload. They must have the ability to work professionally as a member of a team, in task forces and working groups with mixed composition (e.g. civilian and military staff) and be able to cope with extended separation from family and usual environment.

Availability – Candidates must be able to undertake any other tasks related with the competencies, responsibilities and functions of the respective position within the Mission, as required by the Head of Mission.

Serious deficiencies in any of these general conditions may result in repatriation/termination of the secondment/contract.

1. REQUIREMENTS

II.A     Essential Requirements

The following are essential requirements in respect of civilian international experts to the Missions for all Job Descriptions:

1. Physical and Mental Health – Candidates must be physically fit and in good health without any physical or mental problems or substance dependency which may impair operational performance in the Mission and in its Area of Operation. Selected candidates should undergo an extensive medical examination as requested by the seconding authority or the Mission in accordance with “Fit to work clearance” procedure prior to recruitment/deployment to prove that they comply with the requirement.

To ensure duty of care in the CSDP Mission, selected seconded/contracted candidates shall be able to serve the full period of secondment/contract before reaching the normal age of retirement in Contributing States/country of residence.

1. Education and Training

Candidates should have a recognised qualification under the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), or equivalent, at a level specified in the individual job descriptions. Candidates are strongly

advised    to   verify their  compliance  through  the     link: https://ec.europa.eu/ploteus/content/descriptors-page.

1. Knowledge

Candidates should have knowledge of the EU Institutions and Mission Mandate, particularly related to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

1. Skills and abilities

Language Skills – Candidates must have the understanding, speaking, and writing proficiency in the working languages of the Mission. Certain positions may require higher language skills further specified in the individual job descriptions. The Mission may seek to facilitate language training and where appropriate, specialist language training, for newly recruited Mission staff members. Candidates are strongly advised to verify their proficiency through the following link: https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills – Candidates must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral.

Organisational skills – Candidates must have excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise work to meet deadlines, and a concern for order and accuracy.

Digital Skills – Candidates must have basic digital skills in the competency areas: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety and problem solving. Candidates are strongly advised to verify their proficiency through the following link: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/test-your-digital-skills-and-thrive-digital-world.

Driving Skills – Candidates must be in possession of a valid – including Mission area – civilian driving licence for motor vehicles (Category B or equivalent). They also must be able to drive any 4-wheel-drive vehicle.

Serious deficiencies in any of these general conditions may result in repatriation/termination of the secondment/contract.

II.B       Desirable Requirements

Knowledge of the Mission area – Candidates should have a good knowledge of the history, culture, social and political situation of the region and also knowledge of the police, judiciary and governmental structures, as applicable.

Knowledge and Experience of Security Sector Reform - Candidates must be acquainted with Security Sector Reform concepts and practices, especially in the Mission area, as applicable.

Training and Experience – Candidates should have attended a Civilian Crisis Management Course or equivalent.

Language – Some proficiency in local language(s), depending on the job tasks and responsibilities.

Driving Licence – Category C driving licence.

• ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT FOR SELECTED CANDIDATES

Passport – Selected candidates must have a biometric passport from their respective national authorities valid for at least six months. If possible, a Service Passport or Diplomatic Passport should be issued.

Visas – Contributing States and selected candidates must ensure that visas are obtained for entry into the Mission area prior to departure from their home country. It is also essential to obtain any transit visas, which may be required for passage through countries on route to the Mission.

Education diploma(s)/certificate(s) and/or professional certificate(s) – Selected international contracted candidates must have and present to the Mission the university diploma or the professional certificate/diploma, depending on the job description, before signing the contract or taking up their duties.

Required Personnel Security Clearance (PSC) – Selected candidates will have to be in possession of the necessary level of Personnel Security Clearance (PSC) as specified in the respective job descriptions. For seconded experts, the original certificate of the national security clearance or a proof of the initiation of the process must accompany them upon deployment. For contracted experts, the process will be initiated by the Mission upon deployment. For both seconded and contracted experts, access to European Union Classified Information (EUCI) will be limited to RESTRICTED until the issuance of their national security clearance. For Contributing Third States selected candidates, an equivalence to access to the required level of EUCI will be delivered on the basis of Security of Information Agreement or Administrative Arrangements with EU or, in their absence, on the basis of the Framework Participation Agreements.

Certificate/Booklet of Vaccination – Selected candidates must be in possession of a valid certificate/booklet of vaccination showing all vaccinations and immunisations received. They also must be vaccinated according to the required immunisations for the Area of Operation of the Mission. (For instance, for EUCAP Sahel Mali and Niger, a Yellow fever vaccination is compulsory to be admitted to the country).

Medical Certificate – Selected candidates should undergo an extensive medical examination and be certified medically fit for Mission duty. As temporary measure and while the COVID-19 pandemic persists, Missions will take into account the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 crises. In a similar manner a dental examination should be certified where it is stated that no eminent dental issues are foreseen.

For selected contracted candidates, in compliance with “Fit to work clearance procedure”, a copy of the result of the medical examinations as well as the fitness to work certificate, for seconded selected candidate, the fitness to work certificate must be sent to the Medical Adviser of the Mission before joining the Mission. Medical data will be handled with confidentiality and in line with EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Standard Operating Procedure on the protection of personal data (CivOpsCdr Instruction 12-2018 as amended.)

The Heads of Mission reserve the right to reject the recruitment of any selected candidate that proves to be medically unfit to work in a civilian CSDP Mission.

Personal Protection Equipment – It is recommended that national authorities provide seconded selected candidates with protection equipment.

Deficiencies in any of the documents asked for a specific position may result in failure of the selection process.

1. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Gender balance – The EU strives for improved gender balance in CSDP operations in compliance with EU policy and UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). The CPCC encourages the EU Member States and European Institutions to take this into account when offering contributions at all levels.

Application Form – Applications will be considered only when using the online Application Form (AF) accessible on the Goalkeeper-Registrar software module, indicating which position(s) the candidate is applying for. Candidates seconded by Contributing Third States will apply using the dedicated Application Form returned in word format.

Selection Process – Candidates considered to be most suitable will be shortlisted and, if needed, interviewed in Brussels, at the Headquarters of the Mission or by video conference before the final selection is made. If seconded candidates are required to travel to Brussels/Mission Headquarters for interviews, the contributing States will bear any related costs.

Information on the Outcome – Contributing States and contracted candidates (applying for seconded/contracted positions) will be informed about the outcome of the selection process after its completion.

Training – The selected candidates should complete Missionwise and e-SAFE modules, which are designed for the delegations or an equivalent course. The modules can be accessed in the following link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/eeas/security-e-learnings.

Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) – The selected candidates should have undergone Pre-Deployment Training in accordance with the CSDP agreed Training Policy, or a national alternative of the course.

Data Protection – The EEAS, and its Directorate CPCC, processes personal data pursuant to Regulation (EC) 2018/1725 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. The Privacy statement is available on the EEAS website.

Job Descriptions - The current reporting lines of the following job descriptions might be subject to modification based on operational requirements and in line with the principles set out in the Operation Plan (OPLAN)

1. Reporting Line:

The Finance and Administration Officer reports to Head of Finance Section.

1. Main Tasks and Responsibilities:

To assist the Head of Finance in maintaining the financial and accounting operations of the Mission; To develop policies for accounting and control of Mission finances in close cooperation with the Head

of Finance;

To identify needs of goods and/or services required for improving the efficiency of the unit and to define them technically for procurement;

To contribute to coordinating the Section’s activities and operations related to the area of finance and administration, in particular the budget, procurement, verification, audit and contract management;

To ensure the sound and effective financial management, including the preparation of the budget and follow-up of its implementation;

To develop policies for the imprest accounts, in close cooperation with the authorising, and the accounting officer;

To define procedures for the imprest accounts, payments, payroll, petty cash, claims and other financial functions in a multicurrency system;

To verify the legality and regularity of transactions prior to authorising transactions (i.e. commitments and payments);

To ensure the reporting, verifying the integrity of the imprest accounts, their accuracy and their on-time delivery;

To implement audit recommendations and ensure the effectiveness of internal controls;

To identify areas of risk and take appropriate measures for limiting the financial risk, especially concerning the physical and the electronic security of funds, of documents (running and archived) and of transactions;

To liaise and cooperate on financial issues with the relevant EU bodies and all relevant actors (banks etc.) under the supervision of the Head of Section.

1. General Tasks and Responsibilities:

To identify and report on lessons learned and best practices within the respective area of responsibility; To contribute and ensure timely reporting on activities within the respective area of responsibility;

To take account of gender equality and human rights aspects in the execution of tasks; To undertake any other related tasks as requested by the Line Manager(s).

Successful completion of university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma OR a qualification in the National Qualifications Framework which is equivalent to level 6 in the European Qualifications Framework OR a qualification of the first cycle under the framework of qualifications of the European Higher Education Area, e.g. Bachelor's Degree OR equivalent and attested police or/and military education or training or an award of an equivalent rank AND

A minimum of 4 years of relevant professional experience, after having fulfilled the education requirements.

1. Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of relevant accounting rules; Knowledge of accounting software.

Experience in dealing with internal and external parties and the ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality;

1. Desirable Qualifications and Experience:

Specialised training/course (including University) in finance, accounting, economics or business administration.

Member of a corps or body within EU member states public institutions having functions of this nature and/or certification as a Certified Public Accountant or Chartered Accountant;

Knowledge of current technologies used for Finance/Accounting like an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System;

International experience, particularly in crisis areas with multinational and international organisations. The experience should be on the field of finance, economics, accounting or business administration.

1. Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Professional accounting/audit certification;

International experience, particularly in crisis areas with multinational and international organisations; Knowledge of relevant EU rules and regulations

Applications to be submitted as follows:

Seconded candidates from EU Member States: https://goalkeeper.eeas.europa.eu/registrar/web

For contracted candidates from EU Member States https://goalkeeper.eeas.europa.eu/registrar/web/DPA/357/details.do

For additional information, please refer to: [email protected]

Deadline for  Applications: Monday 2 May 2022 at 17:00 (Brussels time)