Executive Director (m/f/d)

The role

As Executive Director, you will lead a key European Agency and contribute to framing policy on environmental, climate and sustainability issues at European as well as national level. You will enhance the role of the Agency as a key environmental knowledge provider to support the development and implementation of related EU policies with the wider goal of contributing to Europe’s progress towards environment and climate goals for 2050. In close collaboration with the Environmental Information and Observation Network (Eionet), led by the EEA, and the wider network of stakeholders, you will play an active role in networking and exchanging knowledge, including on sustainability solutions. You will be actively communicating about the EEA’s assessments and data relevant to ongoing and emerging policy and public debates.

About you

The ideal candidate should fulfil the following selection criteria:

a) Management skills :

• Very strong strategic leadership skills, being able to manage a large organisation, notably at operational, financial and human resource management level, in a dynamic and changing environment,
• excellent capacity to develop and implement a strategic vision and facilitate innovation processes, in order to enhance the role of the Agency as a key environmental knowledge-based provider to support the development and implementation of related EU policies, in close coordination with other knowledge providers,
• ability to set objectives, motivate and lead large teams in a multicultural and multilingual environment,
• very good capacity to take decisions in a complex political environment, also in emergency situations,
• experience in budgetary, financial and human resources management in a national, European and/or international context,

b) Specialist skills and experience :

• Very good knowledge of EU environmental and climate policies and ongoing policy developments under the European Green Deal,
• experience in at least one of the following areas: environmental protection; climate change; health; circular economy, ideally acquired in a national, European or international institution,
• very good knowledge of the European institutions and how they operate and interact, and in particular of the working practices of the European Commission and the EU budgetary cycle,
• experience of negotiating at high level in an European or international environment of relevance to the EEA’s mandate.

c) Personal qualities :

• excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a transparent and open manner and to maintain appropriate relations with the Agency’s governance bodies, with the European Union institutions and with Member States’ competent authorities,
• ability to communicate efficiently with media, public and all internal and external stakeholders, and to represent the Agency in international fora within the scope of its mandate.
• Candidates must (eligibility requirements)
• Candidates will only be considered for the selection phase on the basis of the following formal requirements to be fulfilled by the deadline for applications:
• Nationality: candidates must be a citizen of one of the Member States of the European Union. Subject to a decision of the Management Board of EEA to authorise an exception in accordance with Article 12.2(a) of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union, if necessary, for the appointment of the Executive Director, applications can also be submitted by citizens of the following countries that are members of EEA at the closing date for registration: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.
• University degree or diploma: candidates must have:
• either a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 4 years or more,
• or a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least 1 year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years (this one year’s professional experience cannot be included in the postgraduate professional experience required below).
• Professional experience: candidates must have at least 15 years postgraduate professional experience (7) at a level to which the qualifications referred to above give admission. At least 5 years of that professional experience must be in areas under the mandate of the Agency.
• Management experience: at least 5 years of the post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a high–level management function (8) in a field relevant for this position.
• Languages: candidates must have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union (9) and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these official languages. Selection panels will verify during the interview(s) whether candidates comply with the requirement of a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language. This may include (part of) the interview being conducted in this other language.
• Age limit: candidates must be able to complete, at the deadline for application, the full mandate of 5 years before reaching the retirement age. For temporary staff of the European Union, the retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66 years (see Article 47 of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (10)).

Application

The European Commission handles the applications for this position. Applications to this position are open to nationals of the EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey.

For the detailed job description, requirements and how to apply, please visit this website of the European Commission.

The closing time and date for the submission of applications for this call is 7 July 2022, 12.00 noon Brussels time.

About us

The European Environment Agency in Copenhagen is an agency of the European Union that provides environmental information to policymakers and the public.

The EEA helps the EU and its member countries to make informed decisions about improving the environment, integrating environmental considerations into economic policies and moving towards sustainability. The EEA also develops and coordinates the Environmental Information and Observation Network (Eionet), a network of national environmental bodies in 38 countries. The Agency plays an important role in monitoring, consolidating, evaluating and reporting on the implementation of the EU environment and climate legislation in Member States, in particular the European Green Deal and the 8^th Environment Action Programme, as reflected in the EEA-Eionet Strategy 2021-2030.