JOB DESCRIPTION

1. European Union Agency for Asylum

The European Union Agency for Asylum (hereinafter “EUAA”), established by Regulation (EU) 2021/2303¹, is a centre of expertise by virtue of its independence, the scientific and technical quality of the assistance it provides and the information it collects and disseminates, the transparency of its operating procedures and methods, its diligence in performing the tasks assigned to it, and the information technology support needed to fulfil its mandate.

Specifically, the EUAA focuses on:

• Contributing to ensuring the efficient and uniform application of Union law on asylum in the Member States in a manner that fully respects fundamental rights.
• Facilitating and supporting the activities of the Member States in the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), including by enabling convergence in the assessment of applications for international protection across the Union and by coordinating and strengthening practical cooperation and information exchange.
• Improving the functioning of the CEAS, including through a monitoring mechanism² and by providing operational and technical assistance to Member States, in particular where their asylum and reception systems are under disproportionate pressure.

The organisational chart of the Agency can be consulted on the EUAA’s website at: https://euaa.europa.eu/about-us/who-we-are

The Agency’s headquarters are located in Malta with additional offices in Belgium, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus.

* See Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union at https://eur- lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20250101

• Regulation (EU) 2021/2303 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2021 on the European Union Agency for Asylum and repealing Regulation (EU) No 439/2020, (OJ L 468, 30.12.2021, p. 1).
• Applicable legal provisions enter into force on 31 December 2023.

2. Job description

The Communications Officer will be working in the Press and Communication Sector (PCS), within the Communication and Public Relations Unit (CPRU) of the Institutional and Horizontal Affairs Centre (C4). The jobholder will be contributing to EUAA’s external communication activities, including some of the following tasks:

1. Writing engaging content for the EUAA’s communication tools, such as targeted publications, news items, press releases, and scripting of audio-visual products;
2. Managing, adapting, monitoring, and maximising impact of the EUAA’s social media accounts;
3. Designing and managing press and media outreach initiatives;
4. Acting as a point of contact for relations with the press and media, including by maintaining contacts with the main media outlets in the EU, and answering press questions;
5. Supporting with corporate communication and corporate identity activities (production of corporate material, branding, updating, and enforcing visual identity guidelines, etc.);
6. Conceptualising, creating, executing and monitoring the performance of EUAA corporate campaigns;
7. Coordinating the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the EUAA’s annual State of Asylum Conference;
9. Coordinating the cross-agency production of publications and acting as the focal point for the Publications Office;
10. Supporting with the organisation of internal and external events;
11. Supporting the management of communication networks;
12. Ensuring that all communication materials align with the Agency’s brand standards;
13. Contributing to the implementation of the EUAA’s communication strategy;
14. Performing any other tasks, in the interest of the service, as required by the Head of Unit or Head of Sector.
15. Requirements
17. Eligibility Criteria

Candidates will be considered eligible for selection based on the fulfilment of the following formal criteria by the deadline for applications:

1. Have a level of education that corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma³;
2. Be nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland;
3. Be entitled to full rights as an EU citizen;
4. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws on military service;
5. Possess a thorough knowledge (level C1 in all dimensions as per the Common European

Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFRL) of one of                the official EU languages          and a

satisfactory knowledge (level B2 in all dimensions as per the              CEFRL) of another      one  of these

languages to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties pertaining to the post⁴;

6. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved⁵;
7. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post⁶.
8. Selection Criteria

If the eligibility criteria set out in section A) Eligibility criteria are met, the candidates’ applications will be evaluated on the following selection criteria. These criteria have been subdivided into two categories: Essential and Advantageous Selection Criteria.

Please note that all Essential criteria are mandatory, meaning that no application will be assessed further if a candidate obtains a zero score in any of the Essential Criteria.

The most suitable candidates with the highest overall scores will be invited to an interview.

Essential

1. Professional experience of at least 3 years in a position similar to the Job description (Section 2), working in an international organisation, or EU Institution/Agency/Body;

• Only diplomas issued by EU Member State authorities and diplomas recognised as equivalent by the relevant EU Member State bodies are accepted. If the studies determining eligibility took place outside the European Union, the candidate is required to present documentation attesting that their qualification is recognised by a European Union Member State body delegated officially for this purpose (such as a national Ministry of Education). Only candidates who have received an offer letter will be required to provide this documentation.
• See https://epso.europa.eu/en/selection-procedure/general-and-specific-eligibility-requirements
• Before the appointment, the successful candidate shall be asked to provide proof of a non-existent criminal record.
• Before the appointment, the successful candidate shall be medically examined by one of the institutions’ medical officers which will enable EUAA to ensure that he/she fulfils the requirement stated in Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulations of the Officials of the European Union.

2. Professional experience in drafting press releases, speeches, briefs, lines to take, and other communication materials on politically sensitive and technical issues;
3. Professional experience in organising high-level public and/or media events;
4. Professional experience in using and managing corporate social media

Advantageous

1. Knowledge of the EU’s asylum and migration policies;
2. Knowledge of the policies and legislative processes of the EU;
3. Professional experience in financial and/or procurement procedures, preferably linked to Press and Communications area.
4. C) Evaluation during interviewing process

Candidates invited to the interviewing process (interview and written test) will be assessed based on the essential and advantageous criteria described in this Section, and the following additional criteria relevant to the post:

1. Thorough written and spoken communication skills in English, the working language of the EUAA;
2. Competent user of electronic office equipment and applications (word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, electronic communication, internet, web-based tools, etc.);
3. Excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to prioritise work, and deliver under pressure;
4. Ability to work effectively in a team, and in a multicultural and multilingual environment;
5. Very good understanding of the modern communication tools and channels;
6. Very good communication and interpersonal skills;
7. Strong service-oriented attitude and flexibility;
9. Accuracy and attention to detail;
10. Knowledge of the mission and organisation of the EUAA.

In addition, the successful candidate should act and abide by the EUAA’s values and the EUAA Core Competencies.