Executive Director

Position description

Reference: e060/2024
Grade: A5
Contract: fixed-term period of at least one year
Salary: basic monthly gross salary of €11 746.69 exempt from national income tax
Deadline: 12 December 2024

Are you a seasoned leader with extensive experience in the audiovisual sector, its structure and legal framework in Europe?

Do you have the ability to manage an information hub that serves a fast-changing industry? Are you able to lead and motivate a multi-national team that functions in three languages (English, French and German)? Do you enjoy developing and negotiating pan-European projects? If so, our job advertisement may be the right opportunity for you.

Who we are:

With over 2600 staff members coming from all its 46 member states, the Council of Europe is a multicultural Organisation. We all strive towards protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law and our three core values – professionalism, integrity and respect – guide the way we work.

The European Audiovisual Observatory, an enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, was created in 1992 in order to collect and distribute information about the audiovisual industries in Europe. By making this information available, the Observatory aims at promoting greater transparency and a clearer understanding of the ways in which the audiovisual industries in Europe function, both from an economic and a legal point of view.

The Observatory provides information on the various audiovisual markets in Europe and their financing and analyses the legal issues affecting the different sectors of the audiovisual industry. It publishes reports, maintains several databases, and organises professional events. The Observatory offers the combination of a well-established system for continuous data collection assisted by a thoroughly built-up international network, more than 30 years of experience in analysing information, unique in-house expertise in the relevant subject matters and related methodological questions, a multi-national setting and strict commitment to offer solely neutral and objective information.

The Observatory is governed by its 41 members, including the European Union and Morocco, which provide the annual budget that the Observatory complements by self-generating income through products and services. The team consists of 28 staff members from 11 European countries providing unique expertise on all crucial issues of the audiovisual sector, catering to the Observatory’s very specialised IT and visibility needs and handling all financial and most of the administrative tasks related to its activities. The Observatory’s working languages are English, French and German.

The Council of Europe has its headquarters in Strasbourg (France) and has external presence in more than twenty countries.

Your role:

Responsibility and Reporting:

• ensure the efficient management of the European Audiovisual Observatory;
• prepare the programme of activities, the annual action plan and mid-term strategy (covering five years) as well as the draft annual budgets of the Observatory for adoption by the Executive Council and the Financial Committee;
• be accountable to the Observatory’s Executive Council for the financial and budgetary management as well as the implementation of the Observatory’s programme of activities;
• manage regular contacts with the member states and the European Union;
• lead the Observatory’s negotiations with the European Commission for co-financed projects;
• manage the network of correspondents and partner institutions.

Leadership and Staff Management:

• provide leadership to the Observatory’s secretariat;
• motivate staff in the Observatory through different levels of management;
• manage the human and financial resources to ensure optimum use of resources and conformity with financial rules.

Communication and Representation:

• establish and maintain extensive relations with professional organisations in the audio-visual sector and with governmental and European agencies operating within areas of interest of the Observatory;
• promote Council of Europe values internally and externally;
• represent the Observatory in public (including by presenting its work results).

What we are looking for:

Academic background:

• University degree in a relevant field such as political science, social science, economics, media, law, communication.

Professional background and expertise:

• extensive professional experience at management level in matters relating to the mandate of the European Audiovisual Observatory, including:
  • extensive knowledge of the European audio-visual sector and the audio-visual professional world, and awareness of their international political, economic, social and cultural context;
  • experience of information handling in the audio-visual sector;
  • good knowledge of relevant research institutions and of professional, governmental and European as well as international organisations operating in the audio-visual field.
• solid experience in administering budgets and human resources.

Competencies:

• Leadership;
• Vision and strategic insight;
• Relationship building;
• Negotiation;
• Management of teams;
• Communication;
• Results orientation;
• Influencing.

Languages:

• very good knowledge of one of the Council of Europe’s official languages (English or French) and good knowledge of the other;
• knowledge of German, as the third working language of the Observatory, would be an advantage.

Nationality:

Citizenship of one of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe aims at filling the post as from 1st September 2025.

 

Application instructions

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