Community Plant Variety Office

The Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) is an independent EU Agency that was established by Council Regulation (EC) No 2100/94 on 27 July 1994. The CPVO is responsible for the management of the Community Plant Variety Rights System. This system provides protection with an intellectual property right for new plant varieties on European Union level. The mission of the CPVO is to deliver and promote an efficient Intellectual Property Rights system that supports the creation of new plant varieties for the benefit of Society.

Profile / Duties

This is an inter-agency selection of Temporary Agent (TA) in the function group of Administrator.

The position is only open to candidates who currently work in an EU decentralized agency, in an EU executive agency or in an EU joint undertaking as a TA 2(f) in the grade bracket AD 9 – AD 10.

Candidates must indicate in their CV their current grade.

The CPVO wishes to recruit a highly motivated and well-qualified Temporary Agent (TA2f) in grade brackets AD9 - AD10 who, under the authority of the President, will work as Head of Digital Transformation Unit.

The Head of Unit will possess an extensive qualification complemented by proven significant experience in IT management. This role requires a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities involved in leading digital transformation initiatives, IT applications, and software solutions of the Agency enabling her/him to make informed decisions on managing legacy systems, addressing technology obsolescence, and ensuring continued operational efficiency, with a strong focus on transitioning to cloud services while balancing operational needs and resource constraints. S/he will oversee the Digital Transformation Unit in the CPVO and be responsible for aligning IT projects with the agency's strategic goals. In addition to leading the digital transformation and overseeing the transition to cloud services, the Head of Unit will be responsible for implementing robust cybersecurity standards, performing risk assessments, and ensuring the Agency’s IT infrastructure meets the highest security protocols. The candidate must also be adept at managing contracts with external IT providers and consultants, fostering cost-effective partnerships that are tailored to the specific needs and constraints of the Agency.

The successful candidate will report to the President and play a strategic role in guiding the Agency’s IT direction. S/he will ensure the delivery of high-quality, high-performing IT projects, while understanding the nuances of the Agency’s operations, balancing innovation with practicality.  The Head of Unit will provide strong leadership, ensuring that the unit’s objectives align with the overall strategic goals of the Agency and that IT governance and relevant standards are strictly adhered to for optimized performance and service delivery, as well as applicable rules in the context of the Agency ICT governance procedure ensuring effective service delivery. The role requires both technical expertise and the capacity to work at a strategic level, balancing innovation with practical, sustainable solutions tailored to the Agency's specific environment and available resources.

This function is aligned with the CPVO Strategic Plan 2022-2026 accessible here.

Duties

Reporting to the President of the CPVO, the main duties are:

The main tasks of the agent shall be: 

·          Planning, Monitoring and Reporting: 

·         Lead the development and implementation of IT strategies to ensure the agency's digital infrastructure is robust, efficient, and scalable.

·         Ensure the successful planning, execution, and monitoring of new application developments, with an emphasis on cloud transformation.

·         Coordinate the creation, execution, and regular updates of the IT Master Plan, integrating cutting-edge technological advancements into the multi-annual strategic plan and annual budget of the agency.

·         Ensure that IT initiatives are aligned with the agency's goals and objectives by contributing to the development of key strategic and operational documents.

·          Provide precise, technical, and data-driven feedback on project progress to the CPVO management team, offering insights into project timelines, risk management, resource allocation, and overall system performance.

Job related accountabilities: 

·          Coordinate IT Design and Development: Lead, in collaboration with other agency units, the design, implementation, and continuous enhancement of IT tools and methodologies. This includes understanding the operation framework of the Agency’s applications, leveraging advanced knowledge in computer science and IT systems engineering to develop scalable and secure solutions that support the users’ needs according to the IT Master Plan and the multi-annual strategic planning. Ensure that these tools are seamlessly integrated within the agency’s corporate governance structure and aligned with best practices in IT architecture and cloud services.

·          Foster Inter-Unit and External Communication: Provide expert-level support and maintain proactive communication and collaboration with other units, leveraging technical insights to ensure the IT infrastructure supports the operational needs of the Agency. Maintain strong partnerships with relevant authorities, stakeholders, and external technology providers to ensure alignment of IT projects with the Agency's goals.

·          Policy Implementation and Compliance: Ensure the implementation of Agency policies within the unit, especially those related to IT management, including conflict of interest, data protection, information security, and business continuity. Use knowledge of cybersecurity protocols, encryption, and data management to enforce compliance with European Union standards and regulations while safeguarding sensitive information. 

·          Contribute to Risk Management: Actively contribute to the Agency’s risk management processes by applying a technical understanding of IT risks, from software vulnerabilities to cloud infrastructure reliability. Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with the Agency’s IT environment, ensuring the stability, security, and continuity of its digital operations.

·          Defining the sectors annual work plan and ensuring its implementation and reporting thereon; 

People management:  

·          Provide day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Unit to ensure the timely delivery of outputs, tasks and objectives, and the availability of the right skills and competencies; 

·          Promote continuous performance management and a learning culture to ensure that the organizational objectives are cascaded, met and continuous professional development is sustained: 

·          Enhance team spirit, ensure an effective two-way communication, and promptly handle staff matters to foster high levels of staff welfare within the Unit and with other Units of the Agency; 

·          Ensuring that staff receive the necessary training to develop their potential and use delegation and empowerment to provide development opportunities and to plan their career progress; 

·          Managing and supervising the work of the Unit and ensuring the efficient use of available human, financial and other resources; 

·          Developing the competences and skills of the Unit’s staff in line with the Agency’s policies and ensure the continuous assessment of their performance; 

Financial management:

• Prepare and monitor the budget and procurement requirements of the Unit to ensure optimal planning and use of financial resources;
• Lead the preparation of tenders to establish framework contracts, particularly in the area of outsourced IT service and applying the IT sourcing strategy;
• Managing the preparation and implementation of contracts with external service providers and suppliers in close cooperation with the Procurement and Logistic Sector.

General Conditions

Qualifications & experience required

Formal requirements 

To be considered eligible for selection, the applicant must meet by the closing date of this call, the following formal requirements: 

·          Completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma relevant to the post; when the normal period of university education is 4 years or more, or; 

·          Completed university studies attested by a diploma relevant to the post and appropriate experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years; 

·          Be a national of a Member State of the European Union[1]; 

·          Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the European Union[2] and a satisfactory knowledge of another; 

·          Entitlement to full rights as a citizen[3]; 

·          Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by national laws concerning military service; 

·          Be physically fit to perform duties linked to the post[4];

·          Work in an EU decentralized agency, in an EU executive agency or in an EU joint undertaking as a TA 2(f) in the grade bracket AD 9 – AD 10[5];

·          Have at least 2 years’ service within their current Agency by the end of the publication of this post;

·          Have successfully completed the probationary period provided for in Article 14 of the CEOS

Professional experience: 

At least 12 years of professional experience after achieving the minimal formal requirements above, of which at least 2 years must have been in a management role.

Qualifications

Selection criteria 

If the candidate meets the formal requirements set out above, he/she will be assessed in view of selection for an interview with the Selection Board on the basis of the following criteria: 

Essential Criteria

The academic qualifications in IT, Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering or in another related field, and their relevance to the tasks listed in section “duties” above.

Proven experience in: 

• Planning, reporting and management of IT operations and/or standards and processes; 
• Use of new technologies in the transformation of legacy systems to modern front-end solutions; 
• Management principles, in particular strategic planning, priorization, project management, allocation and management of resources as well as sound financial management; 
• Guiding and motivating staff in a multicultural environment, covering diverse fields of activity; 
• Strong drafting and communication skills in English both orally and in writing, at least level C1

Languages

Excellent knowledge of English: spoken and written skills equivalent to level C1 or higher level for working purposes.

Competencies

In addition to the criteria identified above, the Selection Board may assess candidates invited to the interview and test phase against the following competencies:

• Strategic Thinking and Planning: The ability to analyse and interpret complex issues, develop long-term plans, set goals and objectives, and identify potential opportunities and threats to the organization;
• Leadership: The ability to inspire and motivate staff, delegate tasks, communicate effectively, provide constructive feedback, and manage conflict. This includes ability to manage people (i.e. ability to hire, train, motivate, and develop staff);
• Change Management: The ability to manage and lead change initiatives, including the ability to anticipate and respond to resistance, develop effective communication strategies, and monitor progress;
• Decision Making: The ability to make informed decisions, analyze data, and evaluate risks and benefits;
• Communication: The ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse audiences, including the ability to use social media and other digital tools.

Professional Experience

At least 12 years of professional experience after achieving the minimal formal requirements above, of which at least 2 years must have been in a management role.

Additional Requirements

Advantageous Selection Criteria

·          Experience in the similar role in other public or private organisation; 

·          Familiarity with the EU institutions, Agencies or other EU bodies; 

·          Ability to communicate effectively in any other EU language as indicated in the application form

·          All complementary knowledge (mathematics/statistics), technical certification (cloud, IT security, solution Architecture), management methodology (Prince, PM2)

·          Satisfactory knowledge[1] of another official language[2] of the European Union

Contractual Conditions

Conditions of employment

The successful candidate will be offered a contract in grade  AD9 – AD10 under Article 2f of the Conditions of Employment of Other servants of the European Communities, depending on the grade in the Agency of origin.

The CPVO and the selected Temporary Agent shall conclude a contract of employment which ensures continuation of his/her employment and career in the category of TA 2(f). That contract shall be concluded without interruption of the contract concluded with the Agency of origin (“the preceding contract”) and shall fulfil the following requirements, in particular:

• The same grade and the same seniority in the grade as the preceding contract

• The same step and the same seniority in step as the preceding contract

The end dates of the contract concluded with the CPVO and of the preceding contract shall be the same.

If the contract with the agency of origin was for an indefinite period, the member of Temporary Staff 2(f) shall also be engaged by the CPVO for an indefinite period. If the preceding contract comes to its natural end on the day of the move, the duration of the contract concluded shall be the same as that the CPVO would have set in case of a renewal of one of its own TA 2(f) agents.

The place of employment is Angers (France), where the CPVO is based. For reasons related to the CPVO’s operational requirements, the chosen candidate will be expected to be available at short notice.

The job holder shall work in a multicultural environment where social dialogue between management and staff is regarded as vital. The CPVO is fully computerised and working time is flexible according to the current rules in place.

The normal working week is 40 hours. The jobholder is expected to start as soon as possible.

Work-life balance

We offer flexible working arrangements: CPVO allows its staff to work within a perimeter of 350 km and 4 hours of car from Angers, while respecting the provisions applicable to its working conditions.

Teleworking from abroad is also possible, with a maximum of days established per year, aiming at helping our staff manage their personal and professional commitments effectively.

For more information about our working conditions and why join the CPVO candidates can consult our career page (here).

Recruitment procedure

Selection procedure

The selection procedure includes the following steps:

·          Only duly completed applications (i.e. CV and Motivation Letter) submitted via our IT Recruitment tool within the deadline will be taken into consideration;

·          Candidates must indicate in their CV their current grade

·          Each duly completed application will be examined with a view to establishing that the candidate meets all eligibility criteria;

·         The President shall set up a Selection Board: using assessment checklists, the Board shall consider all applications received having regard to the vacancy notice and shall draw up a shortlist of the applicants who most correspond to the profile;

·         The applicants on the shortlist shall be invited to an interview with the Selection Board mentioned above.

·         All applicants invited to the interviews with the Selection Board shall take part in an assessment centre, unless they have already taken part in such an assessment centre in the course of the two years preceding the closing date for the receipt of applications. The assessment centre shall evaluate the applicants' potential and shall provide an in-depth analysis of managerial skills, adaptability, and other core competencies. It shall comprise individual and/or group exercises as well as in-depth interviews focused on management skills. The result of the assessment centre shall be taken into consideration by the appointing authority;

·         Once the work of the Selection Board is concluded, the Authority empowered to conclude contracts of employment (AECE) will take the final decision on the appointment of the candidate.

The internal proceedings of the Selection Board are confidential and any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Soliciting on behalf of a candidate can lead to immediate disqualification.

Incomplete applications will automatically be excluded from the selection procedure.

Before the day of interviews candidates will be requested to present documents detailing citizenship, studies and professional experience, in particular:

·          a copy of their identity card, passport or other official document specifying citizenship;

·          a copy of their diploma certifying the required level of academic qualifications;

·          documentary evidence of professional experience, clearly indicating starting and finishing dates.

Copies of these documents will be retained by the CPVO.

·          If at any stage of the procedure, it were established that information in the application has been knowingly falsified, the candidate shall be disqualified from the selection process.

Outcome of the selection process

·          The Selection Board will place the most suitable eligible candidates[1] on a draft reserve list. This draft will be submitted to the Appointing Authority (AIPN) for approval. The adopted reserve list will be valid will be valid for 24 months. The validity of this list may be extended.

·          Each candidate will be informed by email whether or not s/he has been placed on the reserve list.

·          Prior to being offered a post, candidates on a reserve list may be required to undergo further evaluation by the CPVO (e.g. a second interview with the President and /or senior management of the CPVO).

·          Inclusion on a reserve list does not imply any entitlement to employment in the CPVO.

·          The AIPN (the President of the CPVO) will appoint the selected jobholder from the reserve list, taking into account the establishment of a gender balanced, geographically diverse organisation.

Please note that:

·          Eligible applications will be evaluated by the appointed Selection Board based on the selection criteria defined in this vacancy notice. Depending on the number of applications received, the Selection Board may apply stricter requirements within the selection criteria noted above;

·          The best-admissible candidates will be short-listed for interview and other tests[2] may be organised, including a written test and/or a computer-based tests to test general skills; Depending on the position and posts available, the Selection Board may decide to invite more or less candidates to interviews.

·          Interviews and written tests will be in English and most likely held online, via MS Teams;

·          During the interviews, the Selection Board will examine the candidates' profiles and assess their relevancy for the post in question;

·          The internal proceedings of the Selection Board are confidential and any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Soliciting on behalf of a candidate can lead to immediate disqualification.

·          For applications to be valid, they must be made through the CPVO electronic recruitment portal, which can be found on the CPVO web site: http://www.cpvo.europa.eu/main/en/home/about-the-cpvo/vacancies

·          Applicants are requested not to attach any supporting documents at this stage, e.g. copies of ID cards, diplomas, evidence of previous professional experience, etc. Only candidates invited to an interview will be asked to present copies of these documents for verification. Applications will not be returned to candidates but will be kept on file by the CPVO in line with its data protection guidelines.

·          Incomplete applications will automatically be excluded from the selection procedure.

·          The time span between the closing date for the submission of applications and the end of the process to short list candidates for the interview may take several weeks.

We contact candidates via email and will only use the email address provided during the registration of the candidate’s Gestmax profile. Therefore, candidates should regularly check their spam folder, as CPVO cannot be held accountable for emails that may end up in that folder.

Independence & declarations of interest

The job holder will be required to enter into a commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make complete declarations of any direct or indirect interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Equal opportunities

CPVO is an equal opportunities employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age or sexual orientation, marital status or family situation. All applicants to selection procedures will be given an equal opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. The staff members are recruited on the broadest possible geographical basis from among nationals of all Member States of the European Union.

Closing date for applications: 5 November 2024, 23:59

Starting date: as soon as possible

Review-Appeal-Complaints

Applicants who consider that they have grounds for complaint concerning a particular decision may, at any point in the selection procedure, request further details regarding said decision from the Chair of the Selection Board, instigate and appeal procedure or file a complaint with the European Ombudsman. Since the Staff Regulations apply to selection procedures, please note that all proceedings are confidential. If at any stage of this selection procedure applicants consider that their interests have been prejudiced by a particular decision, they may take the following action:

Requests for further information or for review

Send an email to hr-cpvo@cpvo.europa.eu or registered mail requesting further information or a review and stating your case to:

For the attention of the Chair of the Selection Board

CPVO/2024/TA-IA/01

CPVO/OCVV

3 Boulevard du Maréchal Foch

CS 10121

F-49101 Angers CEDEX 2

within a month of being notified the decision regarding the selection procedure. The Selection Board will send a reply as soon as possible and not later than within a month.

Appeal procedures

Lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, by email to hr-cpvo@cpvo.europa.eu or registered mail to the following address:

For the attention of the Chair of the Selection Board

CPVO/2024/TA-IA/01

CPVO/OCVV

3 Boulevard du Maréchal Foch

CS 10121

F-49101 Angers CEDEX 2

The time limit for initiating this type of procedure (see Staff Regulations as last amended by Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1023/2013 (OJ L 287 of 29 October 2013 p.15 – http.//www.europa.eu /eur-lex) starts to run from the time applicants are notified of the act allegedly prejudicing their interests.

Please note that the Appointing Authority does not have the power to amend the decisions of a Selection Board. The Court has consistently held that the wide discretion enjoyed by the Selection Board is not subject to review by the Court unless the rules which govern the proceedings of the Selection Board have clearly been infringed.

Complaints to the European Ombudsman

Like all citizens of the European Union, applicants can make a complaint to the:

European Ombudsman

1 avenue du Président-Robert-Schuman – BP 403

67001 STRASBOURG CEDEX

France

under Article 228 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in accordance with the conditions laid down in Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudman’s duties (OJ L 113 of 4 May 1994, p. 15) and amended by its decisions of 14 March 2002 (OJ L 92 of 9 April 2002, p. 13) and 18 June 2008 (OJ L 189 of 17 July 2008, p. 25).

Please note that complaints made to the Ombudsman have no suspensive effect to the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging complaints or for submitting appeals to the Civil Service Tribunal under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Please note also that, under Article 2(4) of the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties, any complaint lodged with the Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative approaches to the institutions and bodies concerned.

Protection of personal data

The Community Plant Variety Office (as the body responsible for organising the selection procedure) will ensure that applicants’ personal data are processed  in line with Regulation (EU) N° 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, officers and agencies and on the free movement of such data (repealing Regulation (EC) N° 45/2001 and Decision N° 1247/2002/EC). This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data. For further information on Data Protection at the CPVO, please refer to the dedicated page on the website (Data protection | CPVO (europa.eu)), or contact dpc@cpvo.europa.eu.

Further information

For any request of information, please contact the CPVO HR Team via email: hr-cpvo@cpvo.europa.eu