FIXED-TERM CONTRACT

Under the authority of the Head of Equality Division and the direct supervision of the Head of the Gender Equality Unit, the post-holder assists, co-ordinates and participates in activities relating to the implementation of the Council of Europe Transversal Programme on Gender Equality, in compliance with Council of Europe regulations, standards and values.

* External recruitment procedure organised in accordance with Article 15B of the Regulations on Appointments

The incumbent performs the following key duties:

• contributes to the implementation of the Council of Europe Transversal Programme for Gender Equality and the Gender Equality Strategy;
• provides support to the different components of the Transversal Programme: the Gender Equality Commission (GEC), the Gender Equality Rapporteurs (GERs), the National Focal Points on Gender Equality (NFPs) and the inter-secretariat Gender Mainstreaming Team (GMT);
• co-ordinates all activities on gender mainstreaming, including (i) support to the work and activities of the GERs alongside the organisation and implementation of training sessions for GERs; (ii) advice on the integration of a gender perspective in all aspects of the work and activities of all Council of Europe services; (iii) develops indicators for assessing progress with gender mainstreaming within the Council of Europe; (iv) develops practical tools, such as guidelines, to foster gender mainstreaming; (v) monitors achievements and reports on progress related to gender mainstreaming within the Organisation and in the member States; (vi) contributes to organising conferences and seminars in the context of the GEC's activities; (vii) drafts agendas, programmes and concept/background papers for working meetings and events; (viii) prepares briefs, speeches, memoranda, letters, reports, documents, legal instruments and opinions, as appropriate; (ix) prepares comparative analyses and studies;
• develops and maintains contacts with other sectors of the Organisation, as well as with governmental and non-governmental organisations active in the field of gender equality;
• represents the Gender Equality Unit at meetings/conferences in the Council of Europe or elsewhere;
• undertakes official journeys in connection with the activities described above.

Please note that the incumbent may be required to perform other duties not listed in the vacancy notice.

Only applicants who best meet the following criteria will be considered for shortlisting.

Qualifications:

• higher education degree in gender and/or women’s studies or political science, law, or a related field.

Experience:

• at least 5 years of professional experience relating to gender equality, including gender mainstreaming;
• proven experience in providing tailor-made support on gender mainstreaming issues to government authorities, intergovernmental bodies and civil society/women’s rights organisations;
• proven record on developing gender mainstreaming strategies, policies and tools.

Language requirements:

• very good knowledge of one of the official languages (English or French) and good knowledge of the other. Knowledge of other European languages would be an advantage.

Nationality:

• nationality of one of the 47 Council of Europe member states.

Age:

• under 65 years of age at the closing date of the vacancy notice.

Council of Europe staff members adhere to the values Professionalism, Integrity and Respect.

Essential:

• Professional and technical expertise:

• good knowledge of the relevant international and Council of Europe standards and policies on gender equality;
• knowledge and experience in policy advice, co-operation programmes and operational aspects related to the implementation of policies and strategies in the field of gender equality, in particular gender mainstreaming;
• proficiency in main ICT tools.
  • Organisational and contextual awareness
  • Teamwork and co-operation
  • Influencing
  • Negotiation
  • Results orientation
  • Analysis and problem solving
  • Initiative

Desirable:

• Planning and work organisation
• Resilience
• Relationship building
• Communication

For more information, please refer to the Competency Framework of the Council of Europe.

Applications

Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system.  By connecting to our website www.coe.int/jobs you can create and submit your on-line application.  Applications must be submitted at the latest 8 September 2016 (midnight Central European Time).

The selection procedure consists of shortlisting, assessment(s), and a panel interview. Assessments may include one or more of the following: ability tests, behavioural questionnaires, job-related examinations, situational exercises, language tests, interviews and full assessment centres. At least one assessment will be eliminatory.

Depending on the number of applicants, the length of the required professional experience may be increased.

Candidates with the best results in the previous stages of the procedure (tests, exams, etc.) will, as a last stage of the procedure, be invited for an interview with a panel.

Following this competition, a reserve list of successful candidates, in order of merit, may be established. This list will be valid for two years with the possibility of extending it to a maximum of four years. It should be noted that placement on a reserve list does not give candidates the right to an appointment within the Council of Europe. The choice of candidates from a reserve list is not made solely according to the order of merit but also takes into account the requirements of the position to be filled and the qualifications of the candidates.

During the period of validity of the reserve list, candidates on the list may be offered employment on a fixed-term contract, which may be renewed one or several times. There is a statutory probationary period of two years.

The compulsory retirement age is 65.

Details on conditions of employment including salaries, allowances, pension scheme and social insurance can be consulted on our recruitment website.

Under its equal opportunities policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve parity in the number of women and men employed in each category and grade. In the event of equal merit, preference will therefore be given to the applicant belonging to the under-represented sex.

The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.

During the different stages of the recruitment procedure, specific measures may be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities.

The Organisation

The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading organisation in the protection of human rights, democracy and rule of law. It was founded in 1949 in order to promote greater unity between its members  and  now includes 47 member states, all having signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights.

By Statute, the Council of Europe has two constituent organs: the Committee of Ministers, composed of the member states’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and the Parliamentary Assembly, comprising delegations from the national parliaments. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe represents the entities of local and regional self-government within the member states. The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent and impartial institution within the Council of Europe mandated to promote the awareness of and respect for human rights in member states.

The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body which oversees the implementation of the Convention in the member states. Individuals can bring complaints of human rights violations to the Strasbourg Court once all possibilities of appeal have been exhausted in the member state concerned.

The Council of Europe has its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg (France) and in addition it maintains external presence in more than twenty countries. More information about the Council of Europe external presence.

From the 1980s onwards, the Council of Europe has played a major role in the development of norms and concepts such as parity democracy, gender budgeting and gender mainstreaming, that have been providing a new approach to gender equality, shaping its development in Europe. The Council of Europe Transversal Programme on Gender Equality, launched in 2012, aims to increase the impact and visibility of gender equality standards and to support their implementation in member states. To achieve its aim and advance the gender equality agenda, the Programme builds on the political and financial support of the member states, as well as and on the contribution of all Council of Europe decision-making, advisory and monitoring bodies. www.coe.int/equality