Senior Agent - Design Thinking, Innovation Lab team, Information Management Unit (FGIV)

The aim of the Europol Innovation Lab is to foster innovation in the European Law Enforcement (LE) community by helping EU LEAs and Europol staff to make the most of emerging technologies and uptake innovation to support their investigations.

The post is located in the Observatory Office, Europol Innovation Lab.

The Observatory is responsible for providing foresight and technology scanning functions and delivering assessments of the risks, threats and opportunities of emerging technologies for law enforcement. It also provides innovation and security design support to Europol and the Member States.

Purpose of the post: The post holder will support the Lab by providing design thinking and graphic design solutions. In addition, the post holder will further be responsible for performing other supplementary tasks, including stakeholder management, communications work, and providing administrative support.

Reporting lines: The selected candidate will report to the Senior Specialist - Head of Team - Europol Innovation Lab / Head of Unit - Information Management.

2. Functions and duties:

The incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:

• Maintain a network of stakeholders from across the organization in order to identify capability needs and challenges suitable for design thinking approaches.
• Facilitate design thinking workshops and sprints.
• Evaluate, develop and implement design thinking methodologies tailored to the law enforcement context.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate design thinking into existing processes and projects and provide training to Europol staff and Member States' representatives on design thinking approaches.
• Identify and assess emerging technologies relevant to law enforcement and provide insights on the risks, threats, and opportunities posed by these technologies.
• Contribute to the development and dissemination of information and prepare presentations and information materials.
• Design user interfaces and other visual elements for technical tools and software developed by the Lab's technical team.
• Assist in the organisation of events, workshops, and meetings.
• Perform any other activities in the area of competence as assigned by line management.

3. Requirements - Eligibility criteria

a. Candidates must

• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the position (prior to appointment the successful candidate will be medically examined by one of the institution's medical officers in order that the institution may be satisfied that the candidate fulfils the requirements of Article 12(2)(d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties., The Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC) sets up a Selection Committee, composed of at least three members, consisting of one chair and at least one member from the Administration of Europol and one member designated by the Staff Committee.

The selection criteria, set out in this Vacancy Notice, will be assessed by the Selection Committee throughout the different stages of the selection procedure. Before the start of the selection procedure, the Selection Committee will decide which selection criteria will be used at each stage of the selection procedure. Certain selection criteria will be assessed only for shortlisted candidates during a written test and/or a competency-based interview.

The Selection Committee will assess the applications received in order to make an initial selection of those candidates meeting all eligibility criteria and matching best the selection criteria (suitability).

The minimum pass-mark for being shortlisted, i.e. invited to participate in a post-related selection procedure, consisting of a written test and a competency-based interview, is established as 60% of the total maximum score.

The Selection Committee will shortlist the 10 highest scoring candidates. All candidates having a score equal to the 10th highest scoring candidate will be invited to take part in the first stage of the selection procedure (written test). At shortlisting stage, the Selection Committee will also establish the pass-mark for the selection procedure.

The Selection Committee will assess the written test against the selection criteria. Those candidates who do not reach the pass-mark for the test will be informed that they do not qualify to participate in the interview. All candidates who reach the pass-mark for the test will be invited to the second stage of the selection procedure (interview).

It is intended for the selection procedure to be conducted remotely. Should the Selection Committee consider it necessary to conduct the selection procedure on-site at Europol, either in part or in full, in the interest of the proceedings, and subject to budget availability, the candidates invited to participate in the selection procedure will be informed accordingly.

After the selection procedure has taken place, the Selection Committee will establish a list of successful candidates, i.e. those scoring above the pre-defined pass-mark, which is shared with the AACC, for establishment of a Reserve list. A Reserve list is valid for 24 months.

Candidates who participated in the interview will be informed of the outcome, i.e. whether they have been successful or not.

The Selection Committee's work and deliberations are confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the members of the Selection Committee or for anyone to do so on their behalf., The initial contract will be concluded for a fixed period of 4 years (full-time - 40 hours a week). The contract may be renewed, in principle, for a fixed period of 2 years. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite duration.

In case of successive contracts under Article 3a) of the CEOS, the duration of the contract offered will be set in accordance with the provisions of the Decision of the Management Board of Europol of 4 October 2019 governing the conditions of employment of contract staff employed under the terms of Article 3a) thereof. Before a successful candidate can be engaged on a contract of employment for an indefinite duration in function group IV, in case of successive contracts under Article 3a) of the CEOS, s/he will have to prove the ability to work in a third language (i.e. one of the official European languages). Specifically, the successful candidate is required to hold an EPSO validated language certificate or diploma of at least level B2 - as referred to in the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Conditions of engagement Before the employment contract is concluded by Europol, the successful candidate will have to:

• declare any conflict of interest;
• undergo a pre-employment medical examination to confirm that he/she is physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post or, alternatively, receive the confirmation from Europol that he/she fulfils the conditions laid down in the Decision of the Deputy Executive Director of the Capabilities Directorate on the pre-employment medical examination available on www.europol.europa.eu;

The place of employment will be The Hague, The Netherlands.

Probation period Engagement for this post is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period of 9 months.

In case of successive contracts under Article 3a) of the CEOS, a candidate may be exempt from the requirement to serve another probationary period in accordance with the provisions of the Decision of the Management Board of Europol of 4 October 2019 governing the conditions of employment of contract staff employed under the terms of Article 3a) thereof.

Europol reserves the right to terminate the contract of employment during or at the end of the probation period in accordance with Article 84 the CEOS.

Security screening and certificate of good conduct Candidates who have been recruited to a post at Europol are required to furnish a valid certificate of good conduct before the start of their employment. The certificate of good conduct must be provided to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract. The certificate of good conduct must be issued by the relevant authorities of the country of nationality of the candidate and must not be older than three months at the time of submission to Europol. Europol reserves the right not to proceed with the signature of the contract based on the content of the certificate or if the candidate fails to provide the certificate to Europol.

The certificate of good conduct does not substitute a valid security clearance required for all Europol staff at the level indicated in the vacancy notice. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance may be cause for termination of the employment contract. Candidates who currently hold a valid security clearance at the level indicated in the vacancy notice or above do not need to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a new security clearance and must provide a copy of the current security clearance certificate to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract. Europol shall verify and confirm the continued validity of the security clearance. In case Europol determines that the security clearance is not valid, the candidate will be required to provide a valid certificate of good conduct prior to the signature of the employment contract. Europol may at any time terminate the employment contract if the result of the security screening is not positive and the necessary clearance level is not granted or extended. The requested level of security clearance for this post is: CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL.

For further information on terms and conditions, please consult the EUSR/CEOS available on Europol's website., Pursuant to Article 16 of the EUSR, EU officials and, by analogy, contract agents continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits after leaving the service. Those staff members intending to engage in an occupational activity within two years of leaving the service shall inform their institution, so that it may take an appropriate decision in that respect. In cases where the intended activity is related to the work carried out by the staff member during the last three years of service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of the institution, the decision to be taken may include forbidding the staff member from undertaking it or giving its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.

Do you have experience in UX?, * Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 3 years or more. OR

• Professional training of an equivalent level, and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:

Duration of professional training Additional professional experience required for equivalency More than 6 months and up to 1 year 3 years More than 1 year and up to 2 years 2 years More than 2 years 1 year

4. Requirements - Selection criteria

a. Professional experience Essential:

• Experience with developing and applying design thinking methodologies
• Experience in innovation and foresight processes
• Experience in visual communication and graphic design, with a portfolio demonstrating advanced skills
• Experience in UX design for technical solutions

Desirable:

• Experience working in a law enforcement environment
• Experience managing projects and events
• Experience facilitating workshops

b. Professional knowledge Essential:

• Knowledge of design thinking methodologies;
• Knowledge of graphic design and ability to design visual communication
• Knowledge of UX design including requirement gathering;
• Knowledge of emerging technologies, trends and developments;
• Knowledge of project management methodologies, tools and techniques;
• Knowledge of events management.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the functioning of the EU Justice and Home Affairs sector; Knowledge of EU law enforcement and current operational, as well as strategic challenges

c. General competencies Essential:

Communicating:

• Very good communication skills in English, both orally and in writing.
• Very good drafting skills and attention to detail.

Analysing & problem solving:

• Keen eye for detail with the ability to maintain standards of accuracy under pressure of tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills including the ability to anticipate potential problems, determine and implement solutions.
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.

Delivering quality and results:

• High degree of commitment and flexibility.
• High level of customer and service-orientation.

Prioritising and organising:

• Good administrative and organisational skills.

Resilience:

• Ability to work well under pressure, both independently and in a team.
• Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well as with external partners.

Living diversity:

• Ability to work effectively in an international and multi-cultural environment.

The AACC shall classify contract staff in their function group taking into consideration their qualifications and professional experience at the time of entry into service. FGIV The basic monthly salary is: grade 13 (EUR 4,449.31), grade 14 (EUR 5,034.18) or grade 16 (EUR 6,444.59)

Grade Qualifications and professional experience 13 Less than 5 years 14 Between 5 years and 17 years 16 More than 17 years

Staff pay EU tax at source but salaries are exempt from national taxes. Compulsory deductions are made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.

Subject to the applicable conditions being met, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations (EUSR)/CEOS and further specified in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, allowances such as expatriation allowance (16% of basic gross salary) or foreign residence allowance (4% of basic gross salary), household allowance, dependent child and / or education allowance may be granted.

Staff enjoy worldwide insurance coverage by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and are insured against sickness, the risk of occupational disease and accident.

Europol offers flexible working arrangements, a comprehensive provision for annual leave as well as parental leave supporting a healthy work-life balance.

Indicative net salary sample calculation: a) Staff member (single) in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): grade 13 EUR 4,776.93, grade 14 EUR 5,376.42, grade 16 EUR 6,749.02 b) Staff member with two dependent children in their custody in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): grade 13 EUR 6,795.42, grade 14 EUR 7,423.54, grade 16 EUR 8,900.02