Specialist - Media Relations, Corporate Communications Team, Corporate Affairs Bureau(AD6)

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

This selection procedure is intended to fill 1 currently available post.

Europol retains the right to make use of the reserve list to select candidates for similar posts within the organisation, should business needs require so.

Organisational setting:

The Department Corporate Affairs Bureau (CAB) comprises the Office of the Executive Director, the Compliance and Internal Control Office, the Management Support Office and the Corporate Communications Team.

The Department is responsible for:

· Providing the full range of services expected of a cabinet, including administrative, logistic and policy support to the Executive Director;

· Supporting the senior management team and coordinating key corporate interests, including inter-departmental cooperation, stakeholder management and financial administration;

· Coordinating, as Europol’s central point of contact, the preparation, execution and Europol's response to audit activities and findings, performing internal control related functions, as well as maintaining Europol's corporate risks and coordinating the related risk mitigation across the organisation;

· Dealing with and coordinating all internal and external communication, media and public relations activities, as well as managing open sources in relation to key corporate interests.

Purpose of the post:

The Specialist - Media Relations is responsible for elevating the organisation's engagements with various media outlets. S/he ensures positive media coverage, supports key events and conferences, and represents the organisation in media-related activities, thereby enhancing the organisation's public image and communication effectiveness.

Reporting lines:

The incumbent reports to the Head of the Corporate Communications Team.

Job environment:

This post might require participation in on-call duty outside of office hours, including weekends and public holidays.

FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES

The incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:

• Draft clear and compelling press releases and related external communication materials, ensuring accuracy and
consistency, and tailoring content to different media outlets and audiences;

• Monitor media coverage related to the organization and measure the effectiveness of media campaigns;

• Prepare reports on media activities, coverage, and outcomes, including recommendations based on media analysis;

• Build and maintain positive and extensive relationships with journalists, and other media professionals;

• Support the development and implementation of media relations and communication policies and strategies;

• Organise and execute high level visits, meetings, conferences and interviews with a media focus;

• Support the Head of Team Corporate Communications and the Head of Office Media Relations and Open Sources in
strategic matters in the field of communication;

• Represent Europol at specialised conferences, meetings and fora;

• Perform any other duties in the area of competence as assigned by line management.

REQUIREMENTS - ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION 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 post as further specified in Article 13 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.

b. Candidates must have

• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma;

OR

• Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area 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

In addition to the above at least 3 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.

4. Requirements - Selection criteria

a. Professional experience

Essential:

• Experience in media relations, public relation, communication or a related field;

• Experience in drafting press releases and other external and internal communication materials;

• Experience in organising and executing press activities, including press conferences;

• Experience in managing media issues and engaging with international press and journalists.

Desirable:

• Experience working in a multi-disciplinary and/or multicultural environment;

• Experience in communication within a law enforcement or security environment;

• Experience in crisis communication.

b. Professional knowledge

Essential:

• Knowledge of the national and international media landscape, including key outlets and journalists;

• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with media professionals;

• Knowledge of media relation principles, practices, and strategies;

• Ability to understand and navigate complex political environments.

Desirable:

• Qualification or certification in storytelling, impact communication or other relevant area.

c. General competencies

Essential:

Communicating:

• Very good communication skills in English, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.

Analysing & problem solving:

• Keen eye for detail with the ability to maintain standards of accuracy under pressure of tight deadlines.

• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.

• 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 & organising:

• Good administrative and organisational skills.

Resilience:

• Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well
as with external partners.

• Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.

Living diversity:

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

d. Additional conditions:

Fulfil the condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary Agents, on the start date of the possible contract of employment which may be offered.

5. Selection procedure

All applications for Temporary Agent posts must be submitted through the online recruitment system accessible via . For further information, please consult the

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 and one member designated by the Staff Committee.

For restricted posts (including restricted - Annex II posts) , the AACC designates up to two additional members of the Selection Committee if so requested by the Chairperson of the Management Board. The additional members shall consist of a representative of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union or one representative of the Presidency and one representative of another Member State.

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 a competency-based interview.