Director-General position in the Council of the European Union

The General Secretariat of the Council

The General Secretariat of the Council (GSC) assists the European Council and the Council of the EU and their preparatory bodies in all fields of their activities. It provides advice and support to members of the European Council and the Council and to their Presidents in all areas of activity, including policy and legal advice, coordination with other institutions, elaboration of compromises, supervising as well as attending to all the practicalities that are necessary for the good preparation and running of the European Council and the Council.

Requirements

We are looking for a manager with substantial experience in EU policy-making and the EU legislative process and an extensive knowledge of the Council and the European Council as well as EU institutional issues. Knowledge of the areas covered by GIP is an asset.

All GSC managers are expected to advise their hierarchy and stakeholders, manage their staff and financial resources and to represent the GSC. These expectations are set out in the GSC horizontal manager’s profile

Furthermore, the jobholder will need to possess:

the ability to think and plan strategically, to anticipate and identify potential problems and propose workable solutions and compromises;
excellent communication skills, including interpersonal communication skills;
the ability to maintain good working relationships with a range of internal and external interlocutors and the ability to demonstrate diplomacy;
leadership skills and the ability to promote a strong team spirit and to give guidance, motivate and empower staff in a multicultural and diverse environment, with a strong emphasis on staff development;
the ability to plan and organize the overall work of the Directorate-General so as to meet critical deadlines and ensure a fair distribution of workload within the team, as well as the ability to manage change and support staff through change;
the ability to reach common agreements or goals by providing targeted advice to stakeholders and by effectively and constructively facilitating discussions.

Funciones

The post of Director-General in GIP is a challenging position in a politically interesting environment, leading a team of around 70 highly qualified staff.

Under the authority of the Secretary-General and in cooperation with the two GIP Directors and the Head of Unit, you will manage and coordinate your Directorate-General and its resources in a professional manner, organise its activities and support and motivate staff in their work. You will develop and implement the strategy and work programme of the Directorate-General, you will define its objectives and ensure their achievement according to required deadlines and quality standards. You will foster a culture of effective communication and cooperation both within GIP and with the other Directorates-General, as well as with other GSC services.

In cooperation with other Directorates-General, you will be responsible for horizontal policy and procedural coordination with the aim to support continuity and coherence of the work of the Council and the European Council.

You will provide high-level policy and procedural advice to the Secretary-General as well as to the presidencies of the European Council, the Council and Coreper on all aspects of dossiers falling within the Directorate-General’s remit and take part in meetings and, where appropriate, in briefings and/or negotiations with a view to reaching compromises and finding solutions. In this context, you will assist the presidencies in negotiations and ensure effective communication and cooperation with EU institutions, agencies and other bodies in the areas within the GIP’s remit.

You will ensure overall strategic coordination, including with other Directorates-General on policy and objectives to be met.

Frequent missions abroad, rarely outside the EU, are required.