EEA/CA/2007/1

Press Officer / Environmental Journalist – Contract Agent (Function Group IV)

The European Environment Agency is organising an open competition with a view to recruiting a contract agent to work as a press officer/environmental journalist.

The EEA is an agency of the European Union (EU) and one of the decentralised Community bodies. The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment, through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy-making agents and the public.

The place of work will be Copenhagen, Denmark.

Job description:

To work for the Media, Editing and PR Group under the communications and Corporate Affairs Programme

Functions and duties:

• To research, write and disseminate press releases, web announcements, articles and other materials for media use;
• To establish relations with key environmental and other relevant journalists around Europe;
• To organise and follow up interviews between agency staff and the media;
• To respond to media enquiries;
• To arrange press conferences, media briefings and other media events as necessary;
• To maintain and enhance the accuracy and reach of the Agency’s media contacts database;
• To inform member countries and the European Commission about planned EEA media activities and coordinate with them as needed;
• To inform EEA institutional networks and other staff about relevant media activities;
• To monitor media coverage of the Agency, including the effectiveness of its own media activities, and maintain a comprehensive archive of this;
• To contribute to the work of the Group including the implementation and review of the EEA external communications strategy and the establishment of the annual communications plan;
• To participate in the activities of the Launch Team, including taking responsibility for preparing communications activities around the launch of EEA outputs.
  

Eligibility:

Formal requirements:

Candidates applying must satisfy the following general requirements on the closing date for the submission of applications:

• Citizenship of one of the Member Countries of the EEA (Member States of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey);
• Enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligation imposed by law concerning military service;
• Meet the educational requirements as described under “Eligibility”.
• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the EEA Member Countries and a satisfactory knowledge of a second of these languages.

• A university degree or equivalent relevant to the field concerned attested by a diploma

Range of professional experience and skills:

• A minimum of three years of experience as a journalist, and proven track record in writing news releases and other material for the media;
• A good understanding of, and preferably professional experience of working with, strategic communications issues;
• A good knowledge and understanding of environmental issues and of EU environmental policy;
• A good understanding of the EU and its institutions;
• Good presentations skills;
• Good interpersonal skills. Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment would be an advantage;
• Excellent written and spoken English.
  

Application procedure:

Closing date for application: Thursday 22 March 2007, at 12.00 (Central European Time)

Applications sent after this date will be rejected.

Please ensure that you observe the following:

1. Remember to take time zones into consideration when sending your application.
2. Once your application has been submitted, you will receive an automatic reply.
3. It is your responsibility to keep the automatic reply message as proof of submission of your application.
4. Should you not receive an automatic reply message, please submit your application again.
   

Contractual conditions:

The successful candidate will be offered a Contract Agent contract in accordance with the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities. The duration of the contract will be for a limited time period not exceeding four years.

Selection procedure:

Eligibility of candidates will be assessed according to compliance with all formal requirements by the closing date for the submission of applications.

Eligible candidates whose application shows evidence of all required competences and skills may be invited for an interview, which will be held for the most part in English.

Prior to contract signature, the successful candidate will be asked:

• to provide original or certified copies of all relevant documents proving his/her eligibility, including an extract from his/her police file;
• to undergo a compulsory medical examination to establish that he/she meets the standard of physical fitness necessary to perform the duties involved.

The Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

Personal data protection:

Any personal data provided by the User shall be processed pursuant to European Regulation related to personal data protection, in particular Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movements of such data. It shall be processed solely for the purposes of the performance, management and follow-up of information requested by the User. The User shall have the right of access to his personal data and the right to rectify any such data that is inaccurate or incomplete. Should the User have any queries concerning the processing of his personal data, he shall address them to the European Environment Agency.

Request for review:

Candidates who have not been admitted to the selection procedure will be notified by letter. The candidate may ask to have her/his application reconsidered by a sending a request for review to the Chairman of the Selection Committee at the address indicated on the letter within 21 calendar days from the date of the letter of notification.

Application documents:

English CV

For questions only: