Council of European Municipalities and Regions European Section of United Cities and Local Governments The Council of European Municipalities and Regions Is looking to recruit an ASSISTANT TO THE POLICY TEAM to support the work of our policy team in Brussels The candidate should have good organisational and communication skills and be motivated to work in a small and dynamic team, in an autonomous way and a team spirit. The CEMR policy team handles a broad range of thematic issues, and organises its work in different working structures, which are composed of elected representatives and of experts. The assistant to the policy team is expected to support the team in managing these tasks. Computer skills and excellent knowledge of English and French is a must; additional languages are an advantage. The application pack is available below. CEMR brings together 60 associations of local and regional government from 40 countries. Our objectives include the promotion of local and regional self-government, influencing the EU legislative process, and local/regional exchange of experience. Square de Meeûs 1 B-1000 Bruxelles Tel. +32 2 511 74 77 Rue de Richelieu 15 F-75001 Paris Tel. +33 1 44 50 59 59 info@ccre-cemr.org www.ccre.org
Council of European Municipalities and Regions European Section of United Cities and Local Governments Brussels, September 2012 Dear Applicant, Assistant to the CEMR Policy Team (starting 1 st November 2012) Thank you for expressing interest in the post of assistant to our Brussels based policy team, which currently comprises 5 posts, including this one. One of CEMR s main objectives is to influence the European legislative and policy-making process, to ensure that the interests of local and regional governments, and of the citizens they represent, are fully taken into account. Our policy team handles a broad range of thematic issues and organises our work in a number of different working structures, which are composed of elected representatives and of experts. CEMR s policy work is structured within two pillars: (1) Lobbying European institutions by contributing to the political debate, preparing position papers, responses to consultations, amendments to reports in the European Parliament, etc. (2) Sharing knowledge and experience between elected representatives and technical experts to complement our political position with expertise from the local and regional level. The Assistant is expected to provide support to the Policy Team in managing these tasks, which contains organisational as well as content-related elements and are listed in a detailed manner in this application pack. Good communication skills and a team-oriented way of working are prerequisites for this post. Furthermore, CEMR is constantly thriving to improve its service for its members and in particular intends to increase the use of Information Technology in its way of working. The Assistant should be interested to actively contribute to such improvements through ideas and action. We are therefore looking for a person who has strong organisation and communication skills, interested to work in a multi-cultural environment, motivated to contribute proactively in strengthening our services, and able to work in both ways: autonomously and in a team. So if you think you have this knowledge and skills set, we really hope you will apply. For further information about CEMR and our work, please visit our website at www.ccre.org Yours sincerely, Frédéric VALLIER Secretary-General Angelika POTH-MÖGELE Director of Policy Square de Meeûs 1 B-1000 Bruxelles Tel. +32 2 511 74 77 Rue de Richelieu 15 F-75001 Paris Tel. +33 1 44 50 59 59 info@ccre-cemr.org www.ccre.org
How to apply for this post Please send us, no later than Monday, 24 th September 2012, the following: 1. A letter of motivation (maximum 2 pages), explaining why you are interested in this post, and what you would bring to the post if appointed. [in English] 2. A curriculum vitae, including employment history (with salary), education, professional qualifications, other activities or positions held (e.g. in voluntary associations) [in French or in English] Please send your application by e-mail to application@ccre-cemr.org Following receipt of applications, we will contact you, and provided the application is interesting for CEMR, arrange an interview in due course. 2
JOB DESCRIPTION Reporting to the Director of Policy Objective: To support the policy team and provide efficient and effective administrative services Main tasks and responsibilities: Content-related tasks: 1. Assist in preparing and organising meetings of CEMR working structures and other events; 2. Assist the preparation and further treatment of position papers and other relevant documents; 3. Translation of documents from and into English and French; Organisational tasks: 4. Assist in making necessary arrangements for meetings in our own premises and at other places, including outside of Brussels; 5. Keeping databases up to date; 6. Manage communication with membership and other relevant partners; 7. Organise travel arrangements for the policy team; 8. Assist team members participating in conferences and other relevant meetings and events; 9. Contribute to the management of projects in which the team is involved; 10. Assist in dealing with requests for internships and the management of interns; Communication and cooperation: 11. Cooperate in a constructive manner with the policy team; 12. Ensure constant liaison with the personal assistant of the secretary general in relation to his activities and their links with the policy team; 13. Contribute to an effective collaboration with all other teams and colleagues; Additionally, the post holder may be asked to undertake other tasks as may be reasonably required; 3
PERSON SPECIFICATION Experience / knowledge 1. Organisation of meetings and events 2. Preparation of documents 3. Communication with diverse membership and partners 4. Organising travel arrangements 5. Translation from and into English and French Skills and understanding 1. Good organisational and management skills; 2. Ability to work autonomously and in a team; 3. Excellent language skills, written and oral, in English and French; other languages are an advantage. 4. Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment; 5. Ability to prioritise and work under stress; 6. Knowledge of using Information Technology for different communication purposes; 7. Motivation to contribute improving our services; 4
Main terms and conditions of employment The full terms and conditions will be set out in a contract made on the basis of Belgian legislation. The following summarises some of the main points: 1. Location The post is based at CEMR s Brussels office, 1 Square de Meeûs, 1000 Brussels. 2. Duration A permanent contract. 3. Salary The salary for this post will depend on the skills and experience of the candidate, within a likely region of circa 37 000 Euros (annual gross salary). 4. Hours of work The job is for 38 hours per week (5 days), with normal office hours being between 9.00 and 18.00 (Monday-Thursday); 9.00-16.00 (Friday). For this post, some flexibility in working hours will be required. 5. Holidays Staff have 25 days holiday in addition to public holidays; public holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday are not compensated. * * * * * 5