Director of Internal Market Division

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is an intergovernmental organisation set up for the promotion of free trade and economic integration to the benefit of its four Member States Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Headquarters of the EFTA Secretariat in Geneva supplies services related to EFTA Council as governing body of the Organisation, as well as to free trade and co-operation agreements with third countries. The EFTA Secretariat in Brussels provides support in managing the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement. The Statistics division in Luxembourg provides support for the EFTA-EU co-operation in the field of statistics.

We are looking for a highly motivated and qualified candidate who is willing to take on the challenging post of Director of the Internal Market Division. The successful candidate will report to the Deputy Secretary-General in Brussels and will work in close collaboration with the other divisions of the EFTA Secretariat and the relevant EU services, EFTA missions in Brussels and national administrations in the EEA EFTA States.

This position is open to nationals of the EFTA Member States only (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

Division
Internal Market
Location
Brussels
Lattitude
50.8462720094659
Longitude
4.370340409394657
Category/Level
A6
Duration of Appointment
Fixed term 3 years. If considered desirable and in the organisation’s interest, an additional three-year contract may be offered
Start Date
1 September 2021
Closing Date
16-05-2021
Job Reference
VA 05/2021

Scope

The Internal Market Division (IMD) of the Secretariat is responsible for serving the EEA EFTA States in their work related to the EEA Agreement.  This entails both monitoring and influencing legislation in process on the EU side and facilitating timely incorporation of adopted EEA relevant legislation into the EEA Agreement.  The scope of responsibility covers all policy areas of the EEA Agreement and includes free movement of goods, services, capital and persons, as well as horizontal areas relevant to the four freedoms. Furthermore, IMD services the Member States in relation to their participation in EU programmes, as well as standardisation and mutual recognition agreements.

The successful candidate will lead a team of some 20 staff members, give guidance and oversee all policy areas falling within the Division. The Director is responsible for ensuring services to Subcommittees I-IV of the Standing Committee of the EEA EFTA States and working and expert groups reporting to the Subcommittees. S/he will be part of the Secretariat’s management team, cooperate closely with the other Divisions in Brussels, Geneva and with the EFTA Statistical Office in Luxembourg. S/he will liaise with the European External Action Service and the European Commission.

The successful candidate should have solid knowledge of the EU institutions, the EEA Agreement as well as several years of work experience relating to the EEA Agreement.

Qualifications

  • Master degree or equivalent;
  • Broad knowledge and understanding of the EEA Agreement, and of relevant EU institutions.

Experience

  • Relevant experience in a managerial position;
  • Work experience in a national administration or body, an international organisation or in a relevant private sector;
  • Several years of working experience related to the EEA Agreement;
  • Experience in working in an international environment.

Skills

  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills with the ability to motivate an international team;
  • Outstanding management skills;
  • Excellent communication skills;
  • Ability to create and maintain good working relations in an international and multicultural environment;
  • Open minded, pragmatic and solution oriented;
  • Ability to draft and coordinate analytical reports and policy papers concisely and clearly in the English language;
  • Good understanding of the EFTA structure and organisation.

Languages

  • Excellent oral and written command of English;
  • Knowledge of at least one of the EFTA languages;
  • Knowledge of French or Dutch would be an asset.

Employment Terms

Grade: A6/1

Annual salary: Starting from EUR 133,308

Appointments are made at the first step of the grade. The Secretary-General reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level different from that advertised. Through its recruitment policy, the EFTA Secretariat wants to ensure diversity in terms of gender, age and culture.

EFTA is an international organisation and the salaries and related payments are normally exempt from income taxation by the EFTA States and the host states of the EFTA duty stations. Depending on the candidate’s family status, benefits and allowances may apply.

Applicants must be nationals of one of the EFTA Member States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

Applicants must apply via the EFTA e-recruitment tool: http://jobs.efta.int/ 

Please note that only applications received via our web tool will be considered.

For further information on this post, please contact:

Ms Hege M. Hoff, Deputy Secretary-General, hho@efta.int, tel. +32 2 28 61 720

Ms Inga Hanna Gudmundsdottir, Head of HR, ihg@efta.int, tel. +32 2 286 17 06

Technical issues: HR Support, HR.support@efta.int

Deadline for applications: Sunday 16 May 2021