JOB DESCRIPTION

About the department
The Corporate Services Department is responsible for managing eu-LISA’s administrative, human, financial, and physical resources to ensure efficient, compliant, and smooth operations across all eu-LISA sites (1. Tallinn, Estonia; 2. Strasbourg, France and 3. Brussels, Belgium 4. Sankt Johann im Pongau, Austria). Its mandate also covers procurement, contracting, and the management of facilities and assets. In addition, the department coordinates support services in the areas of ICT, missions, logistics, supplies, and document management.

The department is structured into three units:
• Budget and Finance Unit – ensures sound financial management and coordinates the integrated planning process that underpins eu-LISA’s strategic objectives.
• Procurement and Contract Management Unit – oversees procurement and contract management to ensure cost-effective sourcing of required inputs.
• Human Resources Unit – ensures that eu-LISA’s organisational structure is effective and that the Agency is staffed with competent and motivated professionals who contribute to its strategic objectives.

The department also hosts two sectors:
• ICT Services Sector – manages the delivery of corporate ICT services.
• General Services Sector – provides corporate support services in five areas: (1) facilities management, (2) logistics and supplies, (3) occupational health and safety, (4) missions and travel, and (5) environmental management.
About the job
As Head of the Corporate Services Department, you will report directly to the Executive Director and be a member of the organisation’s senior leadership team. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth, efficient, and compliant functioning of the organisation by providing proposals for the Agency’s strategic planning and translating the organisation’s mission and mid- and long-term strategy into integrated administrative support, enabling the delivery of its operational objectives.
You will be responsible for the oversight of the Agency’s human resources, finance, procurement and contracting, corporate ICT, and general services while considering foreseeable key technology areas and trends, e.g., digitalisation. In this role, you will shape and drive the evolution of corporate services, ensuring they are modern, efficient, responsive, and aligned with the organisation’s future needs.

As a credible and experienced senior leader, you will inspire and develop teams, promote innovation and continuous improvement, and strengthen a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence across the department. You will also represent the organisation externally on matters within your remit, ensuring constructive relations with stakeholders, governance bodies, and institutional partners.

Strategic and Departmental Leadership
• Translate the organisation’s mission, strategy, and annual work programme into a coherent departmental vision, objectives, and deliverables.
• Provide leadership and coordination across all departmental units and sectors, ensuring synergies and integrated support to the organisation’s operations.
• Conceptual thinking and initiative – act as a key advisor to senior management on governance, resources, and organisational development, contributing to collective leadership decisions.
• Change leadership – drive modernisation, transformation, and continuous improvement of administrative processes to foster efficiency, transparency, and innovation.
Budget and Finance
• Oversee sound financial management and accountability in line with the EU Financial Regulation and internal financial rules.
• Supervise the preparation, execution, and monitoring of the organisation’s budget, ensuring efficient allocation and use of resources.
• Ensure integrated planning and monitoring processes are in place to support evidence-based decision-making and long-term financial stability.
Procurement and Contract Management
• Provide strategic oversight of procurement activities and contract management, ensuring compliance, transparency, and value for money.
• Promote effective procurement planning and risk management, ensuring contracts are aligned with organisational needs and managed efficiently.
Human Resources
• Lead the implementation of the HR strategy and workforce planning to ensure the organisation is staffed with skilled, motivated, and diverse professionals.
• Oversee the full employment lifecycle, including talent acquisition, performance management, mobility, and career development.
• Foster an inclusive organisational culture by promoting well-being, staff engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
• Maintain a constructive social dialogue with staff representatives and strengthen staff involvement in shaping the workplace.
Corporate ICT Services
• Oversee the delivery of reliable, secure, and user-focused corporate ICT services, ensuring continuity and resilience of daily operations.
• Drive ICT modernisation projects, including cloud migration, digital workplace initiatives, and the adoption of IT service management best practices (e.g. ITIL).
• Ensure ICT investments are cost-effective, strategically aligned, and supportive of digital transformation.
General Services
• Ensure efficient facility management, including safe, sustainable, and functional work environments across all organisational sites.
• Oversee logistics, supplies, travel, mission and document management, ensuring smooth support to staff and operations.
• Safeguard occupational health and safety, embedding a strong safety culture across the organisation.
• Promote environmental sustainability by overseeing the environmental management system and reducing the organisation’s carbon footprint.
External and Institutional Relations
• Represent the department with external stakeholders, host state authorities, and EU institutions on matters within the administrative remit.
• Maintain open communication with governance bodies, reporting regularly on departmental progress, challenges, and achievements.

Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for recruitment and selection, you need to meet the following formal criteria, which need to be fulfilled by the deadline for application: General conditions
1. You are national of one of the EU Member States or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland and you enjoy full rights as a citizen ; 2. You produce the appropriate character requirements for the duties involved;
3. You are physically fit to perform your duties ;
4. You have fulfilled any obligations imposed on you by the laws concerning military service.
Education
5. You have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma provided that the normal period of university education is four years or more, or
6. You have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma provided that the normal period of university education is at least three years or more and appropriate professional experience of at least one year.
Only qualifications awarded in an EU Member State or that are subject to an equivalence certificate issued by an authority in a said EU Member State shall be taken into consideration.

Professional experience
7. You have at least fifteen (15) years of proven full-time professional experience relevant to the duties after the award of the qualification certifying the completion of studies required as a condition of eligibility as above.
Language
8. You have a thorough knowledge (C1 level) of one of the 24 EU official languages and a satisfactory knowledge (B2 level) of another EU official language for the performance of your duties.

Selection Criteria
eu-LISA aims to establish a reserve list from which to source the best talent. The suitability of candidates will be
assessed during different stages of the selection procedure against the following criteria:
Leadership skills
1. Ability to set and implement the strategic vision for corporate services, aligning departmental objectives with the Agency’s mission, strategy, and annual work programme.
2. Proven ability to lead complex organisational functions covering HR, finance, procurement, ICT, and general services, while ensuring integration, efficiency, and compliance.
3. Strong track record in change management, with the ability to modernise administrative services and inspire teams to embrace organisational transformation.
4. Ability to manage, motivate, empower, and develop staff, building cohesive teams capable of delivering high-quality results under resource and time constraints.
5. Excellent ability to represent the department and the Agency with credibility, building trust and effective relationships with governance bodies, partners, and stakeholders.
Professional experience and knowledge
6. Solid experience similar to the duties outlined in section “About the job”, covering at least one of the following domains: budget and finance, HR management, procurement/contract management, ICT services, and general services. The Selection Committee will assess the range of fields covered, the length, the type and level of work done and its relevance to the areas listed in section “About the job”.
7. Out of the fifteen (15) years of proven full-time professional experience required to satisfy the eligibility for the post, at least three (3) years of post-graduate professional experience must have been gained in a management function relevant for this position.
Candidates should clearly indicate for all years during which the management experience has been acquired: (1) title and role of management positions held; (2) numbers of staff overseen in these positions; (3) the size of budgets managed; (4) numbers of hierarchical layers above and below; and (5) number of peers.
8. Experience in managing large teams and/or multidisciplinary units, preferably in an international or EU institutional context.
9. Proven track record of managing budgets, resources, and support services in compliance with financial, procurement, and administrative rules.

Personal competencies
10. Ability to act upon eu-LISA’s values and guiding principles (We get the job done – We take ownership – We are all role models – We act together as one).
11. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to anticipate risks, manage complexity, and make timely, sound decisions.
12. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to listen, build consensus, and maintain constructive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
13. Capacity to foster innovation, continuous improvement, and sustainability in the delivery of corporate services.
Language
14. Strong drafting and communication skills in English, both orally and in writing, at least at the C1 level. Desirable
15. Good knowledge of financial and administrative circuits, preferably within International Organisations or EU institutions/agencies/bodies.