Sector Officer – Justice and Home Affairs – FMO – VA 30/2024

Sector Officer – Justice and Home Affairs – FMO – VA 30/2024

EFTA – European Free Trade Association

Brussels, Belgium

Are you a dynamic and motivated professional looking to make a positive impact in Europe? Would you like to contribute to strengthen the justice and home affairs sector in Central and Southern Europe? Join our team as the new Sector Officer at the Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) in Brussels.

About us

The Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) – affiliated with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – carries out the day-to-day management of the EEA and Norway Grants. The Grants are Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein’s contribution to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area (EEA) and strengthen bilateral relations and partnerships between the Donor States and the 15 Beneficiary States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). Norway provides around 97% of the Grants and Iceland and Liechtenstein the rest.

We are now entering a new funding period with a budget of 3.2 billion euros. At the same time, we are closing the current funding period with a budget of 2.8 billion euros.

The programmes in the new funding period will focus on these overall priorities:

• European green transition;
• Democracy, rule of law and human rights;
• Social inclusion and resilience.

Why join the FMO?

At the FMO, we offer more than just a job – we offer a stimulating and diverse international workplace with a trust-based culture. Our team of more than 50 employees coming from the EEA region, bring a rich blend of experiences and knowledge to our daily operations. We work closely with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), the 15 Beneficiary States and various international partners. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful environment where you can advance your career and contribute to meaningful results that make a difference.

Learn more

If you’re ready to take on a rewarding challenge and be part of a dedicated team working towards improving economic and social progress and strengthening cooperation and partnerships in Europe, we encourage you to apply. For more details about our work and the opportunities we offer, please visit our website at www.eeagrants.org.

This position is open to nationals of the EEA EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) and nationals of the member states of the European Union.

Division: Financial Mechanism Office
Category/Level: A4
Type/Duration of Appointment: Fixed term three years (renewable once if in the interest of the FMO)
Start Date: As soon as possible
Job Reference: VA 30/2024

Scope

As a Sector Officer in the FMO you will manage a portfolio of programmes, provide expertise advice, and ensure progress in planning, development, and implementation of programmes. In some cases, you will also be responsible for directly managing programmes through contracted fund operators in the Beneficiary States. The Sector Officer is expected to manage programme teams within the FMO.

The EEA and Norway Grants operates through a working model where the Beneficiary States are responsible for implementing the programmes. The FMO works in financial cycles navigated by risk assessments and results-based management. Building relations with stakeholders based on trust is at the core of how the Sector Officers operate.

The new officer for the Justice and Home Affairs portfolio will assist in closing current programmes and assessing their results and will assist the Beneficiary States in the development of new programmes under the upcoming funding period.

The Justice and Home Affairs portfolio includes six programme areas:

• Access to Justice;
• Asylum, Migration and Integration;
• Correctional Services;
• Disaster Prevention and Preparedness;
• Domestic and Gender-based Violence; and
• Serious and Organised Crime.

In your portfolio, you will work on several of these programme areas. Focus on gender equality and digitalisation is relevant across the thematic areas and in some of our Beneficiary States, Roma inclusion and empowerment is especially relevant.

As part of your role, you will also engage in travel to fulfil your responsibilities and will be reporting to the Head of Unit.

Tasks

As the Sector Officer for Justice and Home Affairs, your role will involve:

• Monitoring sector developments and providing strategic advice: you will keep abreast about developments within the Justice and Home Affairs sector and offer advice to Donors and Beneficiary States to ensure that the programmes align with the priorities set by the Grants;
• Programme development and implementation: you will oversee and manage a portfolio of programmes, supporting their development and implementation; further, you will lead programme teams within the FMO;
• Main contact point with Programme Operators: you will keep regular contact with Programme Operators in the Beneficiary States, clear communication and collaboration are essential here;
• Strategic assessment of cooperation: you will evaluate the strategic relevance of cooperation between institutions in both the Donor States and the Beneficiary States helping to optimise the impact;
• Engaging with Donors: you will drive the dialogue with the Donors, providing updates on programme development, implementation and sharing results;
• Additional responsibilities: Beyond the listed tasks, you will handle any other duties as required, adapting to the dynamic needs of the role and the needs of FMO.

Qualifications

A Master’s-level university degree in a relevant field.

Experience

Required experience:

• At least six years of relevant experience in the field of Justice and Home Affairs within public administration and/or with an international organisation.

Desired experience:

• Prior working with programme and/or grant management;
• Work experience in one or several of the listed programme areas in at least one of the Donor States as well as preferably in one of the Beneficiary States or at EU level;
• Expertise in capacity development in Justice and Home Affairs sector;
• Having led teams or coordinated processes.

Skills

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of priorities and policies related to the listed programme areas, including Rule of Law;
• Understanding of results-based management and ability to work with risk assessments;
• Excellent analytical and communication skills;
• Strong diplomatic and negotiating skills;
• Strong interpersonal abilities, pragmatic and result-oriented attitude with cultural understanding;
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure and meeting tight deadlines.

Languages

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (the working language of the FMO) is a requirement. Fluency in any of the Donor State languages (especially Norwegian) and knowledge of any of the Beneficiary State languages is an asset.

Employment Terms

Grade: A4
Annual starting salary: EUR 106,704.24

Appointments are normally made at step 1 of the grade. The FMO reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level different from that advertised.

Salaries and related payments are normally exempt from taxation by the EFTA Member States and, as regulated in EFTA’s headquarters agreement in Belgium. Depending on the candidate’s family status, benefits and allowances may apply.

The FMO is an employer dedicated to the principles of diversity and equality. We are committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace, with a healthy work-life balance.

For further information on this post, please contact: Ms Anita Fjeldsæter, Senior Sector Officer, anita.fjeldsaeter@efta.int or +32 22 111 817, after 12 August.

For information regarding recruitment process please contact Ms Vera Medinskaya, Head of Administration and HR Unit, vera.medinskaya@efta.int or +32 22 111 860.

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

Deadline for submission of application: 8 September 2024.

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