Position Details
Security and Safety Managers
Reference 2016-123-EXT
Function
The Security and Safety Division of the European Central Bank (ECB) operates a physical security and safety programme for the protection of ECB staff, critical functions and premises. It also actively supports the efforts of the ECB to ensure business continuity and plays an active role in the ECB’s Crisis Management Team, as well as in the Assessment Team which advises the Crisis Management Team. It comprises three Sections, namely the Security Services Section, the Facility Protection Section and the Protective Services Section.
The Security Services Section is in charge of all administrative and technical measures contributing to the provision of an adequate level of security for the ECB, its staff and premises. In addition, the Section is responsible for the ECB’s transportation activities. The Section comprises three teams, namely the Security Engineering Team, the Security Service Centre and the Transportation and Administration Team.
The Facility Protection Section is in charge of ensuring the physical security of the ECB’s (and Single Supervisory Mechanism’s) premises, property, staff and visitors. As such, it is responsible for the adoption of all operational and organisational measures necessary to achieve this goal.
The Protective Services Section is in charge of the collection, analysis and dissemination of intelligence relating to the security of the ECB, its staff, critical functions and premises. It is also in charge of the personal protection of high-ranking ECB officials based on their risk profile and of the implementation and further development of the ECB’s vetting policy. The Section comprises three teams, namely the Protective Intelligence Team, the Security Clearance Team and the Executive Protection Team.
The successful applicants will be entrusted with the following main tasks: For the Head of Division:
managing a Division of highly skilled security professionals to ensure the efficient and effective fulfilment of its tasks;
developing the integrated security strategy of the Division in line with the vision and mission of the Directorate General Administration;
setting the strategic and operational agenda for the Division, developing annual work programmes, managing the divisional budget and building up appropriate and sustainable working structures;
and longer-term strategic direction;
providing sound guidance to the Division on performance management and the development of a high level of expertise;
establishing an appropriate working atmosphere, conducive to the fulfilment of the Division’s tasks, by taking the necessary action to ensure that staff remain motivated, competent and committed to achieving the goals set;
providing advice to and preparing appropriate dossiers, memoranda, etc. to support the ECB’s decision-making bodies, the Chief Services Officer and senior management;
representing the Division and the ECB at meetings, as well as on a range of internal and external committees and in other high-level fora, and establishing and developing regular contact with all strategic partners including German and European security entities and authorities.
For all Heads of Section:
participating in divisional goal-setting and in implementing the divisional strategy;
assigning, monitoring and evaluating the work of the staff of the Section against agreed objectives and budgets, delegating responsibilities and setting priorities, as well as shaping the output profile and service offer of the Section;
motivating, gaining the commitment and managing the performance and development of staff, including staff appraisals;
leading the Division’s conceptual and implementation approach to security and safety;
ensuring an effective and consistent response to incidents, within the framework of the ECB’s Alert and Mobilisation process and in the context of the ECB’s crisis management organisation, and acting as Head of Operations whenever security and/or safety incidents occur on the ECB premises;
where appropriate, acting as the leader of the Assessment Team in charge of assessing the impact of an exceptional situation on ECB premises, particularly those located in Frankfurt city centre;
drafting and reviewing reports and papers destined for a wide range of audiences, including the ECB’s decision-making bodies;
contributing technically to the work of the Section;
interacting and cooperating closely with the other Sections in the Security and Safety Division;
interacting and cooperating closely with the internal and external counterparts of the Division in his/her field of competence;
representing the Division in external fora.
Specific for the Head of the Security Services Section:
leading the Section’s conceptual and implementation approach to security service matters, with a strong emphasis on the design, development and implementation of state-of-the-art, reliable and user-friendly security technologies;
managing the contracts with the external security service providers of the Section;
developing and maintaining the divisional dashboard and key performance indicators (KPIs);
designing and developing the Section’s service offer and ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction by providing clear guidance and coaching to staff within the Section.
Specific for the Head of the Facility Protection Section:
leading the Division’s conceptual and implementation approach to facility protection matters;
taking responsibility for the response to incidents;
managing the contracts with the external security service providers of the Section.
Specific for the Head of the Protective Services Section:
leading the Section’s conceptual and implementation approach to matters in the relevant area of competence, with a strong emphasis on forward-looking intelligence collection and analysis, the formulation of innovative, effective and sustainable proposals to mitigate security risks, and the further development of a well-trained and reliable workforce capable of preventing harm to high-ranking ECB officials;
designing and developing the Section’s service offer and ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction by providing clear guidance and coaching to staff within the Section.
Qualifications and experience
a master’s degree in a field related to security, such as physical security, protective intelligence, IT, security engineering, law, business studies or other relevant field, such as the police or military, or a bachelor’s degree in one of the aforementioned fields or other relevant field, combined with a relevant professional security qualification or four years of relevant experience in the field of security and safety;
in addition, at least four years of experience in developing and implementing incident and crisis management concepts, also with a view to ensuring business continuity;
work experience in project management;
knowledge of the German safety/security standards would be an advantage;
certification in fire prevention and/or occupational safety and health would be an asset.
Specific for the Head of Division:
at least four years of experience in managing a diverse team of highly skilled professionals;
at least three years and ideally five years or more of work experience in a senior position in a field related to security and safety, including the police or the military;
sound knowledge of premises security and personal protection evidenced by at least four years of experience, ideally in both fields;
experience in collecting, analysing and disseminating security-related information would be a strong asset;
sound knowledge of state-of-the-art physical security technology;
having contacts with a wide network of security experts (e.g. via committees and working groups) would be a distinct advantage.
Specific for the Heads of Section:
at least three years of experience in coordinating a diverse team of highly skilled professionals;
work experience and sound knowledge of one of the following specific fields:
state-of-the-art facility protection measures, as well as modern security and safety standards and policies;
access control systems, private mobile radio systems, hardware platforms, storage and server technologies;
current geopolitical and societal developments and their impact on the security of high-profile public institutions like the ECB, and having worked in a public entity collecting and analysing security-related information;
ideally, experience and knowledge of one of the following areas: facility protection measures and concepts;
technical and/or administrative security measures and concepts;
organisational, technical and administrative security measures and concepts.
Generic technical competencies
advanced language skills in both English and German (the successful candidate must have an advanced-level command of one of these two languages, i.e. equivalent to level B2 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, and at least an intermediate-level command of the other language, i.e. equivalent to level B1); advanced language skills (equivalent to level B2) in both languages would be considered an asset.
Competencies
The successful candidate will have the following behavioural competencies:
demonstrates conceptual skills, being able to analyse a problem from different angles taking into account the requirements of all stakeholders;
displays strong managerial skills by inspiring a team of security professionals working towards meaningful goals, by leading by example and by earning respect;
uses simple/clear words and images to communicate ideas; handles sensitive information in a discreet manner, respecting confidentiality;
takes a holistic approach so as to understand the needs and expectations of stakeholders and customers, understands the wider context in which the ECB operates, shows commitment to the achievement of the key organisational goals and has an awareness of overall business area goals;
ensures that agreement is reached even in challenging circumstances following a cooperative and collaborative approach when dealing with issues of relevance;
establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with staff and management at all levels, both inside and outside the organisation;
works well under pressure, plans ahead, manages multiple tasks and organises work within tight time frames taking into account shifting priorities;
remains calm, can be relied upon even in difficult circumstances and has a number of well-established ways of defusing tension.
Closing Date for Applications: 15.09.2016
Further Information
Five-year fixed-term contract, with possible conversion to a contract of indefinite duration subject to individual performance and organisational needs.
German language skills are a requirement for this position. The position holder will be required to interact with German authorities (for example, to communicate with local authorities such as the police and fire services) and local suppliers as well as to deal with documents related to the ECB’s premises that are drafted in German.
English language skills are also required for this position as English is the common vehicle language of the ECB.
The language abilities of candidates will be tested as part of the recruitment process.
A successful candidate who has only an intermediate command of either German or English will be expected to take language tuition to bring this level to at least a higher intermediate command (equivalent to level B2) of the language. Tuition will be organised by the ECB and will be paid for in full by the ECB, and lessons will take place during working hours, unless agreed otherwise.
The language abilities of the successful candidate will also be tested at the end of the probation period to assess the level of progress, which is a precondition for the successful completion of the probationary period. If progress is slower than expected, the ECB may consider extending the probationary period.
To enable the various business units to maintain their business continuity capability, the position holder will be expected to support the activities of the ECB’s Crisis Management Team and, in so doing, will need to be prepared to be on standby.
The successful applicant will occasionally be expected to perform work during non-standard working hours and may be expected to perform on-call duties.
To further enhance the diversity of its workforce, the ECB particularly encourages applications from female candidates.
The Head of Division position has been allocated to the salary band : J The Heads of Section positions have been allocated to the salary band: I
How to apply
Applications are to be made in English and submitted using our online application form. An "Applicants' Guide" can be downloaded from our recruitment pages.
The recruitment process may include a pre-screening exercise, a written exercise, a presentation and interviews.
Further information on the ECB's conditions of employment for fixed-term positions can be found at http://www.ecb.europa.eu/careers/newcomers/fixed-term/html/index.en.html.
Applications are accepted from nationals of Member States of the European Union.
The requirements laid down in the vacancy notice must be met by the closing date for applications. This vacancy notice may be used to fill the same position again, or similar positions, within 12 months of the selection decision.
The selection committee may place suitable candidates on a reserve list, from which candidates may be appointed to similar positions in the same or another business area. It may also be decided to fill the position(s) advertised in this vacancy notice with a suitable candidate or candidates from the reserve list resulting from a recruitment procedure for a similar position. Candidates will be informed accordingly if this happens.
In addition, an external provider will assess the management skills of all shortlisted candidates. The process will include self-assessment questionnaires to be completed online and an interview. The link to the self-assessment questionnaires will be sent to the applicant by e-mail once his/her interview date has been confirmed, and the questionnaires must be completed by a specific deadline. Applicants should therefore be able to access the internet during this period.
