Project Adviser – Innovation Fund

The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency  (CINEA)

The European Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Executive Agency (CINEA) is the successor organization of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) and it started its activities on 1 April 2021. Its mission is to support stakeholders in delivering the European Green Deal through high-quality programme management that helps to implement projects contributing to decarbonisation and sustainable growth. CINEA implements parts of EU funding programmes for transport, energy and climate action: for the financial perspectives 2021-2027 the Agency has expanded its portfolio of programmes with strong focus on contributing to the European Commission’s Green Deal priority.

The main programmes managed by CINEA are:

• The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF): supports high-performing, sustainable and interconnected Trans-European Networks.
• Horizon Europe: the EU’s Research and Innovation programme for which CINEA manages he areas of  cluster on Climate, Energy and Mobility (Cluster 5).
• The Innovation Fund: one of the world’s largest climate innovation funding programmes, with a budget likely exceeding €40 billion, supporting the deployment of innovative low-carbon technologies between 2020-2030.
• LIFE Programme: entirely dedicated to environmental, climate and clean energy objectives.
• European Maritime, Aquaculture and Fisheries Fund: targets public support for the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the Union’s Maritime Policy and the EU’s agenda for international ocean governance.
• The EU Renewable Energy Mechanism; and
• The Public Sector Loan Facility of the Just Transition Mechanism.

Working environment

CINEA is based in Brussels and has a multinational team of around 500 persons. The number of staff will grow further over the coming years with the Agency’s new portfolio and the purpose of this publication is therefore to set up a reserve list, which will be used to cover the growing needs of the Agency. The reserve list may also be used by other Executive Agency upon agreement between the respective Appointing Authorities (AECEs).

More information on CINEA

Website: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/index_en

Twitter: @cinea_eu

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3wtAjwd

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDic9AVxO1PP1SqoKbHMwrA

Description of the job

The project adviser will be responsible for a portfolio Innovation Fund projects. The project adviser will work autonomously under the authority of a team leader. They will also collaborate fully with a wider team of colleagues in the Agency and the European Commission.

The project adviser will perform tasks related to all stages of the project management cycle, from the evaluation of proposals, the preparation of grant agreements, the monitoring of projects, the assessment of technical and financial reports and reporting the feedback to policy-makers in the European Commission’s Directorate-Generals. Further, the project adviser will be actively involved in cross-cutting tasks such as knowledge sharing, continuous improvement of the Innovation Fund design or development of new funding instruments under the programme. 

Core tasks:

SPECIFIC PROJECT/PROCESS MANAGEMENT – Project and process management

• Prepare, manage and monitor calls for proposals/ tenders, and the evaluation and selection of projects, including the selection of experts and allocation of experts to proposals.
• Prepare grant agreements with beneficiaries.
• Monitor the fulfilment of contractual obligations (via periodic and, possibly, on-site reviews, audits, reporting and assistance, etc.), with the possible help of external expertise and ensure quality control.
• Coordinate horizontal activities including clustering and networking aspects of the programme and its projects and feedback to Directorates-General of the Commission.

FINANCE – Financial Expenditures

• Maintain an overview of progress and financial expenditures of projects under his/her responsibility, and provide the necessary assurance on the legality and regularity of all transactions.
• Scrutinise the financial aspects of the projects, in particular their financial structuring at the financial close and during implementation and how the project is financed from other sources.

Other Tasks:

INTER-SERVICE COORDINATION and CONSULTATION – with other institutions and organisations

• Participate in the co-ordination of activities with external stakeholders to ensure the success of the projects

INTERNAL MANAGEMENT and COORDINATION – within the unit /department /Agency

• Represent the unit in contacts with other units and departments of the Agency.
• Coordinate specific horizontal activities within the unit, departments, and Agency.
• Contribute to administrative development of the management process within the unit.
• Coordinate activities of the unit with other services to respond to inter-service consultations.
• Reply to requests for information from the hierarchy and other services within the Commission, and prepare briefings.

POLICY DEVELOPMENT- Contribution to policy definition

• Contribute to the policy development by the parent DG by providing timely feedback and reporting on project implementation and results.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION (general) – Public information (communication and networking)

• Extract and disseminate the state of the art as well as project and programme results and present these at workshops, seminars, conferences and other public events organised either by the Agency, the European Commission or others.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT and EVALUATION – Project evaluation

• Ensure the analysis of the impact of the projects and provide feedback.
• Ensure the effective dissemination and take up of project results.

Qualifications and experience required

A. Eligibility criteria

• Have successfully passed a CAST in the function group for which you are applying* OR be registered in a CAST Permanent Call for Expression of Interest in function group FGIV ** by the deadline for application of the current vacancy;
• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma OR, when in a member state of the European Union access to a profession of an equivalent level to function group IV is by State examination, professional training or any other equivalent procedure, the authority authorised to conclude contract of employment may agree to recognize this qualification as being equivalent to a university degree;

• Thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Communities and a satisfactory knowledge of another EU language to the extent necessary to perform his/her duties.

* Candidates must be included in the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) database for contract agents in function group IV and have successfully passed the EPSO selection tests for that function group. Please note that candidates who are on a valid EPSO list published in 2010 (CAST2010) are eligible on the condition they have successfully passed the complementary tests (DB3), as an Annex to the selection procedure CAST2010. The candidates concerned are invited to consult the letter they received from EPSO for further information.

** In the context of the calls for expression of interest EPSO/CAST/P/2017 FGIV procedures[1] , your application will be considered only if you have completed and validated the online application form by the deadline for application to the current vacancy[2]. The pre-selected candidates will be requested by the Agency to undergo the EPSO computer-based reasoning tests. Only candidates that have successfully passed an EPSO CAST selection in FGIV will be invited for an interview.

In addition, in order to be eligible a candidate must:

• be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union;
• be entitled to his/her full rights as citizen;
• meet the appropriate character reference as to his/her suitability for the performance of his/her duties;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service, and;
• be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post.

Please note that only candidates that comply with the Eligibility criteria will be considered for further steps of the Selection procedure.

B. Selection criteria

Essential:

• At least 3 years of relevant professional experience* in one or more of following areas:

1. Manufacturing of renewable energy technologies and components, in particular  PV panels, batteries and energy storage technologies, and electrolysers;
2. Renewable energy installations (e.g. photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, tidal, wave, geothermal, wind, co-generation, renewable heating & cooling, hydro, bioenergy, alternative fuels included their uses in transport);
3. Energy storage (e.g. batteries, hydrogen production, conversion and use in industrial, transport or energy-related processes);
4. Carbon capture, transport, utilisation, and/or storage;
5. Low-carbon innovations in Energy-intensive industries covered by the Innovation Fund, in particular cement & lime, glass, ceramics & construction material, pulp & paper.

• Very good oral and written command of English (C1).

Advantageous:

• A university degree in one or more of the following technical areas: Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Energy, Environmental Science, Environmental economics or other related areas including management of information systems or data processing in connection with low-carbon technologies
• Life-cycle analysis and monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions in the sectors covered by the Innovation Fund
• Understanding of the frameworks and procedures of the Innovation Fund;
• Professional project management experience
• Experience working with demonstration projects, including their financial engineering.

Personal qualities essential for the position (evaluated during the interview):

• High degree of organisational skills and ability to work under pressure;
• Good interpersonal and communication skills;
• Proven ability to work as a team member;
• Ability to appreciate and follow priorities.

Candidates are requested to clearly state in their motivation letter which one of the five fields mentioned in the above job description under selection criteria they are applying to.

After having been preselected by the Selection Committee, the Agency will invite for an interview the best candidates that have successfully passed an EPSO CAST in the relevant function group, with a maximum of 30 candidates invited to the interview.

Appointment and conditions of employment

The jobholder will be assigned on the basis of a shortlist proposed by the selection committee.

The jobholder will be recruited as contract staff, in function group IV, pursuant to Article 3a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities (CEOS).

The basic monthly salary within this function group will depend on the number of years of relevant professional experience at appropriate level (in function group IV, either grade 13, grade 14 or grade 16).

The jobholder will serve a probation period of nine months.

The initial contract will be for a duration of 1 year. Afterwards, the contract may be renewed for 1 additional year. If the contract is renewed again, it shall be concluded for an indefinite period.

The place of employment will be Brussels where the Agency has its activities.

For reasons related to the Agency’s operational requirements, the candidate will be required to be available at short notice.

For further information on the legal framework of contract agents see the web site of the Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security (DG HR) on the internet at

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:1962R0031:20140101:EN:PDF

Equal opportunities

The European Union institutions apply a policy of equal opportunities and accept applications without discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

Application procedure

For applications to be valid, candidates must submit:

• a detailed curriculum vitae, in EU CV format[3];
• a letter of motivation, including his/her views on the proposed position (2 pages maximum).

Candidates are requested to clearly state in their motivation letter which one of the five fields mentioned in the above job description under selection criteria they are applying to.

Your CAST application ID number, the reference of CAST call and the name of the post must be mentioned in your CV and motivation letter.

Please note that the motivation letter forms an essential basis for the pre-selection decision.

Applications must be submitted through the eRecruitment system on our website at

https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/about-us/job-opportunities_en

Closing date: Applications must be sent no later than 22 September 2023 midnight.

Supporting documents showing evidence of the provided information may be requested at a later stage. No document will be sent back to candidates.

Candidates are invited to apply in English to facilitate the selection process.

In no circumstances should candidates approach the Selection Committee themselves, either directly or indirectly concerning this recruitment. The authority habilitated to conclude contracts reserves itself the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards these instructions.

Selection procedure

Oral test (30 min)

Interview with the Selection Committee in English to assess:

• your suitability to carry out the duties of a Project Manager,
• your knowledge and experience in the field of Project management,
• your communication, inter-personal and problem-solving skills,
• your general knowledge about the CINEA and related policies,
• your motivation and your ability to adjust to working as a Contractual Agent in a multicultural environment.

This test will be marked out of 100 (pass mark: 60).

Applicants receiving the minimum score and above (60 out of 100), will be included in a reserve list of suitable candidates.  Please note that inclusion in the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment.

The Agency may have a second interview with the candidates in the reserve list. If the recruitment unit/department considers that writing skills need to be tested, a written test could be included in the procedure as part of the second interview.  The test would not be scored and will be used as an additional source of information for taking the final decision on the candidate to be recruited.

Information to candidates

An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to all candidates by email to confirm the reception of their application.

All candidates will be informed in due time about the status of their application, i.e. whether they are invited for the selection phase described above or not. These notifications will be sent via email only.

A candidate may request clarifications about the processing of his/her application by sending an email quoting the reference of the vacancy notice concerned, to the following address: [email protected]

 

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