Council of Europe, Strasbourg
Director of Human Rights and Antidiscrimination (Grade A6) - Directorate General of Democracy (DG II)
Deadline for applications: 15 November 2012

Job mission
Under the authority of the Director General of Democracy, the incumbent will provide leadership to, and ensure efficient management of the Directorate of Human Rights and Antidiscrimination in the Directorate General of Democracy, in compliance with Council of Europe values and priorities.

 

Key activities

The incumbent will ensure the following duties:
• Contributes to the development and achievement of the Directorate’s policies and objectives in accordance with the mandate of the Directorate General;
• Defines objectives of the Directorate in consultation with the Director General;
• Plans, formulates, implements and reports on policies and programmes in the field of Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination in accordance with general priorities and policies;
• Ensures administrative support to the statutory and intergovernmental bodies operating in these fields;
• Provides leadership and guidance to the Directorate’s staff in cooperation with subordinate line managers;
• Manages financial and human resources allocated to the Directorate including Joint Programmes with the EU, in close collaboration with the relevant management bodies;
• Promotes transversality by establishing and maintaining cooperation with other bodies/sectors, including the Secretariats of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe;
• Supervises the preparation of documents submitted to the Committee of Ministers;
• Establishes and maintains contacts with governments, civil society actors including sport organisations, international organisations, private sponsors and other relevant bodies/institutions;
• Increases the internal and external visibility of the Directorate and its topics;
• Undertakes official journeys and/or participates in field missions in connection with activities described above.

Competencies and skills
Vision of international affairs: Vision and strategic insight; awareness of the international political, economic, social and cultural context; organisational awareness.

Managerial skills: Leadership; management of teams, resources, processes and projects;  coaching of others; influence and authority.

Qualifications: University degree or equivalent preferably in political or social sciences, law or another relevant field.

Professional experience: At least 12 years of professional experience at the level of, or equivalent to, that of an Administrator (category A) at the Council of Europe, including management, conceptual and research duties in one or more of the following fields:

• Experience in international and multilateral co-operation, and the corresponding working methods;
• Profound insight and wide experience in the Directorate’s fields of activity;
• Wide experience in managing financial resources and motivating human resources at a senior level, preferably in an international context;
• Conceptual thinking at a strategic level.

Interpersonal skills: Relationship-building and networking at the political, diplomatic and administrative levels, negotiating skills.

Communication and linguistic skills: Highly-developed and persuasive communication skills; very good knowledge of both Council of Europe’s official languages (English and French); listening and presentation skills in both languages.

Personal attitudes: Initiative and responsibility; result orientation and concern for continuous improvement; concern for quality and efficiency; adaptability; self-management and development; organisational alignment.

Personal values: Integrity; loyalty; commitment and conscience; discretion; independence and confidence; respect for diversity.

Additional information on the organisation and the Directorate of Human Rights and Antidiscrimination can be found here.
 
Applications
Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system. By connecting to our website, you can create and submit your on-line application. Applications must be submitted by 15 November 2012 (midnight Central European Time) at the latest. After the preliminary selection has been made, candidates for senior management posts (grades A6 and A7) at the Council of Europe will be subject to a competency assessment. Candidates may be invited to attend interviews.
The appointed candidate must be a national of a Council of Europe member State. In accordance with the Staff Regulations of the Council of Europe, staff shall retire on reaching the age of 65. The Council of Europe aims at filling the post, if possible, as from 1 January 2013.

A summary of the employment conditions applicable to this type of post and information on the living and working environment in Strasbourg can be found here.