Team Leader - Social Protection GVG - Gesellschaft für Versicherungswissenschaft und -gestaltung Brussels, Belgium

Team Leader - Social Protection

GVG - Gesellschaft für Versicherungswissenschaft und -gestaltung

Brussels, Belgium

The EU-funded programme SOCIEUX Social Protection European Union Expertise in Development Cooperationis looking for a Team Leader with strong experience in social protection issues as from March 2016.

Duration of assignment: Full-time assignment, limited until 31.12.2016 (10 months) – Potential for continuation within the second phase of the programme as from 2017.

1) Introduction

“SOCIEUX – Social Protection EU Expertise in Development Cooperation“ (http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/socieux) is a technical assistance facility set up and funded by the European Commission’s Directorate for International Cooperation and Development (EuropeAid) to support the efforts of low and middle income countries worldwide in the reform, development and extension of their social protection systems. Being demand-driven, SOCIEUX works through short-term and peer-to-peer technical inputs delivered by social protection experts/practitioners drawn primarily from the European Union Member States’ public administrations and mandated bodies. SOCIEUX contributes to implementing the Communication on Social Protection in EU Development Cooperation (August 2012) and its subsequent Council Conclusions.

EuropeAid plans to extend the duration of the first phase of SOCIEUX (ending on 1st April 2016) until the end of the year 2016. The current holder of the Team Leader position will not be available anymore for this extension period; SOCIEUX is therefore looking for a replacement of the current Team Leader for the duration of the programme extension. As it is also planned by EuropeAid to continue the programme beyond 2016 within the frame of an enlarged technical assistance facility for employment and social protection affairs, there is potential for the new Team Leader to pursue his assignment for a period of 4 years in the frame of a new contract as from 2017.

SOCIEUX is implemented on behalf of EuropeAid by a consortium of four German (GIZ), French (Expertise France) and Spanish (FIIAPP) partner institutions led by the German Association for Social Security Policy and Research (GVG e.V.). GVG (www.gvg.org) is a non-profit association based in Cologne/Germany, founded in 1947, dealing with issues of social security and social policy both at national and international level. GVG’s members are the institutions and individuals who have been actively shaping the German social protection system. GVG has been involved in multilateral and bilateral cooperation, institutional building and project management on social policy issues at international level for more than 20 years.

The SOCIEUX office with its European team of 5 staff members is located in Brussels/Cologne. Nearby the team leader the team consists of a Programme Officer, a Communication & Logistics Officer, a Finances & Contracts Officer (based in Cologne) & an Associated Programme Officer.

2) Description of tasks:

Under the supervision of the Programme Director located at GVG’s headquarters in Cologne/Germany, the Team Leader will take over following duties:

• Overall responsibility for daily management of the programme;
• Management, guidance and supervision of the SOCIEUX team in daily programme implementation;
• Responsibility for the processing of requests for technical assistance (TA) submitted by institutions of partner countries within the frame of fixed procedures and deadlines. This responsibility is shared with other team members, in particular the Programme Officer according to geographical areas and knowledge of foreign languages. This involves:
• Analysis and fine-tuning of requests in consultation with the requesting institution, EU Commission services and external donors;
• Formulation and development of individual TA actions for submission of approval by EU Commission services;
• Identification and mobilisation of experts;
• Coordination and preparation of implementation of individual TA actions in liaison with involved experts and beneficiary institutions (with support of other team members);
• Monitoring, evaluation and follow-up of TA actions;
• Coordination of further development/revisions of the programme’s procedures and tools where necessary (including the IT based Project Management Tool);
• Liaison with external stakeholders and contribution to the implementation of communication and visibility activities of the programme;
• Preparation of and participation to monthly meetings with the EU Commission and meetings of the Programme Steering Committee (every 6 months);
• Responsible for programme reporting towards the EU Commission (elaboration of quarterly/final reports) according to deadlines.

The described tasks involve the necessity to network and interact with a multiplicity of institutions from EU and third countries, EU Commission services and external donors and require readiness and ability to travel abroad when necessary.

3) Profile:

Education:

University degree in social sciences, economics, public health or other relevant fields. A postgraduate degree in social protection related issues would be an asset.

Professional experience and skills:

• Minimum of 10 years' professional experience including:
• working on a relevant social protection field (e.g. pensions, social assistance, health insurance, etc.) in an EU public administration or in middle income and/or low income countries;
• experience as team leader of development cooperation projects providing policy advice & capacity building (incl. peer-to-peer exchanges among civil servants) on social protection (social assistance, social insurance, contributory & non-contributory, basic social services);
• Good knowledge/experience of institutional environment in the field of social protection in several EU countries;
• Good project management skills. Familiarity with the EU Commission's administrative, project management and financial procedures would be an advantage;
• Ability to accommodate cultural differences and to interact effectively with people of different cultures; diplomatic nature;
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills; excellent leadership competences;
• Fluency in English and French is required;
• Full command of standard computer applications (Microsoft Office).

Additional assets:

• Knowledge and experience in employment/labour issues;
• Additional good working knowledge of Spanish.

4) Application/expression of interest:

Applications (motivation letter + CV including references) in English language can be sent by mail to the Programme Director, Ms Bélorgey at GVG (n.belorgey@gvg.org) until 30.09.2015. More detailed information on the SOCIEUX programme will be provided upon application.