APPLICATIONS OPEN! Experts In Technical Support & Schengen Acquis EPSO Competition

The European Commission, with the support of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) has just released an official Notice of Competition calling forward applications from specialists to join the team as Experts in Technical Support to Member States’ Structural Reforms and Experts in the Schengen Acquis at the European Commission, as AD7 level Administrators in Brussels.

Below we explore the specifics of this competition and the selection process that you will need to undertake.

Getting ready for this competition?
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To help candidates get up to speed with all the ins-and-outs of this competition, EU Training held a FREE 2021 Experts in Technical Support & Schengen Acquis EPSO Exams - Information Webcast​ on 9 April where we discussed all the key elements of this competition and how best to prepare for each stage. 

Competition Snapshot

• Open for Applications: 8 April, 2021
• Application Deadline: 11 May, 2021 (12-noon Brussels Time)
• Grades: AD7
• This competition covers two fields - you may only apply to one
• This competition includes a Talent Screener
• Posts will be based in Brussels

Under this competition, the following two reserve lists have been advertised, from which the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, and the
Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs may recruit new members:

Field: Experts in Technical Support to Member States’ Structural Reforms
The Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support will be the main recruiter for this field of the competition. Recruited experts will be in charge of the design, implementation and evaluation of technical support projects, with the aim of supporting administrative and structural reforms in Member States, in the following areas/sectors of expertise: public administration, judicial system, financial sector, public revenue administration, expenditure management, business environment, energy and climate sector, environment sector, education sector, health sector, social welfare systems, and/or digitalisation. These experts will be expected to be immediately operational and to demonstrate a high level of expertise in the reform of one or more of the previously listed areas/sectors. 

Field: Experts in the Schengen Acquis
The Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs will be the main recruiter for this field of the competition. Recruited experts will have to demonstrate relevant legal, policy or practical expertise and knowledge, and will be in charge of the design, implementation and evaluation of the Schengen acquis in Member States, with the aim of reinforcing the legal and policy framework in place, in the following areas/sectors of expertise: integrated border management, external border management, police cooperation in the field of implementation of the Schengen acquis, visa policy, large-scale information systems for border, migration and security (their interoperability and automation of border controls), and/or migration management sector (including return). These ‘Schengen experts’ will be expected to be immediately operational and to demonstrate a high level of expertise in one or more of the previously listed areas/sectors. They will also be expected to carry out frequent missions to the Member States to perform on-site evaluations or to participate in meetings with Member States and EU agencies.

ANNEX I of the Notice of Competition expands on the duties to be performed. 

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates will need to satisfy the following:

• Have EU citizenship
• Fulfilled any military service requirements
• Meet the character requirements for the duties concerned
• Have knowledge of at least TWO official EU languages:
  
  • Language 1: Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the 24 official EU languages - will be defined as your Language 1.
  • Language 2: Have a good command (minimum B2 level) of either English OR French and MUST BE different to your Language 1 choice - will be defined as your Language 2.

Qualifications & Work Experience

1. Completed university studies of at least 4 years attested by a diploma. Plus a minimum of 6 years of professional experience directly related to the duties of the chosen field as indicated in Annex I. OR
2. Completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma. Plus a minimum of 7 years of professional experience directly related to the duties of the chosen field as indicated in Annex I.

Please consult ANNEX IV of the Notice of Competition for examples of minimum qualifications.  

Selection Process

IMPORTANT: You can complete your application in any of the 24 official EU languages, BUT your Talent Screener MUST BE completed in your chosen Language 2 (English or French)​.

1. PRE-SELECTION COMPUTER-BASED TESTS

This phase of the competition is made up of a series of computer-based multiple-choice reasoning tests. If the number of candidates exceeds a certain threshold, this exam will be held at the start of the competition process otherwise it will be held at the Assessment Centre phase.

• The results of the computer-based MCQ tests are eliminatory and will not be taken into account in your final overall marks.
• However, you must reach the minimum pass mark in all tests and get one of the highest scores in order to move on to the next stage of the competition.

2. ELIGIBILITY CHECK

EPSO will check the data provided by each candidate via their online application against the eligibility requirements of this competition. Remember that you can fill out your application in any of the 24 Official EU languages - except for the Talent Screener, which needs to be completed in your chosen Langauge 2 (English or French). 

If the computer-based multiple-choice reasoning tests take place at the beginning of the selection process, eligibility will be checked in descending order of the overall marks obtained during this exam until the number of eligible candidates reaches a certain threshold defined before the tests take place.

3. TALENT SCREENER

You MUST complete your Talent Screener in Language 2 - English OR French.

The selection board assigns a weighting to each selection criterion and based on the information provided in the Talent Screener each candidate will receive a score. Only those candidates with the highest overall marks will go through to the next stage. Therefore, you should include all relevant information in your Talent Screener answers, even if you have already mentioned it in other sections of your application form. The questions are based on the selection criteria included in this notice - see ANNEX II for the list of criteria.

Getting this part wrong can easily jeopardise your chances of moving through to the next stage of the selection process - which you don't want to risk. To better understand how the EPSO Talent Screener works it is advised that you view this webinar recording - Everything You Need To Know About EPSO's Talent Screener.

Need help with your EPSO application or Talent Screener?
Take a look at our Application Assistance service

4. ASSESSMENT CENTRE

Those who scored the highest marks in the Talent Screener will be invited to the Assessment Centre. A maximum of 3 times the number of successful candidates sought via this competition will be invited to this phase.

You will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre (online or in-person) over one or several days and will need to be completed in your chosen Language 2. (Further details and instructions will be included in your invitation letter.)

8 general competencies, as well as field-related competencies required for such roles, will be tested through 5 tests:​

1. Case Study
2. General Competency-based Interview
3. Situational Competency-Based Interview (SCBI)
4. Field-Related Interview
5. Written test in the field

Each general competency will be awarded a mark out of 10, with a total pass mark required of 40/80. 

In addition to this, the Field-Related Interview will require a minimum pass mark of 25/50, and the Written Test In The Filed a minimum pass mark of 25/50.

5. RESERVE LIST

After checking candidates’ supporting documents, the selection board will draw up a Reserve List of eligible candidates who obtained the highest overall score, until the number of successful candidates sought is reached.

How Can You Apply?

Make sure to ALWAYS check the official Notice of Competition and understand the rules relating to the exams. For full details on this selection procedure read the official Notice of Competition and the General Rules Governing Open Competitions to ensure you have the required qualifications and satisfy the eligibility criteria before applying. 

To start the application process, click below for the different fields:

• Experts in Technical Support to Member States’ Structural Reforms

• Experts in the Schengen Acquis

Are You New to EPSO Competitions? 

EU Training offers a wealth of practice materials for all stages and levels of the EU institutions’ selection exams.

Check out our FREE E-books, webinars, webcasts and e-learning materials to help you excel.

If you have a question or need additional help in understanding the EPSO processes, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Want to see what these EPSO Pre-Selection exams look like? 
Try our FREE EPSO Exam Demo

Unsure how the EPSO selection process works? 
View our short video - ‘New To EPSO Competitions’

Useful reading:

How To Make The Most Of Your EPSO Talent Screener

The Motivation Challenge - What To Write In Your EPSO Application?

13 Best EPSO Preparation Resources - Free and Paid

What EU Job Applicants Should Always Keep in Mind

6 Reasons Why EU Exam Candidates Fail

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