Product Assurance and RAMS Officer

Vacancy details

Temporary Agent GSA/2021/AD/018
AD6 Prague / Czech Republic
03.06.2021 11:59 AM (GMT+2) 17.06.2021 11:59 AM
5 yes
2021 31.12.2021
Project Control Head of Department / Team Leader
SECRET UE / EU SECRET

[1] The place of employment is subject to changes in the interest of the service and always under due consideration of the Staff Member’s interests.

[2] Possibility of renewal for a fixed period and a further renewal for an indefinite period on the conditions set out in the Staff Regulations and in the Conditions of Employment for Other Servants

[3] The organisational department and the hierarchical reporting line may change in line with the developments of the GSA and department’s organisation.

[4] The successful candidate must hold a valid personnel security clearance at the level defined above or be able and willing to apply for it immediately after the contract signature. The procedure for obtaining a personnel security clearance shall be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate. Description of the EU classified information levels is available here.

1. GSA AND THE PROJECT CONTROL DEPARTMENT

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is responsible for the operations and service provision for the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) EGNOS and Galileo. By developing a new generation of GNSS, Europe is laying the foundation for new high-technology industry development, leading to job creation and economic growth.

With the introduction of the new Space Regulation, expected to enter into force this year, the Agency will transform into European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). We will expand the scope of our activities beyond Galileo and EGNOS, to other exciting projects, such as “Copernicus” for Earth Observation, GOVSATCOM for Governmental Space Communications and Space Situational Awareness (SSA). The entry into force of the Regulation and the change of name the Agency will not affect possible employment relationships entered into by the GSA before such entry into force. For more information on the Agency and the European Space Programme, click here.

The Project Control (PC) Department is responsible for the implementation of various independent functions in support to the other GSA departments such as project control management, cost engineering, product assurance as well as configuration and documentation management.

The Product Assurance (PA) & Configuration Management Team (CCM) implements the Product and quality assurance, as well as the configuration and document management functions. The PA/CCM is a multi-site team, that provides an independent and transversal support to the Agency. The team members are located on various sites and are working in close coordination respective managed from Prague HQ. The team ensures synergies and continuous expertise in the areas of documentation management (CADM and DMS); baseline change management (Engineering Boards, CCB); product and quality assurance; software product assurance (SW-PA); reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS); review management; infrastructure configuration management; and support to corporate QMS / IMS maintenance and development and ISO certification.

2. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Agency is looking for a Product Assurance and RAMS Officer with solid experience in Product Assurance and RAMS activities for complex and/ or safety-critical systems. He/ She will ensure the implementation of the Product Assurance and RAMS activities required for the development and the delivery of European Space Services, including the procurement and approval of the underlying infrastructure.

The jobholder will become a member of the Project Control Department and will be located in the Agency’s Headquarter in Prague where the majority of the PC team members are located.

The Product Assurance and RAMS Officer will have the following main tasks and responsibilities:

  • Establish, implement and continuously improve the Agency’s PA/RAMS organisation, which can encompass the definition of specifications made applicable to activities subcontracted or delegated by the Agency;
  • Define, implement and follow-up dependability, reliability and availability programme, including maintenance and update of RAMS models and Review of RAMS analysis (e.g. Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis, Common Mode and Common cause);
  • Ensure business continuity of the PA & RAMS organisation support;
  • Control that the organisation, resources and planning are commensurate to the Service Level Agreement committed by internal and external stakeholders involved in the Infrastructure Procurement Processes and Service Provision delivery, in particular ILS KPIs (e.g. Turn Around Time, Time to React);
  • Ensure the maintenance and control of:
    • Qualification Status Lists;
    • Status of PA reviews;
    • Audits Status Reports;
    • List of Deviations and Waiver requests;
    • Non-conformances (minor and major) list;
    • Critical items list.
  • Liaise with other members of the Agency, as well as with external partners such as the European Commission, the European Space Agency or the European Aviation Safety Agency.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The selection procedure is open to applicants who satisfy the following eligibility criteria, on the closing date for application:

  1. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies5 of at least three years attested by a diploma
  2. Appropriate professional experience6 of at least three years after having obtained the required diploma
  3. Be a national of a Member State of the European Union       
  4. Be entitled to his or her full rights as citizen
  5. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service
  6. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved7
  7. Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the European Union8 and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the European Union to the extent necessary for the performance of his/her duties
  8. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post9

Temporary agents (2f) from EU agencies, in grade AD6 or AD7, are also invited to apply in accordance with the following GSA rules: https://www.gsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/conditions_of_employment_of_temporary_staff_ta.pdf


[5] Only study titles that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are subject to the equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration. Qualifications/diplomas awarded in the United Kingdom until 31/12/2020 are accepted without further recognition. For diplomas awarded in the United Kingdom after this date (from 01/01/2021), a NARIC recognition is required: https://www.enic-naric.net/  [6] Only appropriate professional experience acquired after achieving the minimum qualification stated in point 1. shall be considered. Where additional periods of training and study are accompanied by periods of professional activity, only the latter shall be considered as professional experience. Compulsory military service or equivalent civilian service accomplished after achieving the minimum qualification stated in point 1. shall be taken into consideration. Internships will be taken into consideration, if they are paid. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the percentage of full-time hours worked. A given period may be counted only once.  [7] Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a Police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record. [8] The languages of the EU are: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Irish, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish. [9] Before a successful candidate can be appointed, s/he will be medically examined by a selected medical service so that the Agency will be satisfied that s/he fulfils the requirement of Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulation of Officials of the European Communities.

4. SELECTION CRITERIA

All eligible applications, according to the afore-mentioned criteria, will be assessed against the requirements listed below solely based on the information provided by the candidates in their application. 

The Selection Board responsible for this selection will determine the criteria to be assessed in the various phases of the selection procedure (assessment of the application forms, interview and written test) prior to being granted access to the names of the applicants. All essential criteria will be assessed during the applications evaluation phase.

Non-compliance with any of the essential criteria may result in the exclusion of the candidate from the selection process. Advantageous criteria constitute additional assets and will not result in exclusion, if not fulfilled.

When filling the online application, candidates are expected to clearly include elements that demonstrate that their profile matches the requirements below.

Essential criteria

  1. University degree in the exact sciences, such as engineering, physics, mathematics or computer science;
  2. Experience in Product Assurance and RAMS activities;
  3. Excellent command of both written and spoken English;

Advantageous criteria

  1. Experience in the management of a Product Assurance organisation;
  2. Knowledge of certification and/or standardisation processes for safety of life critical systems;
  3. Experience in System and/or Software engineering;

Behavioural competencies

  1. Motivation;
  2. Excellent communication skills with ability to be concise on complex subjects;
  3. Solution-oriented mind-set and collaborative attitude;
  4. Negotiation skills;
  5. Ability to deliver quality results under pressure and prioritise tasks.

5. SELECTION PROCEDURE

The current vacancy aims to establish a reserve list.

A comprehensive description of the selection process is available here.

Indicative date for the interview and written test: June 2021. The date might be modified depending on the availability of the Selection Board members.

Candidates are strictly forbidden to make any contact with the Selection Board members, either directly or indirectly. Any infringement of this rule will lead to disqualification from the selection procedure.

Any questions regarding the selection procedure should be addressed only to: jobs@gsa.europa.eu

 

6. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

In order to be considered for this position, candidates need to create an account by registering via the GSA e-recruitment tool.

Only applications submitted via the e-recruitment tool will be accepted. Applications sent via email or post will not be taken into consideration.

Multiple applications received for the same position via different accounts will lead to the exclusion of the applicant from the selection procedure.

Important: the information provided by candidates in their online application constitutes the solely basis for the assessment of the eligibility and selection criteria. Therefore, they are invited to carefully read the requirements and to provide the relevant information in such detail that would allow this assessment. Particular attention should be paid to information on the education and professional experience, in particular exact dates, description of responsibilities and duties carried out. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure accurate and elaborate completion of the application form and avoidance of unclarities and typos.

All sections of the application should be completed in English in order to facilitate the selection procedure.

In order to be considered, applications must be received by the closing date indicated in the vacancy notice.

Candidates are advised to submit the application well ahead of the deadline in order to avoid potential problems during the final days before the closing date of applications’ submissions. The Agency cannot be held responsible for any last-minute malfunctioning of the e-recruitment tool due to heavy traffic on the website.

Any request for technical support must be sent to: jobs@gsa.europa.eu minimum two working days before the vacancy notice deadline. Please note, that if you submit your request for technical support later, we may not be able to assist you;

Please consult the e-recruitment guideline for instructions on completing the application.

Any questions regarding the selection procedure should be addressed only to: jobs@gsa.europa.eu

7. APPEAL PROCEDURE

If a candidate considers that he/she has been adversely affected by a particular decision, he/she can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union; submit a judicial appeal under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (ex Art. 236 of the EC Treaty) and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union; or make a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

Details on how to initiate these processes are available here.

8. SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

FINANCIAL ENTITLEMENTS

The remuneration consists of a basic salary10 and, where applicable, additional allowances11, paid on a monthly basis and reimbursements12, paid upon their evidenced occurrence.

The sum of the basic salary and the applicable additional allowances is weighted by the correction coefficient applicable for the location of the post13. The sum of usual social deductions from salary at source is subtracted from the weighted amount14. The full pay is exempted from the national income tax, but is subject to the internal income tax and the solidarity levy15.

Examples of net monthly salaries (as currently applicable in Czech Republic) are presented below:

AD 6 - Step 1 (less than 6 years of work experience)16
a) Minimum final net salary (without any allowances) b) Final net salary with expatriation allowance c) Final net salary with expatriation, household and 1 dependent child allowance
3,698.97 EUR 4,457.40 EUR 5,290.03 EUR

 

AD 6 - Step 2 (more than 6 years of work experience)16
a) Minimum final net salary (without any allowances) b) Final net salary with expatriation allowance c) Final net salary with expatriation, household and 1 dependent child allowance
3,834.64 EUR 4,624.93 EUR 5,468.64 EUR

 

LEAVE ENTITLEMENTS

Staff is entitled to annual leave of two working days per each complete calendar month of service plus additional days for the grade, age, home leaves for expatriates and an average of 16 GSA public holidays per year.

Special leave is granted for certain circumstances such as marriage, moving, elections, birth or adoption of a child, serious sickness of spouse, etc.

SOCIAL SECURITY

The pension scheme provides a very competitive pension after a minimum of 10 years of service and reaching the pensionable age. Pension rights acquired in one or more national schemes before starting to work at GSA may be transferred into the EU pension system.

GSA’s benefits include an attractive Health insurance: staff is covered 24/7 and worldwide by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS). Staff is insured against sickness, accident and occupational disease, and could be entitled to unemployment and to invalidity allowances.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND BENEFITS CONTRIBUTING TO WORK-LIFE BALANCE

GSA aims at creating and maintaining a supportive and healthy work environment that enables staff members to have balance between work and personal responsibilities, for example through flexible working time arrangements. 

GSA also offers a wide range of training courses to develop staff members’ personal skills and keep in touch with the latest developments in their field. The training and professional development opportunities are attuned to the career plan and requirements of the departments.

INTERNAL AND INTERAGENCY MOBILITY

In case of internal or interagency mobility, GSA and the selected candidate shall conclude a contract of employment in accordance with the GSA rules: https://www.gsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/conditions_of_employment_of_temporary_staff_ta.pdf


[10] As per Articles 92 and 93 CEOS. [11] Household allowance (e.g. if you have a dependent child or you are married and your spouse's income is below a defined threshold); Dependent child allowance (e.g. if you have a child under the age of 18 or between 18 and 26, if in specified training programme); Education allowances (in very specific cases) or Payment of the education fees applicable to the educational institutions GSA has an agreement with (currently more than 18 international schools in the Czech Republic and Spain, and European Schools in France and in the Netherlands); Expatriation allowance (16% of the sum of basic salary and other applicable allowances). [12] If staff member is requested to change the residence in order to take up duties, s/he will be entitled to: reimbursement of the travel costs; temporary daily subsistence allowance (EUR 44.28 for up to 10 months or EUR 35.71 for 120 days, if no dependents); installation allowance (depending on personal situation, 1 or 2 months of the basic salary – paid upon successful completion of the nine-month probationary period). [13] Currently correction coefficients for the GSA duty locations are: 85.2% for CZ, 120.5% for FR, 113.9% for NL, 94.2% for ES. The coefficient is updated every year, with retroactive effect from 1 July. [14]  Pension (10.10%); health insurance (1.70%); accident cover (0.10%); unemployment insurance (0.81%). [15] Currently: income tax: tax levied progressively at a rate of between 8% and 45% of the taxable portion of the salary; solidarity levy: 6%. [16] Kindly note that the numbers in examples b) and c) are indicative and net monthly remuneration varies depending on the personal, life and social situation of the incumbent. The various components of the remuneration are updated every year, with retroactive effect from 1 July.

9. COMMITMENT

Declaration of commitment to serve the public interest independently:

The jobholder will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in relation to any interest that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence.

The jobholder will be required to carry out his/her duties and conduct him/herself solely with the interests of the European Union in mind; he/she shall neither seek nor take instruction from any government, authority, organisation or person outside his/her institution. He/she shall carry out the duties assigned with objectivity, impartiality and loyalty to the European Union.

Commitment to promote equal opportunities:

The Agency is an equal opportunities employer and strongly encourages applications from all candidates who fulfil the eligibility and selection criteria without any distinction whatsoever on grounds of nationality, age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, gender or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or other family situation.

10. DATA PROTECTION

The personal data requested from applicants will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) N° 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, officers and agencies and on the free movement of such data (repealing Regulation (EC) N° 45/2001 and Decision N° 1247/2002/EC) and the applicable privacy statement which can be accessed here: https://www.gsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/privacy_statement_selection_and_recruitment_2019.pdf.