Nederlandse Grondwet:
Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian-speaking Secretarial Assistants

Job Mission

Under the authority of the Registrar of the Court and a Head of a Legal Division, the incumbent will provide a variety of secretarial support in compliance with general guidelines and priorities and with a concern for quality, efficiency and accuracy.

Key Activities

The incumbent performs the following activities:

· processes judgments, minutes, decisions and other documents of the Court in the official language (English or French) in which the post-holder is more competent;

· drafts and formats standard correspondence in one of the official languages and in Serbian, Bosnian or Croation, prepares correspondence according to the appropriate instructions;

· uses applications database;

· answers telephone requests for information;

· handles and files mail and documents;

· keeps up files, lists, databases and statistics related to the cases;

· receives and guides visitors and applicants.

Competencies

· Professional and technical competencies:

o completed secondary education followed by a vocational qualification in secretarial/administrative studies or similar;

o professional expertise: two years’ experience of secretarial duties;

o ICT skills: can use proficiently current office applications and databases;

o planning and work organisation;

o information seeking.

· Interpersonal skills: service orientation, team-work and co-operation.

· Communication and linguistic skills: listening and communication skills; excellent knowledge of Serbian, Bosnian or Croatian (mother tongue level); ability to read and write Serbian, Bosnian or Croatian; ability to read and write in Latin and in Cyrillic alphabets; very good knowledge of one official language of the Council of Europe (English preferably), basic knowledge of the other official language of the Council of Europe would be an advantage.

· Personal attitudes: initiative and responsibility, result orientation and sense of continuous improvement, concern for quality, efficiency and accuracy, adaptability, self-management and development, organisational alignment.

· Personal values: integrity, loyalty and conscience, discretion, independence and confidence, respect for diversity.

Additional Information

The Organisation

The Council of Europe is a political organisation founded in 1949 in order to promote greater unity between its members. It now numbers 47 member States. The Organisation’s main aims are to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to develop common responses to political, social, cultural and legal challenges in its member States. Since 1989 it has integrated most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and supported them in their efforts to implement and consolidate their reforms.

The Council of Europe has its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg (France). By Statute, it has two constituent organs: the Committee of Ministers, composed of the member States’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and the Parliamentary Assembly, comprising delegations from the national parliaments. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe represents the entities of local and regional self-government within the member States. The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body competent to adjudicate complaints brought against a state by individuals, associations or other contracting states on grounds of violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Applications

Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system. By connecting to our website http://www.coe-recruitment.com you can create and submit your on-line application. Applications must be submitted by 18 May 2012 (midnight Central European Summer Time) at the latest.

Additional Information

The recruitment procedure consists of three stages: preliminary selection, written examination and interview with the Appointments Board.

Depending on the number of applicants, the Appointments Board reserves the right to raise the length of the required professional experience.

Appointments will be made at grade B1 or B2, depending on the professional experience of the candidate. The first year of employment will constitute a probationary period. The compulsory retirement age is 65.

Following this competition, a reserve list of successful candidates, in order of merit, may be established. It will be notified to the applicants concerned. This list will be valid for two years with the possibility of extending it to a maximum of four years. During the period of validity of the reserve list, candidates on the list may be offered employment of indefinite or fixed-term duration, should a permanent post or a fixed-term position corresponding to candidates’ qualifications become vacant. It should be noted that placement on a reserve list does not give candidates the right to an appointment within the Council of Europe. Moreover, the choice of candidates from a reserve list is not only made solely according to the order of merit.

The total length of employment under fixed-term contracts will not exceed five years.

Details on conditions of employment including salaries, allowances, pension scheme and social insurance can be consulted on our recruitment website.

Under its equal opportunities policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve parity in the number of women and men employed in each category and grade. In the event of equal merit, preference will therefore be given to the applicant belonging to the under-represented sex (at the time of the appointments Board making its recommendation).

The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.

During the different stages of the recruitment procedure, specific measures may be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities.

(External recruitment procedure organised in accordance with Article 15 of the Regulations on Appointments)