Operator at the Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC)

Vacancy details

Contract Agent EUSPA/2021/CA/002
FGIV Saint-Germain-en-Laye / France
09.09.2021 11:59 AM (GMT+2) 22.09.2021 11:59 AM
5 yes
2021/2022 31.12.2022
GSMC GSMC Operations Manager
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 EUSPA 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. EUSPA AND THE GALILEO SECURITY MONITORING CENTRE (GSMC)

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) provides safe and secure European satellite navigation services, promotes the commercialization of Galileo, EGNOS, and Copernicus data and services and coordinates the EU’s forthcoming governmental satellite communications programme GOVSATCOM. EUSPA is responsible for the security accreditation of all the EU Space Programme components. By fostering the development of an innovative and competitive space sector and engaging with the entire EU Space community, EUSPA contributes to the European Green Deal and digital transition, the safety and security of the Union and its citizens, while reinforcing its autonomy and resilience.

You will be joining a dynamic and operational EU Agency and have the opportunity to work with colleagues from a broad array of different backgrounds and expertise all contributing to one of the most important and ambitious projects ever undertaken by the EU. We are committed to implement the EU Space Programme and turn the EU space ambitions into a reality. For more information on the EUSPA and the EU Space Programme, click here.

The Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) is an integral part of the Galileo infrastructure responsible for monitoring and responding to security threats and alerts, and the overall operational status of systems components. For Public Regulated Services (PRS), the Centre is the interface with governmental entities for access management. The GSMC also supports the European External Action Service on the security of systems and services deployed, operated and used under the Union Space Programme which may affect the security of the Union.

The GSMC is currently composed of four teams (operational, engineering, facility management and security) working together under the leadership of the Head of GSMC in the following locations:

  • GSMC Master site – Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France;
  • GSMC Backup site – San Martín de la Vega, Community of Madrid, Spain.

2. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The GSMC Operator will be a member of the team ensuring the 24/7 shifts responsible for:

  • The Galileo system and security status monitoring by taking action against security threats and alerts;
  • The provision of PRS access service to the Competent PRS Authorities in Member States;
  • The implementation of Council decision (CFSP) 2021/698 of 30 April 2021 on the security of systems and services deployed, operated and used under the Union Space Programme which may affect the security of the Union.

The GSMC Operator will have the following main tasks and responsibilities:

  • Supervising the security and system status of the Galileo system, handling Incidents and security alerts raised by the GSMC security tools, operating the GSMC Ticketing System to log and trace the full incident handling process, in line with the operational procedures;
  • Ensuring the timely execution of PRS procedures (distribution, requests and orders), supervising the Galileo system PRS Signal in Space health status and ensuring duly authorised access, providing advice to Member States on the operation of the PRS, including providing advice on how to achieve their goals;
  • When needed, contributing to provision of advice on the continuity of services, including on actions required to maintain the service, to the EU decision-making bodies, supporting Galileo Crisis Management and implementing the instructions issued by the relevant authorities;
  • Investigating any degradation of the PRS and SECMON service and processing Galileo system anomalies;
  • Ensuring that the GSMC Service Desk functions are delivered;
  • Supporting at basic level the Galileo Security Facility (GSF) system;
  • Supporting the improvement of the Security Monitoring, PRS access and Council Decision 496 operational procedures development;
  • Supporting the validation of the new releases of operational equipment;
  • Participating and contributing to the review and update of the incident handling process, the lessons learnt process, and the GSMC risk and vulnerability management.

The jobholder will be required to work as part of a 24/7 shift working and on-call duty roster in line with the EUSPA’s applicable rules.

He/she will be required to be trained and certified in his/her operational role and will be required to maintain his/her certification as part of the ongoing duties.

Prior to certification and shift operations, the role will be primarily a normal ‘day-time’ job contributing to the development of GSMC operations.

Besides the formal internal certification training, the job holder will participate to industry recognised external training in order to acquire or maintain the technical competencies required for this position.

Frequent missions and possible detachment to GSMC Backup site (Madrid, Spain), and occasional travel to Brussels (Belgium) and Prague (Czech Republic) are foreseen for this post.

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. Be a national of a Member State of the European Union
  3. Be entitled to his or her full rights as citizen
  4. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service
  5. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved6
  6. Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the European Union7 and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the European Union to the extent necessary for the performance of his/her duties
  7. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post8

Contract agents from EUSPA and other EU agencies are also invited to apply in accordance with the following EUSPA rules: https://www.euspa.europa.eu/simplecount_pdf/tracker?file=conditions_of_employment_of_contract_staff_ca.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] Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a Police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record. [7] 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. [8] 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. 

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 a relevant field (e.g. engineering, physics, mathematics or other exact sciences);
  2. Professional experience in handling security incidents and/or service deliveries in line with established operational procedures / processes, preferably gained in an international environment;
  3. Experience in processing reported anomalies or service degradation within a complex system;
  4. Excellent command of both written and spoken English;

Advantageous criteria

  1. Experience and/or knowledge of operation in a space system;
  2. Experience in executing procedures related to the use or management of cryptographic devices;
  3. Previous experience in working with classified information and preferably holding Personnel Security Clearance at or above SECRET UE level;
  4. Experience in working on 24/7 shifts or on on-call;

Behavioural competencies

  1. Motivation;
  2. Excellent communication skills;
  3. Working well with others;
  4. Ability to manage stress, prioritise and take appropriate and timely decisions.

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: October 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@euspa.europa.eu

 

6. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

In order to be considered for this position, candidates need to create an account by registering via the EUSPA 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@euspa.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@euspa.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 salary9 and, where applicable, additional allowances10, paid on a monthly basis and reimbursements11, 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 post12. The sum of usual social deductions from salary at source is subtracted from the weighted amount13. The full pay is exempted from the national income tax, but is subject to the internal income tax and the solidarity levy14.

Examples of net monthly salaries (as currently applicable in Saint Germain-en-Laye) are presented below:

FG IV 13 (less than 5 years of work experience after the relevant diploma)15
a) Minimum final net salary (without any allowances) b) Final net salary with expatriation and shift allowance c) Final net salary with expatriation, shift, household and 1 dependent child allowance
3,615.72 EUR 5,143.56 EUR  6,193.20 EUR

 

FG IV 14 (more than 5 years of work experience after the relevant diploma)15
a) Minimum final net salary (without any allowances) b) Final net salary with expatriation and shift allowance c) Final net salary with expatriation, shift, household and 1 dependent child allowance
3,909.42 EUR 5,657.20 EUR 6,732.46 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 EUSPA 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 EUSPA may be transferred into the EU pension system.

EUSPA’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

EUSPA 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. 

EUSPA 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 and interagency mobility, EUSPA and the selected candidate shall conclude a contract of employment in accordance with the EUSPA rules: https://www.euspa.europa.eu/simplecount_pdf/tracker?file=conditions_of_employment_of_contract_staff_ca.pdf

 


[9] As per Articles 92 and 93 CEOS. [10] 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 EUSPA has an agreement with (currently more than 18 international schools in the Czech Republic and Spain, and accredited European Schools in France and in the Netherlands); Expatriation allowance (16% of the sum of basic salary and other applicable allowances); Shift allowance: The on-shift operators are regularly required to work in three shifts, one of them at night, and including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Therefore, operators are entitled to an on-shift allowance laid down in Article 56a of the Staff Regulations. The allowance is calculated in line with the terms and conditions laid down in Council Regulation No 300/76. The allowance corresponds to the amount laid down in the fourth indent of Article 1(1) of that Regulation. The on-shift allowances are €946.38 per month, subject to correction coefficient and taxation. The shift allowance will be paid only after the inclusion in the GSMC shift roster (subject to successfully obtaining the internal certification). [11] 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 (e.g. EUR 43.11 for up to 10 months or EUR 34.76 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). [12] Currently correction coefficients for the EUSPA 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 in December, with retroactive effect from 1 July. [13] Pension (10.10%); health insurance (1.70%); accident cover (0.10%); unemployment insurance (0.81%). [14] Currently: income tax: tax levied progressively at a rate of between 8% and 45% of the taxable portion of the salary; solidarity levy: 6%. [15] Please 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.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/privacy_statement_selection_and_recruitment_2019.pdf