Executive Director

Executive Director

EIOPA - European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

STAFF VACANCIES¹

Ref. 202514TAAD14

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) is an independent European Union Authority established on 1 January 2011 by Regulation (EU) No. 1094/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010.

EIOPA is at the heart of insurance and occupational pensions in the EU. EIOPA’s mission is to protect the public interest by contributing to the short, medium and long-term stability, effectiveness and sustainability of the financial system for the Union’s economy, citizens and businesses. The mission is pursued by promoting a sound regulatory framework and consistent supervisory practices in order to protect the rights of policyholders, pension scheme members and beneficiaries and contribute to public confidence in the EU’s insurance and occupational pensions sectors.

EIOPA is part of the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) which includes the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB).

Further information on EIOPA is available on EIOPA’s website: https://www.eiopa.europa.eu/.

EIOPA is committed to fostering an inclusive and dynamic working environment, providing equal opportunities to all its employees and applicants. EIOPA actively welcomes applications from all qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds, without any distinction on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, marital status or family situation or sexual orientation.

EIOPA is inviting applications for a position as Executive Director.

We propose

The position of Executive Director of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA). The Executive Director is a fulltime independent professional, member of EIOPA staff, based in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). He/she will manage on a day-today basis the EIOPA activities, ensuring the achievement of the EIOPA objectives.

He/she shall be responsible for the implementation of the annual work programme and take the necessary measures to ensure the functioning of EIOPA, including managing and mitigating risks.

He/she will be accountable to the EIOPA Board of Supervisors and its Chairperson in particular and will report to the Board of Supervisors on an on-going basis on the development of the EIOPA activities, turning strategy into real life.

The Executive Director will be a role model of EIOPA values: independence, responsibility, efficiency, team spirit, integrity and transparency; and have a strong sense of initiative, self-motivation, flexibility and continuous learning.

The Executive Director may be removed from office only upon decision of the Board of Supervisors.

The Executive Director’s term of office shall be five years and may be extended once.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Main responsibilities

The Executive Director will be responsible for the day-to-day management of EIOPA. He/she will work in close cooperation with the EIOPA Chairperson. He/she shall be responsible for the tasks laid down in Art. 53 of EIOPA’s Founding Regulation, in particular:

• The management of the Authority and preparing the work of the Management Board;
• Preparing a multi-annual work programme and each year a work programme for the following year;
• Implementing the annual work programme of the Authority under the guidance of the Board of Supervisors and under the control of the Management Board;
• Drawing up a preliminary draft budget of the Authority and implementing the budget of the Authority, in full compliance with EU financial regulations;
• Exercising in respect to the Authority’s staff the powers laid down in art. 68 of the Founding Regulation acting as the appointing authority entitled to manage staff matters; (e.g. conclude contracts, deal with complaints, reclassification, etc.), playing a leading role in the high-performance culture and nurturing a transparent working atmosphere at EIOPA;
• Preparing each year a draft annual report;
• Preparing action plans following internal or external audits and reporting on progress;
• Taking the necessary measures, notably the adoption of internal administrative instructions and the publication of notices, to ensure the functioning of the Authority, in accordance with the EIOPA Regulation; and
• Representing EIOPA and managing a large number of stakeholders with potential diverging goals under strong political pressure.

REQUIREMENTS

1. Eligibility Criteria

Applicants will be considered for the pre-selection phase on the basis of the following formal eligibility criteria (to be fulfilled by the closing date for applications):

1.1 General

• Be a national of a Member State of the European Union²;
• Be entitled to his/her full rights as a citizen³;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the European Union⁴ and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the European Union;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post. Before the appointment, the successful candidate will be examined by one of the European Union medical centres in order to confirm that the candidate fulfils the requirements of Article 12(2)(d) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS) [physical fitness to perform the duties].

1.2 Specific

1.2.1 Qualifications

1. A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma⁵ when the normal period of university education is four years or more;
   or
2. A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma⁵ and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years (this one year’s professional experience cannot be included in the post graduate professional experience required below).

1.2.2 Professional experience

To qualify for the position a candidate must have at least 15 years of proven professional experience⁶, after completing the education as mentioned under 1.2.1., of which

• at least five years must have been acquired in the areas of EIOPA’s activities;
• at least 5 years of management experience which must have been acquired managing staff and budgets at a high level or working in management structures with a high level of responsibility⁷.

1.2.3 Knowledge of languages

For working purposes, as English is the working language of EIOPA⁸, an excellent knowledge of the English language, both written and spoken, is required⁹.

1.2.4 Age limit

To qualify for the position the candidate must be able to complete the full five-year mandate before reaching retirement age. For temporary staff of the European Union, retirement age is defined as being the end of the month in which the person reaches the age of 66.

2. Selection Criteria

In addition to the above, the following selection criteria will be used:

1. Thorough knowledge of the sectors of relevance for the activities of EIOPA and proven expertise in these areas;
2. Thorough understanding of the EU institutions and EU decision-making process, as well as European and international activities of relevance to the activities of EIOPA;
3. Proven capacity to take decisions, both at strategic and operational level;
4. Extensive experience of budgetary, financial and/or human resources management in a national, EU and/or international context;
5. Ability to lead and motivate a team including technical, administrative and support staff;
6. Work experience in a multicultural environment; and
7. Motivation for the advertised position.

Applications will be assessed based on the Eligibility and Selection criteria specified in parts 1 and 2.

For this position, the candidates are expected to fulfil the following competencies to be assessed during interviews:

1. Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly and present complex subjects simply, both orally and in writing, whether in public or in meetings with staff and internal or external stakeholders;
2. Excellent interpersonal skills, including the capacity to deal and negotiate with high level governmental representatives as well as financial market participants;
3. Strong sense of responsibility, integrity, initiative, self-motivation and commitment to work in the public interest and serve the EU as a whole.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

As a European Union Authority, EIOPA applies a policy of equal opportunities and takes care to avoid any form of discrimination in its recruitment procedures.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection procedure will include the following:

1. A Selection Committee will be established for this selection process. All the eligible candidates invited to pre-selection interviews shall be informed on the composition of the Selection Committee in the invitation to the pre-selection interview;
2. The Selection Committee will analyse application documents (curriculum vitae and motivation letter) of applicants with reference to the eligibility and selection criteria and will draw up a list of up to six candidates based on their merits and criteria set above. The candidates included in this list will be invited by the Selection Committee to the pre-selection interviews. The candidates preselected by the Selection Committee will also be invited to one day assessment centre for senior management roles;
3. Following the interviews and the results of the assessment of the managerial/leadership skills, the Selection Committee will adopt a shortlist of up to three most suitable candidates, which will be communicated to EIOPA Board of Supervisors. The inclusion on this shortlist does not guarantee appointment. Applicants should note that the shortlist may be made public, once it has been adopted by the Selection Committee;
4. The competent committee of the European Parliament will be informed of the composition of the pool of applicants for the position of Executive Director (number of applications, mix of professional skills, gender and nationality balance, etc.) and provided with the shortlist of candidates;
5. The up to three shortlisted candidates will then be invited to give a presentation on a pre-defined topic and will be interviewed by the EIOPA Board of Supervisors (15 minutes presentation and 45 minutes for questions from EIOPA Board of Supervisors and answers by the candidates, ensuring equal opportunities). The presentations and the interviews will take place on the same day. The topic of the presentation will be communicated in the invitation to presentation and interview with EIOPA Board of Supervisors;
6. Following the above procedure, the Board of Supervisors will adopt its selection decision, after confirmation by the European Parliament;
7. Candidates may be required to undergo further interviews and/or tests in addition to those indicated above;
8. In accordance with Articles 11 and 11a of the Staff Regulations (SR) and Article 11 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS) the successful candidates to be included in the shortlist will be required to make a declaration of the conflict of interest before the interview by the Board of Supervisors. In particular, the shortlisted candidates will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently (in accordance with Art. 52 of EIOPA Founding Regulation) in the public interest and to make a declaration in respect of any interests which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence which will be examined in accordance with EIOPA’s Ethics framework. Each applicant must confirm, in his/her declaration submitted with his/her application, his/her willingness to be compliant in case of s/he will be the successful candidate.

Please note that the Selection Committee's work and deliberations are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is strictly forbidden. Any contact made by the candidates or third parties in order to influence the members of the Selection Committee in relation to the selection constitutes grounds for disqualification from the selection procedure.

APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. Contract type, duration and starting date

The successful candidate will be appointed as a temporary agent 2 (a)¹⁰ on a fixed-term contract of five years with a probation period of nine months and the possibility of extension as provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1094/2010.

The Executive Director term is five years and may be extended once by the Board of Supervisors and taking into account the Board of Supervisors’ evaluation.

In line with the EIOPA’s Policy on the Identification and Management of Sensitive Post adopted by the Executive Director of EIOPA (EIOPA-18/308) in October 2018, this position is classified as sensitive and forms part of the sensitive posts inventory of the Authority.

The envisaged starting date is 1 April 2026.

2. Function group and grade

The successful candidate shall be appointed as a temporary agent 2 (a) at grade AD 14.

The details of the whole remuneration package are provided in Articles 62 – 70 and Annex VII to the Staff Regulations (SR). For more information, please refer to Careers - EIOPA.

3. Summary of the conditions of employment

Salaries are exempted from national tax; instead, a Union tax at source is paid.

• The correction coefficient applicable to the remuneration of officials and other servants under Article 64 of the Staff Regulations for Berlin, Germany shall apply;
• Depending on the individual family situation and the place of origin, staff members may be entitled to the following: expatriation allowance (16% of the basic salary), household allowance, dependent child allowance, education allowance, installation allowance and reimbursement of removal costs, initial temporary daily subsistence allowance, and other benefits;
• Annual leave entitlement - two days per calendar month plus additional days for age, grade, and 2.5 days of supplementary home leave granted to staff entitled to the expatriation allowance or foreign residence allowance;
• EU Pension Scheme (after 10 years of service);
• EU Joint Sickness and Insurance Scheme, accident and occupational disease insurance coverage, unemployment and invalidity allowance;
• Hybrid working environment;
• Travel insurance when travelling on missions.

4. Rights and obligations

Candidates are informed that, if they are appointed as EIOPA’s Executive Director, they shall comply with the ethical standards provided in Title II of the SR, including rules on independence, integrity and conflict of interests whilst on employment and after leaving EIOPA.

The Executive Director shall carry out his/her duties and conduct himself/herself solely with the interests of the Union in mind and independently of any interests, which might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence.

Particular attention is drawn to the fact that the person having served as EIOPA Executive Director will be bound¹³ to seek clearance from EIOPA (for two years after leaving EIOPA) before engaging in another occupational activity. If that activity is related to the work carried out during the last three years of service at EIOPA, and EIOPA is of the opinion that it could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of EIOPA, EIOPA can give its approval subject to any conditions it sees fit or forbid the activity for up to two years after leaving EIOPA. Activities that would put the EIOPA Executive Director in a situation of conflict of interests will not be authorised.

5. Place of employment

Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications including a curriculum vitae and a motivation letter, dated and signed must be submitted in English by 23:59 CET on 7 July 2025 by email to 202514TAAD14@eiopa.europa.eu. For additional information, check our Careers - EIOPA.

EIOPA will disregard any application received after the deadline. Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the last day to submit their applications, since heavy internet traffic or fault with the internet connection could lead to difficulties in submission. EIOPA cannot be held responsible for any delay due to such difficulties.

Only complete applications will be accepted and considered. In order for the application to be considered complete candidates must send all documents dated and signed before the deadline:

1. curriculum vitae clearly indicating (among all):
   • Qualifications (please list exact dates of your academic qualifications gained);
   • Responsibilities, experience and skills gained in previous positions (please list exact dates of your work experience gained)¹⁴;
   • Nationality/Citizenship;
   • Language skills; and
2. motivation letter of no more than two pages, explaining why you are interested in the post and what would be your added value you would bring to EIOPA if selected.

At this stage, please do not send supporting documents (copies of ID cards, passports, diplomas, etc.). Supporting documents must be submitted at a later stage of the procedure.

Candidates should assess and check before submitting their application whether they fulfil all the requirements as specified in the vacancy notice, particularly in terms of qualifications and relevant professional experience. These must be met by the deadline for submitting applications.

Professional experience indicated in the curriculum vitae are counted only from the time the candidate obtained the certificate or diploma required for the position and only if it is on paid basis (including study grants or internship grants). PhDs may be counted as professional experience if the candidates received a study grant or salary during the time of PhD studies. The maximum duration counted for PhD is three years provided that the PhD has been successfully concluded by the closing date for applications of the selection procedure.

Start and end dates of all previous positions and whether full time or part time work should be indicated in the curriculum vitae. Freelance or self-employed candidates must provide either a copy of the entry in the relevant trade register, or any official document (for example a tax return document) showing clearly the length of the relevant professional experience. Details of any professional experience, training, research or studies must be given on the application form. Candidates must be able to provide supporting documents clearly showing duration and nature of experience upon request.

The address indicated in the curriculum vitae will be used as the location from which the candidates invited to interviews travel.

In order to facilitate the selection process, all communication with applicants concerning this vacancy notice will be in English.

DATA PROTECTION

EIOPA will ensure that candidates’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725¹⁵. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

APPEAL PROCEDURE

Candidates who consider that their interests have been prejudiced by any decision related to the selection procedure can take the following actions:

1. Request for review of the decisions taken by the Selection Committee

Within ten calendar days of the date of the letter notifying the candidate of a decision taken by the Selection Committee, he/she may submit a written request for a review of such a decision, setting out the reasons for the request, to the following e-mail address: recruitment@eiopa.europa.eu.

2. Appeals

a) The candidate may lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations within the time limits provided for (three months), at the following address:

Head of Resources Department
EIOPA
Selection procedure: Ref. 202514TAAD14
Westhafenplatz 1
60327 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

b) The candidate can submit a judicial appeal to the General Court under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations.

For details of how to submit an appeal, please consult the website of the General Court: http://curia.europa.eu/.

3. Complaint to the European Ombudsman

It is also possible to lodge a complaint to the European Ombudsman pursuant to Article 228(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the Staff Regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the European Ombudsman’s duties¹⁶.

For details of how to lodge a complaint, please consult the website of the European Ombudsman: http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/.

Please note that complaints made to the European Ombudsman have no suspensive effect on the period laid down in Articles 90(2) and 91 of the Staff Regulations for lodging, respectively, a complaint or an appeal with the General Court. Furthermore, under Article 2(4) of the general conditions governing the performance of the European Ombudsman's duties, any complaint lodged with the European Ombudsman must be preceded by the appropriate administrative approaches to the institutions and bodies concerned.

¹The vacancy notice is available in the official languages of the European Union. In the event of any inconsistency, the English is the original language and prevails, the other languages are translations for information purposes only;
²Candidates must satisfy the requirements set out in Article 12 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS), which include being a national of a Member State of the European Union;
³Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record;
⁴The official languages of the European Union are: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, and Swedish;
⁵Only qualifications awarded by EU Member State authorities or European Economic Area (EEA) authorities or qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant authorities will be taken into consideration. If the main studies took place outside the European Union, the candidate’s qualification must have been recognised by a body delegated officially for the purpose by one of the European Union Members States (such as a national Ministry of Education) and a document attesting so must be submitted with the application by the closing date;
⁶For more information on calculating the professional experience please refer to the application process at the end of this vacancy notice;
⁷Applicants must describe all their high-level management experiences acquired by indicating on the Curriculum Vitae: 1) Title and role of management positions held; 2) number of staff overseen in these positions; 3) size of the budget managed; and 4) number of hierarchical layers above and below, as well as number of peers in the organisation;
⁸Decision of the Management Board on Internal Language Arrangements (EIOPA-MB-11/003);
⁹The knowledge is required at least at B2 level. The assessment at B2 level is done in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/sites/default/files/cefren.pdf);
¹⁰See footnote 3;
¹¹An estimation of net salary, including the correction coefficient for Germany, deduction for tax and social security, without any allowances (this estimation has been calculated for a candidate who is single and not entitled for expatriation allowance in Germany and managerial allowance);
¹²An estimation of net salary, including the correction coefficient for Germany, deduction for tax and social security and adding the allowances (this estimation has been calculated for a candidate who is entitled to expatriation allowance, household allowance and with one dependent child, and managerial allowance). Allowances depend in any case on the personal situation of the candidate;
¹³See in particular Title Four of Commission Decision C(2018)4048 final of 29 June 2018 on outside activities and assignments and on occupational after leaving the Service, as adopted by the Decision of the Management Board (EIOPA-MB-18/119) on Outside Activities and Assignments and Occupational Activities After Leaving the Service;
¹⁴For more information on calculating the professional experience please refer to the application process at the end of this vacancy notice;
¹⁵Regulation (EU) 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, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39);
¹⁶OJ L 113 of 4 May 1994.