Call for Trainees – European Institute for Gender Equality

The registration of applications will begin on 9^th
September 2011. There is no closing date for the foreseeable future.

Each placement is for a maximum of six months on the condition that the
chosen candidate is able to secure financial support from a recognised
institution. The Institute does not provide any financial support.

1.      The role of the Institute

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a regulatory agency of the European
Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives related to the contribution and
strengthening of gender equality promotion.

To achieve its goals, the Institute shall collect and analyse objective,
comparable and reliable information at Community level and develop appropriate
methodological tools for the integration of gender equality into all Community
policies. EIGE shall equally foster the exchange of good practices and dialogue
between stakeholders and raise EU citizen awareness of this policy area by
providing technical assistance to the Community institutions, in particular the
Commission, as well as the authorities of the Member States.

In the course of its work to promote and strengthen gender equality, EIGE
strives to eliminate gender discrimination.

2.      The purpose of these placements

The purpose of these placements is to provide the chosen candidates with a
supervised experience of the Institute’s working methods and policies, to
enable them to gain practical experience and understanding of an agency of the
European Union. In addition such experience will provide them with an
opportunity to improve upon their knowledge of gender equality matters issues
in a multicultural, multilingual environment.

Since the Institute is not in a position to offer any grants, it will be
incumbent on the chosen candidates to secure funding for the period of the
placement.

3. Profiles and duties

There are three profiles being offered and each provides an entry level
professional experience that will widen the chosen candidates’ understanding
and knowledge in specific areas:

3.1 COMMUNICATIONS (ref. eige/2011/coftra/10/01) 

The trainee shall support the Communications team. The trainee will assist
with the following activities:

• the identification via the Internet of different
  communications campaigns that qualify as good practice and which have been
  carried out by other institutions; 
• the maintenance of the Institute’s database of press
  and media contacts; 
• the organisation of institutional material developed by
  the Communications team, making it easily accessible to other colleagues
  at the Institute; 
• the development templates in connection with events and
  meetings for each focal area of the Institute’s work; 
• the organisation of a common agenda of commitments of
  the Communications team; 
• administrative support in connection with miscellaneous
  tasks relating to areas such as awareness raising support or the
  communications budget; 
• the update of information in different teams, for
  example that of the Experts Forum and of the Institute’s Management Board,
  on the Institute’s website. 

3.2 GENDER MAINSTREAMING (ref. eige/2011/coftra/10/02) 

The trainee shall support the Gender Mainstreaming team. The trainee will
assist with the following activities:

• the implementation of gender mainstreaming project
  work; 
• the development of the Institute’s Resource and
  Documentation Centre by maintaining databases connected to gender
  mainstreaming methods, tools and good practices; 
• the collection, processing and dissemination of
  information on gender mainstreaming methods, tools and good practices and
  update of information on the Institute’s website; 
• the development of materials and publications
  pertaining to gender mainstreaming methods, tools and good practices. 

3.3 RESEARCH, STATISTICS, INDICES (ref. eige/2011/coftra/10/03) 

The trainee shall support the Institute’s Research, Statistics and Indices
team. In addition to contributing to the organisation of events, documenting
content and producing abstracts, the trainee will assist with the collection
and update of:

• data, information and other varied literature sources
  on specific gender related issues; 
• relevant policy documents; 
• information on data providers at an EU level; 
• gender related events in the EU; 
• information concerning the latest data for media
  releases. 

3.4 STAKEHOLDERS AND NETWORKING (ref. eige/2011/coftra/10/04) 

The trainee shall support the Stakeholders and Networking team, assisting
with the following activities:

• the compilation and update of the Institute’s
  stakeholders’ database of contacts,  including via Internet searches; 
• the preparation of budget commitments, tender
  specifications, internal documents   and administrative notes,
  and 
• filing according to indicated standards. 

4.      Requirements

These placements are open to applicants who have not previously
undertaken a traineeship in another European institution or body and who meet
the following requirements:

• a recognised university
  degree[2]
  together with evidence completion of a full cycle of study. 
• some initial experience in social statistics obtained
  either through specialisation as part of the applicant’s studies for a
  university degree, a dissertation or other research project conducted as
  part of their studies or in some other manner or through professional
  experience. 

Applicant must also meet the following pre-requisites:

• nationality of a Member State of the EU or of a country
  forming part of the European Free Trade Area; 
• a good command, both spoken and written, of at least
  two official EU languages; 
• entitlement to full rights as a citizen; 
• a university degree following at least three years of
  study as specified in each placement; 
• fluent English, both spoken and written, and 
• good computer skills applicable to a Windows
  environment (e.g. Outlook, Word and Excel). 

5.      Application process

Applicants are required to send by email to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu a completed EIGE
application form. The subject title to be noted by applicants must include the
reference number of the area profile they are applying for.

Application
form (.doc, 199KB)

Applicants are requested to send their completed application in English, the
language in which the Institute mainly works. All parts of the application form
must be completed in full. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Once EIGE has received a completed application form the candidate concerned
will receive an acknowledgement. Eligible candidates shall be selected on the
basis of their application. The Institute regrets that, due to the large volume
of applications it receives only candidates of particular interest will be
contacted.

Should the candidate be contacted and be selected, in order for the
application to be considered complete, candidates must provide proof of their
qualifications and photocopies of all the supporting documents – e.g. proof of
nationality, diplomas, academic qualifications, any professional references
etc., proof of financial support for the period of the traineeship – needed to
prove that they satisfy all admission conditions are satisfied.

All documentary evidence of any professional experience must indicate start
and end dates for previous positions and the start date and continuity for the
current position held. On the day of the interview the candidate must sign
his/her application form and by signing the form the candidate certifies on
his/her honour that the information provided is complete and accurate.

Applicants will not be considered if they fail:

• to use and duly complete the official application form
  provided by EIGE. 
• to meet the general conditions described in the
  pre-requisites section. 

Enquiries for further information can be sent by e-mail
to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu .

6. Conditions of placement

The placement will be for up to a maximum period of six months and cannot be
extended.

No subsistence allowances are offered although the Institute may reimburse
expenses relating to travel at the start and at the end of the placement.
Before applying, applicants should obtain the assurance of financial support.
The final stage to confirm the placement will require that the chosen
candidates provide documentation indicating that the financial support has been
secured.

7. Data protection

The purpose of processing of the data submitted by applicants is to manage
each application in view of a possible pre-selection and recruitment as a Cost
Free Trainee at the Institute. Unsuccessful application files shall be kept for
two years following the closure of the selection procedure, after which time
they are destroyed.

The personal information requested from applicants will be processed in line
with Regulation (EC) N°45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of
18^th December 2000 on the protection of individuals with regard to
the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on
the free movement of such data.

8. Equal opportunities

The Institute is an equal opportunity employer and accepts applications
without distinction on the grounds of age, race, political, philosophical or
religious conviction, gender or sexual orientation and regardless of
disabilities, marital status or family situation.

9. Lithuania and life in Vilnius

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Area and it borders Latvia, Belarus,
Poland and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Its western coastline – noted for
its fine beaches, dunes and majestic pines – straddles the Baltic Sea.
Lithuanian summers are sunny and warm with an average temperature of +17 C.
Winter is white and generally cold with average temperatures that hover around
– 4 C.

Vilnius is Lithuania’s capital with an estimated population of just over
half a million citizens. It has impressive Baroque and Gothic architecture as
well as one of Europe’s largest medieval old towns, a UNESCO World Heritage
site since 1994. A university city since the Middle Ages, Vilnius is the centre
of the country’s politics, business, science, culture and entertainment and it
attracts an increasingly varied assortment of local and international events.
In addition to hosting a number of international schools, it has a well
developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.