OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME TRANSNATIONAL

COOPERATION ATLANTIC AREA

2007-2013

The Managing Authority

September 2007

RECRUITMENT FOR JOINT TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT

OFFICERS

Recruitment Package

1. Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS)

The Atlantic Area transnational programme is a European Commission territorial cooperation

programme for the period 2007-2013. This programme is co-financed by the European Regional

Development Fund (ERDF). The main goal of this programme is to contribute to the territorial

cohesion of this area through the cooperation reinforcement between the European Union Member

States of the Atlantic seaboard (that includes the 33 Atlantic regions of Spain, France, Ireland,

Portugal, and United Kingdom).

In accordance with article 14 of the Regulation ERDF No 1080/2006, the Managing Authority (MA)

has set up a Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS) based in Porto (Portugal).

According to the terms of the Programme, the JTS, under the supervision of the Managing

Authority, shall be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the Programme. It shall assist

the Monitoring Committee, the Managing Authority, the Certifying Authority and, where

appropriate, the Audit Authority, in carrying out their respective duties. This involves in particular:

- Providing the Managing Authority, the Certifying Authority and the Audit

Authority with the information, expertise and support to allow the fulfilment of

their responsibilities

- Taking all appropriate steps to promote the Programme on the basis of the publicity

strategy approved by the Monitoring Committee; this entails acting as the central contact

point for the public interested in the Programme, potential beneficiaries and

selected/running projects

- Acting as secretariat to the Monitoring Committee: organisation of

meetings, drafting of minutes, preparation, implementation and follow up of

decisions

- Proactively initiate, facilitate and co-ordinate the generation and development of good-

quality transnational projects, in close consultation with the National Correspondents

through early mobilisation of key-players and provision of relevant information to project

applicants

1.1 The JTS Positions

1 Director;

3 Financial and Operational Managers;

2 Secretariat and Communication Assistants.

OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION ATLANTIC AREA

2007-2013

1.2 Functions and Profiles

1.2.1 Director

a) General Tasks

- Coordination, organisation, management and monitoring of the JTS and JTS staff

- Coordination in the preparation, management and monitoring of the JTS budget

- To assure all the needed support to the Operational Programme (OP) managing structures to

the OP implementation and management

- Coordination of the Operational Programme promoting actions in collaboration with the

National Correspondents

- Coordination and supervision of the development of forward studies and strategic guidelines

considering the Operational Programme execution

- Coordination of internal and external dissemination and communication procedures, namely via

web

- Coordination of technical and administrative support to the managing structure bodies, namely

concerning meetings organisation, minutes drafting, implementation and follow-up of the

decisions taken

- To ensure technical contacts with the managing structures, the Member States, the National

Correspondents and the European Commission

- To promote the participation on the articulation process with other Operational Programmes

- Guide the support to the managing structure bodies concerning the global financial

management, the certifying, the auditing and the control

- To participate on the elaboration of annual and final execution reports and other documents

concerning to the OP

- Representation of the JTS in the Monitoring Committee meetings, Operational Programme and

projects seminars and events

- To ensure the project application process, including carrying out the calls for proposals,

registration, checking and assessment of the received project applications

- Preparing the documents needed for the Monitoring Committee

- Provide support and advice to the coordinators and project partners concerning development,

implementation, contracting, eligibility of expenditure, financial reports and closure and

assessment of their projects, in collaboration with the National Correspondents

- Contribution to the closure of the Interreg III B Atlantic Area Operational Programme

- Coordinate the elaboration of the needed inputs addressed to the preparation of the next

programming period

b) Basic Requirements:

- University degree and experience in the relevant field

⁻ Experience of working with international organisations, preferably in the cooperation areas

⁻ Knowledge of the European legislation and in particular of the EU Structural Funds regulations

and procedures (e.g. the financial management, the certifying, the auditing, the control and

assessment of cooperation programmes and projects)

⁻ Fluency in English and in at least one of the other three languages of the Atlantic Area

⁻ Good computer literacy: Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet; database

Preferential Requirements:

⁻ Past experience in EU programmes and projects set-up, preferably on structural funds and

cooperation

⁻ Experience on coordination, instruction, management and evaluation of projects financed by

ERDF, namely on the scope of cooperation programmes and projects

1.2.2 Financial and Operational Managers

a) Officers general tasks (for all the Officers)

Programme implementation

- Contribute to ensure a good managing system, follow up and assessment of the Operational

Programme

- Contribution to the OP publicity and promotion strategy

- To organise call for proposals launching

- Contribution to the preparation of relevant items for Monitoring Committee meetings

- Participation in public events and presentation of relevant topics

- Give support to MA to Implementation of the Information System

- To collaborate on annual and final reports drafting of the Programme and on other important

document Contribution to Annual Implementation Report.

- To contribute with periodic information about the Programme to the web site

- To give Inputs to the preparation of the next programming period.

Project generation and development

⁻To organise call for proposals launching

⁻To support and advise promoters on the instruction process phase, in collaboration with the

National Correspondents, especially from a financial point of view

⁻To analyse application packs, coordination and implementation of the technical opinions to

support the decisions of eligibility and approval, in articulation with National Correspondents in

accordance with established for the Operational Programme and the complementary

management and implementation regulations and with communitarian and national applicable

rules

⁻To assure physical, administrative and financial managing of the approved projects, in

collaboration with the national correspondents and the conception and quality of execution

reports

⁻Contribution to the projects publicity and promotion

Project assessment

- Project assessment on the basis of the eligibility and selection criteria

- Contribution to the preparation of relevant items for Steering Committee meetings: drafting of

assessment reports and other working documents

- Follow-up of Monitoring Committee decisions

- To assure a good information level concerning the achievement of assessment indicators

Project implementation

⁻Follow-up of project implementation: liaison with lead partners of approved projects, guidance on

the project implementation, processing of project payment claims twice a year

⁻Assistance and analysis of project modifications: budget line modifications, extensions, content

modifications

⁻Liaison with National Correspondents and other relevant bodies

⁻Collection of related data (e.g. performance indicators), analysis of progressive implementation

⁻Continuous monitoring of smooth project implementation, automatic annulation meetings,

solution to practical problems, one site visit per lifetime of project. Identify gaps in project

development and achievement of objectives

Financial officer specific tasks:

- Follow-up the procedures on global financial management of Operational Programme

- To collaborate with the respective managing structure authorities on the definition and development of

the procedures on global financial management and audit

- Monitoring the Technical Assistance budget

- Monitoring the state of progress of payment claims and related financial issues in general

- Maintenance of the financial data in the Information System

- Regular update of financial information and European regulations

- Other administrative tasks of relevance to finance follow-up (e.g. answer to queries by the Member

States, the PA, the MA, the auditors)

b) Basic Requirements:

⁻ Degree in any relevant field relevant concerning the above tasks

⁻ Good knowledge of territorial planning and regional development domains

⁻ Good knowledge of the transnational Cooperation Atlantic Area

⁻ Good knowledge of the community principles and politics and of administrative and financial community

procedures 

⁻ Good knowledge of community legislation

⁻ Deep knowledge of at least two languages of the Programme (Portuguese, English, French and

Spanish)

⁻ Good computer literacy: Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet

Preferential Requirements:

⁻ Knowledge on public policies evaluation

⁻ Experience on coordination, instruction and management and evaluation of projects financed by ERDF,

namely on the scope of cooperation programmes and projects

⁻ Past experience in EU programmes and projects set-up, preferably on structural funds and cooperation

and in accordance with the functions to be executed

1.2.3 Secretariat and Communication Assistants

a) General Tasks

Programme and projects promotion

⁻Promotion of the Operational Programme (OP) image

⁻Support OP global animation and diffusion

⁻To maintain the website up-to-date with periodic information about the Programme and the projects

⁻Support projects diffusion during its execution phase and its final results, namely via web

⁻Monitoring Committee meetings organisation and support on its minutes elaboration

⁻Organisation of seminars, informative sessions, meetings, video-conferences and support on its reports

elaboration

⁻Support to the annual and final Programme report elaboration and other important documents during its

respective validity

⁻Manage Atlantic Area (AA) statistic data base in articulation with the European data base 

⁻Logistic support and technical and administrative assistance to the JTS, namely on the supplement of

material and equipment, reception, send and general correspondence organisation

⁻Travels organisation for the managing structure

Programme editorial and publishing tasks

- Collaborate on the press releases editing

- Conception, drafting, publication and dissemination of AA printed and digitalised documents about AA,

reports, newsletters, power points, newspapers information, minutes

- Organisation and draft of public calls for tenders and projects

b) Basic Requirements:

- Degree and experience on the fields of communication, marketing, public relations, journalism, data

base management and secretariat

- Good communication and drafting skills

- General knowledge of EU institutions and policies

⁻ Generic knowledge of the Atlantic Area Regions Experience on contacting with cooperation

programmes and projects;

⁻ Good domain on computer science: Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet;

⁻ Knowledge of languages:

Preferential condition: good knowledge of the four languages of the Member States

(Portuguese, English, French and Spanish)

Minimum condition: deep knowledge of at least two languages of the Member States

2. Terms and Conditions for Employment

The contract will last until December 2013 but can be prolonged until 2015 at the

longest. The contract will be made between the individual and The Commission of

Coordination and Regional Development of the North (CCDRN) – Portugal. The working

place will be in Porto (Portugal). Salary will be defined according to the position.

3. Submission of Applications

Candidates are invited to send their applications in English, including the Curriculum Vitae (the CVs

should preferable be drafted using the European CV format2), references and copies of relevant

certificates. The applications are to be sent by e-mail coop_atlantic@mediacv.com but can also be

sent on the web-page www.coop-atlantico.com.

In the subject of the correspondence please quote the position to be filled (e.g.: Director).

Deadline for applications: 21 days followed, from the date of publication in the press.