IT Specialist (M/F)

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 THE EUIPO

25 years of work  on IP have consolidated the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) as the independent, self-financed, non-profit European Union (EU) agency responsible for the registration of trade marks and designs in the EU and one of the most technologically advanced and innovative organisations in the world of Intellectual Property (IP). Indeed, new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence or blockchain are now fully embedded in EUIPO’s practice in the administration of its unique and unbeatable business proposition: registering and protecting trade marks and designs for the whole of Europe in a cost effective, reliable, and timely manner. 

The EUIPO has fully embraced the new IP trends in terms of globalisation and emerging importance of enforcement. Since 2013, the Office is responsible for IP research, communication, knowledge sharing and cooperation with enforcement authorities, covering all IPRs, via the European Observatory on Infringements of IP Rights (the Observatory).

The EUIPO does not only operate in Europe, it has now enlarged its footprint to the five continents and is, for example, implementing EU projects on IP in China, South East Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.

The EUIPO enjoys a privileged sea front location in Alicante in a newly inaugurated campus where staff benefit from EUIPO’s facilities (such as retail services, sport facilities, etc.). In addition, Alicante has a European School. Since 2008, the Office is committed to reducing its environmental impact through extensive initiatives. Its geographical location in Alicante is well connected, with high-speed train connections to many locations and hosting the 4th largest airport in the country.

EUIPO offers a unique mix of professional opportunities and quality of life.

The working languages of the Office are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

1.2 The DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION DEPARTMENT

The Digital Transformation Department (DTD) is responsible for all activities and operations related to the implementation of the digital strategy of the Office, including working methods and tools, their definition, operation and later adaptations. Digital Product Development falls exclusively within the responsibilities of the Department. A Director is responsible and is assisted by five Heads of Service.

The  Operations and Infrastructure Service  is responsible for managing and operating the IT infrastructure, the workplace environment and managing Cyber security.

The Planning Service is responsible for the management of IT planning, project management and support activities as well as the management and promotion of EUIPN common tools.

The New Technologies Service is responsible for tracking and assessing potential technologies and new products, including proofs of concept, as well as their management and promotion.

The Business Analysis Service is responsible for the establishment of new working methods, data- driven business requirements, the quantification of their corresponding benefits, business process improvement and data-mining.

The Architecture and Development Service is responsible for the overall enterprise architecture,including the technical architecture and corresponding standards and Information Security Management.

2.  DUTIES

The successful candidate(s) will be expected to carry out one or more of the following tasks:

General duties 

• Manage technology support providers in the areas of implementation, consultancy, software quality  assurance  and/or  IT  operations,  monitor  and  assess  the  fulfilment  of  contractual obligations, ensure that agreed service levels are met;
• Ensure that operational procedures and working practices are fit for purpose and current;
• Plan, perform and implement process improvements for enhancing digital transformation;
• Identify innovation opportunities and of new research areas;
• Manage systems upgrade issues like security, upgradeability and reuse of systems and components;
• Apply the organisation’s strategy and translate it into a comprehensive enterprise architecture that is pragmatic and deliverable;
• Manage architectural designs and plans, including IT and business impacts and benefits;
• Collaborate with outside bodies (such as other Intellectual Property Offices) to share knowledge;
• Participate in committees and meetings as a technical specialist/expert, including elaboration of documents, reports, etc.;

Specific duties 

Depending on the area of expertise:

• Design and implement system solutions or prototypes following cloud-native and microservices- based architectures;
• Identify, propose and lead the implementation of innovative solutions to automate and standardize development workflows and processes to improve developer experience, increase software quality and shorten the mean time to production;
• Identify areas where new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain may benefit the business and IT strategy of the Office, and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to work on their adoption and future implementation;
• Actively contribute to the design, procurement, installation, upgrading, operation, control, maintenance and effective use of the robust and secured hybrid cloud computing infrastructure IT infrastructure and monitor its performance; 
• Identify, assess and integrate security products and policies, including development or improvement of specific security tools and policies, including Business continuity actions;
• Contribute to security assessment, security testing, vulnerability management, security Events monitoring, incident response, IT security audits and operations; 

Duties applicable to all staff

• Actively work towards the achievement of the goals of the EUIPO in accordance with the Strategic Plan;
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be admissible for this selection, candidates must fulfil all the following conditions by the deadline for submission of applications:

3.1 General conditions   

• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union;
• Enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the laws on military service;
• Meet the character requirements as to suitability for the performance of the duties involved;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties.

3.2 Education

• Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years in a relevant area attested by a diploma. 

3.3 Professional experience

• Have a minimum of 5 years of full-time relevant professional experience3 in relation with and at the level of the tasks described under “Duties”

3.4 Language skills

• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the official languages of the EU (minimum level  C1) – Language 1
• Have a good knowledge of English (minimum level B2) – Language 2.4

The levels indicated correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

4. SELECTION CRITERIA

Notwithstanding the required experience established under point 3 of the present vacancy notice (eligibility criteria), and in particular under point 3.3, the Office will use the following criteria in order to select the best qualified candidates for the interview and test phase:

1. General knowledge of international and IT standards, policies and procedures such as ISO 27001, ITIL or equivalent.

2. Demonstrated experience in managing IT operational tasks (according to the ITIL framework) in at least one of the following areas: 

• IT Application Design, Development and Management
• IT Incident and Problem Management
• IT Change and Release Management
• IT Service Continuity and Capacity Management
• IT Infrastructure Management
• IT Security Management
• IT Asset Management
• IT Service Catalogue and Service Request Management
• IT Service Desk Management
• IT Service Design and Service Level Management
• IT Suppliers and Service Providers Management

3. Demonstrated experience in at least one IT technology, such as AI, Cloud (including Azure and/or AWS), Blockchain, Cybersecurity related technologies, Quantum computing, Network and Telecommunications, Infrastructure as Code, etc. 

4. Demonstrated professional experience in an international/multi-cultural environment.

In addition to the above criteria, candidates invited to the interview will also be assessed against the following requirements: 

Competencies

• Communication: communicate clearly and precisely both orally and in writing;
• Analysis and Problem Solving: identify the critical facts in complex issues and develop creative and practical solutions;
• Working with Others: work co-operatively with others in teams and across organisational boundaries and respect differences between people; create a sense of team spirit by encouraging shared goals and exchange of knowledge and experience; 
• Learning and Development: develop and improve personal skills and knowledge of the organisation and its environment; commit to train others, share knowledge, and systematically improve working methods;
• Prioritisation and Organisation: ability to prioritise the most important tasks, work flexibly and organise own and others’ workload efficiently; 
• Resilience: remain effective under work pressure, be flexible and adapt to a changing work environment;  encourage others to do the same and adjust own and team’s approach to embrace changing circumstances;
• Quality and Results: take personal responsibility and initiative for delivering work to a high standard   quality   within   set   procedures;   show   clear customer orientation (internal and external); build systematic and methodical processes into projects and work of self and own team; 
• Leadership: lead and manage people and teams to achieve results; delegate work in own team appropriately and provide clear directions; inspire enthusiasm and a positive attitude in people about their work and their contribution to EUIPO’s success.

5. INTERVIEWS

Pre-selection

Admissible candidates whose applications rank among the best qualified in accordance with the selection criteria detailed under point 4, may be contacted in order to verify their language skills (in particular, spoken production in English), as well as to prove their professional experience and/or other skills, knowledge and competencies. This pre-selection contact does not entitle candidates to be invited for interview: it is a step in selecting the most suitable candidates to be invited for interview.

Interview

Interviews will take place virtually and, given the nature of the duties, will be carried out in English. Other relevant languages as declared in the candidate’s application/CV may be assessed in accordance with the levels indicated in this vacancy notice. The interview will test the candidate’s motivation, suitability and knowledge of matters relating to the duties to be performed and the selection criteria established in the vacancy notice (technical Knowledge and behavioural competencies).

Candidates called for the interview will be requested to produce appropriate professional references prior to attending the interview