Personal Assistant to the Director / Secretary (f/m/div)

The European Centre of Excellence for Civilian Crisis Management e.V. (CoE) is looking for a Personal Assistant to the Director / Secretary (f/m/div) working within the Director's Office in full-time. The position is foreseen to be filled as soon as possible. The position is initially limited to two years with the possibility of extension by mutual agreement. The place of work is Berlin.

The Berlin-based CoE was opened in September 2020 during the German EU Council Presidency upon the initiative of the Federal Foreign Office. Its aim is to strengthen civilian crisis management. The CoE is a service provider for the EU Member States and the EU institutions and services, especially the European External Action Service (EEAS). It is a knowledge hub for the collection and exchange of national models and experiences ("good practices and processes") and for the development of concrete ideas on how European civilian crisis management can be further developed. The CoE currently has 23 members, all of them EU Member States. The CoE is financed by a grant from Germany's Federal Foreign Office, and by financial contributions from its members. The team of the CoE consists of core staff as well as personnel seconded to the CoE from its members.

The Director's Office is responsible for supporting the Director in managing the strategic and operational business of the CoE. Led by the Head of Director's Office and working in conjunction with event management and operations, it ensures the smooth running of our still young organisation. The Personal Assistant /Secretary reports to the Director and receives additional guidance from the Head of Director's Office.

The main tasks of the Personal Assistant (f/m/div) are:

• Maintaining the Director's diary/calendar including arrangements for jours fixes
• Presenting an overview of the Director's engagements during regular staff meetings
• Act as penholder for meetings (preparing background documents, talking points including coordination of input thereto from CoE staff)
• Travel management incl. booking accommodation and arranging travel as well as preparing travel expenses reports of the Director and any accompanying staff for business trips in accordance with the Federal Travel Expenses Act (“Bundesreisekostengesetz”)
• Receiving and supporting guests
• Support in the planning, organisation and implementation of events, meetings and appointments
• Carrying out other tasks as required

• Successfully completed vocational training in business or public administration, secretarial or customer service. Alternatively, a bachelor's degree in a field relevant to the portfolio as outlined above
• Strong political interest in European affairs and foreign policy
• Strong organisational skills and experience in project management support
• Knowledge of and experience in public procurement regulations / procurement processes
• Very good command of English. Good command of German (C1).
• Experience in working with Microsoft 365, especially SharePoint and Office applications, or comparable cloud-based software
• Independent and proactive way of working, ability to multitask, attention to detail, strong communication skills and ability to work in a team
• Flexibility and ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Good time management skills
• Intercultural sensitivity and diplomatic skills

Desirable:

• Familiarity with German public funding law (“Zuwendungsrecht”), alternatively interest in specialised further training in this area.

You do not meet all aspects of the requirements, but are willing to learn? Then please feel free to apply and explain your current profile and motivation.

• A responsible position in a young and dynamic organisation
• The CoE as a recipient of institutional funding from the Federal Government is bound to not exceed the conditions of the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD Bund). Remuneration, pay grade and tier level are based on qualifications and relevant experience as predefined in the TVöD and are non-negotiable. Maximum pay grade for this position is aligned with E 7 (tier 2) TVöD.
• Collegial atmosphere in an international team
• State of the art equipment and spacious, wheelchair accessible office in the heart of Berlin
• Options for teleworking (currently two days per week) and flexitime
• Opportunities for vocational training
• 30 days' annual leave, 24th and 31st December are non-working days