Functional area: Information Systems

Reference: 2014-345-EXT

The Directorate General Information Systems (DG/IS) is responsible for the information and communications systems of the European Central Bank (ECB). It develops and supports the IT systems necessary for carrying out the tasks of the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB).
DG/IS is organised into six divisions: the Infrastructure and Operations Division, the Security and Architecture Division, the IT Governance and Business Relations Division and three business application divisions, which are organised according to application domain (enterprise, executional and analytical).
Within DG/IS, the IT Governance and Business Relations Division:

• is responsible for strategic planning and for developing the DG/IS roadmap, as well as for monitoring their implementation;
• establishes the DG/IS work plan, including preparation of the project portfolio plan and the audit recommendation action plans, and monitors its implementation;
• coordinates and supports DG/IS’ procurement planning and processing;
• carries out budget, financial and human resources planning and monitoring;
• develops, implements and maintains processes and an integrated quality management system, as well as the relevant performance indicators;
• provides the service catalogue, service level reporting, supplier and end-user licence management functions;
• develops and maintains the business relationship management process, including strategic review meetings, the handling of complaints and compliments, and the measurement and fostering of customer and user satisfaction;
• develops the DG/IS communication strategy; and
• provides support to the Information Technology Committee (ITC) within the ESCB.

The successful applicant will be entrusted with the following main tasks:

• overseeing a portfolio of suppliers and contracts;

• conducting day-to-day relations and acting as a central point of contact for communication with suppliers regarding performance, risks, and financial and administrative matters;
• coordinating regular supplier service review meetings;

• ensuring completeness of the documentation relating to the portfolio;

• working with peer colleagues and users to collect, analyse and evaluate service level and operational level requirements;
• participating in the negotiation of service level agreements (SLAs) and operational level agreements (OLAs) with the various stakeholders;
• compiling the data necessary to produce service level reports;
• monitoring compliance and assisting with the analysis of SLA and OLA outcomes, as well as identifying and taking remedial action in agreement with the relevant stakeholder;
• coordinating the regular review of service levels together with the relevant business areas.
• contributing to the further development and implementation of the service level and supplier management process and procedures within DG/IS.

Applicants must have the following knowledge and competencies:

• a master’s degree in computer engineering, computer science and/or business administration or another relevant field;
• in-depth knowledge of service level and supplier management, with at least five years’ relevant experience;
• knowledge of other IT service management disciplines (ITIL), such as incident management, availability or capacity management;
• ITIL Practitioner certification would be a strong asset;
• good understanding of project management;
• practical experience in public procurement would be an asset.
• a good command of English with proven drafting ability;
• a good knowledge of at least one other official language of the EU;
• a working knowledge of SAP;
• a working knowledge of MS Office, in particular Word and Power Point;
• a working knowledge of document management systems such as Opentext/Livelink would be an asset.

The successful candidate will have the following behavioural competencies:

• thorough analytical skills and the ability to understand abstract concepts in the fields of technical competence, as well as statistical skills;
• very good communication and negotiation skills, with an ability to express complex issues in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in writing;
• can negotiate skilfully in difficult situations involving both internal and external stakeholders with the aim of arriving at mutually agreeable solutions;
• knows when to involve management in an issue or dispute that cannot be resolved at working level so as not to prolong discussions unnecessarily;
• establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with staff and management at all levels, both inside and outside the organisation;
• understands his/her clients, and their expectations, and ensures timely responses in order to serve clients’ needs;
• manages his/her own workload independently, without burdening other team members unnecessarily;
• shares information and supports team members in the achievement of common goals;
• embraces new technology and processes with enthusiasm and is committed to the achievement of organisational goals;
• prioritises tasks and pays attention to detail even when under time pressure, and can be relied upon to deliver results in difficult circumstances and within tight time frames.

Fixed-term contract until 31 July 2016, which may be extended subject to individual performance and organisational needs.
To further enhance the diversity of its workforce, the ECB particularly encourages applications from female candidates.

Applications are to be made in English and submitted using our online application form. An "Applicants' Guide" can be downloaded from our recruitment pages.

The recruitment process may include a pre-screening exercise, a written exercise, a presentation and interviews.

Applications are accepted from nationals of Member States of the European Union.

The requirements laid down in the vacancy notice must be met by the closing date for applications.

This vacancy notice may be used to fill the same position again, or similar positions, within 12 months of the selection decision.

The selection committee may place suitable candidates on a reserve list, from which candidates may be appointed to similar positions in the same or another business area. It may also be decided to fill the position(s) advertised in this vacancy notice with a suitable candidate or candidates from the reserve list resulting from a recruitment procedure for a similar position. Candidates will be informed accordingly if this happens.

Closing Date for Applications: Fri, 9 Jan 2015

This position has been allocated to salary band: F/G

 Apply on the ECB e-recruitment portal