Scientific Projects and Events Officer

Contract length: 5 years (renewable)
Location: Stockholm
Number of candidates to be employed: 1

What will you do? 

You will work in the Scientific Process and Methods section in the Scientific Methods and Standards unit.

Reporting to the Head of Section Scientific Process and Methods, you will be part of a team of approximately 11 people supporting the Centre’s work and ECDC’s Chief Scientist in advancing scientific evidence and knowledge transfer through our annual scientific conference ESCAIDE, webinars and engagement with European and global stakeholders, safeguarding the Centre’s scientific integrity and excellence, ensuring scientific quality assurance and providing methodological and operational support in evidence-based methods, biostatistics and mathematical modelling. 

In this position, you will have a wide variety of tasks that will give you the opportunity to:

• Contribute to the coordination of scientific events, focusing on the ESCAIDE Scientific Conference*, by implementing processes related to participant management, programme development, stakeholder engagement and outreach;
• Drive evaluation and innovation to assess event success, improve efficiency, and implement measures for continuous improvement;
• Focus on diversity and stakeholder needs by implementing actions to identify and meet their needs and expectations, while improving the relevance, visibility, and accessibility of the Conference programme for various audience groups;
• Support ECDC procurement and contract management by conducting public procurement procedures, guiding service providers, monitoring deliverables and budgets, as well as the day-to-day management of related tasks; 
• Support other scientific activities and events such as webinars and institutional meetings;
• Collaborate on communication activities by working with internal and external communication teams to promote the scientific activities and events effectively and to reach diverse audiences;
• Contribute to ECDC priorities by undertaking additional tasks related to scientific activities, as needed, within your area of expertise.

What are we looking for?

Formal requirements

For your application to be considered eligible you must fulfil all the following requirements by the application deadline:

• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma**; 
• Thorough knowledge of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language to the extent necessary for the performance of your duties***;
• Nationality of one of the EU Member States or of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and to be entitled to your full rights as a citizen;
• To have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Meet the character requirements for the duties involved****; and
• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post.

You will need to provide appropriate documents to show that you meet all of the above criteria.

Selection criteria

For your application to be evaluated further, you will also need:

• At least 3 years (following the award of the diploma) of professional experience gained in scientific events organisation related to different types of scientific events, such as physical, virtual and hybrid events and webinars, in an international environment;
• Education at university level within a scientific field relevant to ECDC’s remit (e.g. infectious diseases epidemiology, microbiology, medicine, biomedical sciences, science communication or equivalent), and experience acquired in positions relevant to the job description;
• Proven professional experience of large scientific events organisation and related processes, such as participant registration, speaker and guest management, hybrid event production, venue and logistics, as well as communication and outreach activities to promote events and reach diverse audiences;
• Proven experience in project and contract management related to organising scientific events and conferences in physical and hybrid formats, including public procurement procedures, monitoring and management of contracts, budget and deliverables and supervision of service providers, ensuring contractual and financial compliance; 
• Proven professional experience in gathering and analysing relevant data related to events organisation and customer satisfaction and identify areas for improvement;
• Experience in drafting scientific and technical reports, summarising and presenting data and information; 
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.

Additionally, we will assess the following competencies:

• Friendly and open-minded, with strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well in a small team to achieve common goals, and with internal and external partners from different disciplines and backgrounds in an international and multicultural environment, promoting good internal and external working relationships; 
• Solution oriented and open to continuous learning and improvement;
• Capable of applying good judgement, particularly when handling multiple tasks under pressure of deadlines and resource constraints; 
• Clear oral and written communication.

Depending on the number of applications received, the selection committee may apply stricter requirements within the aforementioned selection criteria.

Why ECDC?

You will play an active role in making a tangible difference in public health. 

At ECDC you will join a team of more than 400 colleagues with diverse backgrounds and professions who work together for the common goal of helping countries prevent and respond to outbreaks and public health threats. Every position at ECDC plays an important part, and we cooperate closely for our collective goals. 

ECDC is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates without any distinction on grounds of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic or social origin, religion, or belief. 

As an ECDC staff member, you will have the chance to own or support initiatives impacting the health and well-being of people in Europe. 

You will be joining ECDC at interesting times. In October 2022, the European Parliament endorsed an extended mandate that will allow ECDC to adopt a stronger role in supporting EU Member States in the prevention and control of infectious disease threats and improve European preparedness and response. This includes real-time surveillance systems, mobilising an EU Health Task Force to assist local responses in Member States and building a network of EU reference laboratories.  

What can we offer you?

We offer a competitive salary and a range of benefits, including health insurance, learning opportunities and flexible work arrangements such as flexible working hours and teleworking in the Stockholm area for part of the week. Additionally, you can work up to 10 days a year from outside the Stockholm area.

Depending on your experience, the monthly basic salary usually starts at € 4 270.49 and may be supplemented by various allowances including, as applicable, expatriation and/or generous family allowances. Salary is exempt from national tax and instead an Agency tax is deducted. We also provide financial support when relocating to Stockholm.

Our benefits package is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and we are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment that values the well-being of our employees. 

Learn more about the benefits of joining ECDC. 

How does our selection process work?

Our selection process takes, on average, three months from the application deadline. All selection processes include a remote written test and a video conference interview; some selection processes may include additional steps.

After a candidate has been selected for the position, additional shortlisted candidates can be placed on a reserve list. The reserve list may be used when ECDC needs to fill similar positions at the same level in the future. The reserve list is valid until 31 December 2026 and may be extended.

See an overview of the different steps in the selection process and the ECDC-candidate-guide.pdf (europa.eu) for a detailed explanation of the selection and recruitment process. 

When starting a new contract under the EU staff regulations, all new staff must successfully complete a probationary period of nine months.

How do you apply?

To apply for this vacancy, please create/ log in to your ECDC e-recruitment user account.

See detailed instructions on how to apply.

Please submit your application well ahead of the deadline in case of technical issues and/or heavy traffic on the website. After submitting your application, you will receive an automatic email message confirming receipt of your application. Ensure that the email address you provide for your applicant account is correct and that you check your email regularly.

ECDC does not accept applications submitted after the deadline or applications submitted by email, mail or any other means.

Only candidates selected for interviews will be notified. You can see the progress of the selection process from within your e-recruitment account. 

Translations of this vacancy notice in all EU languages can be obtained by using the automatic translation function on this website.

Note: 

While this vacancy notice can be translated into all official EU languages from its English original, the language of day-to-day operations in the Agency is generally English. ECDC therefore prefers to receive the application in English.

Disclaimer: Please note that in the event of any differences in meaning or interpretation between the original English version of this content and a translation, the original English version takes precedence