Head of Section VPD and Immunisation

Is this job for you? 

You will work in the VPD and Immunisation (VPI) section in the Directly transmitted and Vaccine-preventable Diseases (DVD) unit. Find out more about what the unit does.

Reporting to the Head of Unit, you will be leading a team of 18-20 staff, coordinating the Centre’s work related to vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases. You will also strategically implement an annual budget of 7-10 million euro, under the control of the Head of Unit and the Director.

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

• Define and steer the Centre’s strategic work on the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases, including diseases that may become vaccine-preventable in the near future, ensuring alignment with ECDC’s mandate, EU regulations and the broader EU legal framework; 
• Manage and lead the VPD and Immunisation Section (VPI) by creating a strong team with a service-oriented spirit, and promoting a highly professional, collaborative and transparent culture; 
• Ensure that the Section’s work planning, management of human and financial resources, including performance management, are carried out efficiently and effectively; 
• Further strengthen the collaboration with networks of Member States public health authorities such as the National Focal Points for Vaccine Preventable Diseases, the EU reference laboratories, and other relevant networks, by engaging them in strategic discussions and involving them in ECDC activities and projects;
• Foster strategic collaboration with the European Commission, the World Health Organisation (WHO), key partners such as The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs), and, as appropriate, scientific societies, professional associations, patient associations and civil society organisations, to contribute to existing disease-elimination programmes, strengthen prevention, and mitigate the impact of vaccine-preventable diseases; 
• Contribute to the management of the DVD Unit as part of the Unit Management Team; 
• Ensure the scientific quality of the Section’s outputs and strengthen their impact by translating evidence into prevention practice through targeted communication for both policymakers and the public;
• Participate in ECDC missions/ long-term deployments, travelling within and outside Europe;
• Contribute to other activities of ECDC as required, within your field of competence.

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 attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is 4 years or more, or a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least 1 year when the normal period of university education is at least 3 years;
• At least 9 years of professional experience (following the award of the 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 8 years of professional experience (following the award of the diploma), acquired in positions relevant to the job description, such as involvement in the definition of vaccination strategies at national, international or local level (provided that the administrative area covered had a population of at least 5 million inhabitants), setting up or coordinating surveillance, provision of scientific advice, or coordination of large epidemiological studies; 
• At least 3 years of proven experience in management, including managing a team, assessing performance, work planning and responsibility for budget implementation;
• Experience in strategic allocation of resources to achieve long-term public health goals; 
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.

Additionally, we will assess the following competencies:

• Leadership skills and ability to lead by example while fostering high quality standards and a collaborative culture internally and with external stakeholders;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to deal with people effectively, and respectfully; 
• Excellent planning, coordination, priority setting and organising abilities;
• Very good negotiation and communication skills.

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. Women are currently under-represented in management functions and to achieve a better gender balance, we strongly encourage women to apply for this vacancy.

As an ECDC staff member, you will have the chance to work on or support initiatives impacting the health and well-being of people in Europe. You will have access to the latest European-level surveillance data and dedicated expertise in your field, collaborate with various experts and organisations across Europe and beyond, and you will be part of public health-relevant infectious disease networks. 

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 € 8911 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 2027 and may be extended.

Get an overview of the different steps in the selection process and see the ECDC candidate guide 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.

If you require any technical support please send an email to recruitmentecdc [dot] europa [dot] eu (recruitment[at]ecdc[dot]europa[dot]eu).

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

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment. If you require any adjustments during the selection and recruitment process, please let us know.

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

We welcome your application!

1. Only diplomas and certificates that have been awarded in EU member states or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration
2. Compulsory military service is always taken into consideration. 
3. Candidates with a non-official EU language or English as their mother tongue must provide proof of their level of a second language with a certificate (B1 or more). In addition, in order to be eligible for a promotion through an annual promotion exercise the staff members have to have a working knowledge of a third EU language, as described in the applicable Staff Regulations and Implementing Rules.
4. Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a certificate from the police file to the effect of non-existing criminal record.