Expert Microbial Safety of Substances of Human Origin

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

Is this job for you?  

Are you an experienced expert with a background in microbial safety of blood and blood components, tissues and cells, and organs – substances of human origin, and are you interested in applying your skills to ECDC projects and scientific activities and in engaging with international health partners to improve microbial safety of substances of human origin? 

What will you do? 

You will work in the Sexually Transmitted Infections, Blood-Borne Viruses and Tuberculosis (SBT) section in the Disease Programmes (DPR) unit.

Reporting to the Head of Section Sexually Transmitted Infections, Blood-Borne Viruses and Tuberculosis, you will be part of a team of 3 supporting the Centre’s work related to the scientific advice, threat detection, risk assessment and coordination of a network of Member State services supporting the use of substances of human origin. ECDC collaborates closely with the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency to fulfil these tasks. 

The EU Directives and Regulation on blood, cells and tissues, and organs create common frameworks that ensure high standards in the procurement, testing, processing, storage, distribution and import/export of substances of human origin (SoHO) across the EU community.

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

• Provide scientific advice related to microbial safety of blood and blood components, tissues and cells, and organs - substances of human origin (SoHO); 
• Coordinate the development, implementation and day-to-day operation of guidance and tools for preparedness activities for maintaining microbial safety of SoHO;
• Detect, monitor, assess and report infectious disease threats to SoHO;
• Contribute to the coordination of a network of Member State services supporting transfusion, transplantation, and medically assisted reproduction;
• Assist Member States in strengthening systems for control and prevention of infectious diseases transmission through SoHO including data collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination;
• Collaborate with the SoHO team of the European Commission and actively attend the regular meetings of the team and national competent authorities;
• Commission and manage projects or studies, consultancies in relevant areas, but also be prepared to initiate, carry out and/or supervise studies regarding microbial safety of SoHO and preventive interventions;
• Plan, organise, and lead technical meetings with external experts on topics relevant to the microbial safety of SoHO;
• Contribute to other activities of ECDC as required, within your field of competence including the 24/7 duty system.

Administrative and operational tasks in the job mostly relate to developing public procurement procedures for outsourcing research and analysis tasks, such as scientific studies and technical reports, provide strategic direction to external contractors and monitoring the quality of their work. 

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:

• A university degree within the field of medicine, public health, epidemiology, biomedical sciences or related topic; 
• At least 5 years' of recent experience acquired in positions relevant to the job description;
• Sound knowledge and expertise on issues of infectious disease threats related to transfusion and/or transplantation; 
• Proven experience in monitoring and assessing communicable disease threats related to blood, and/or human tissues and cells, and/or organs; 
• Proven experience with methods for evidence-based medicine and guidance development;
• Experience in project management and coordinating experts or multidisciplinary teams;
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.

Additionally, we will assess the following competencies:

• Results oriented and ability to take initiative;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Quality driven and service minded;
• Ability to work collaboratively and build strong working relationships;
• Strong organisational skills and ability to self-manage and independently drive projects.

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 to 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 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 and 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 flexible work arrangements such as teleworking and flexible working hours, health insurance and learning opportunities. 

Depending on your experience, the monthly basic salary usually starts at 5.911,15 € and is supplemented by various allowances, including as applicable expatriation and/or generous family allowances. Salary is exempt from national tax, 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 2025 and may be extended.

See an overview of the different steps in the selection process and see 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

* 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

**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. 

*** 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.