The European Patent Office in Munich
Deadline for applications: 16.2.2012
Applicants should be nationals of one of the European Patent Organisation's member states (currently Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Hellenic Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom). The EPO is an equal opportunities employer, and offers attractive salaries on a par with those paid by other international organisations. Its three official languages are English, French and German. Application forms, to be completed in full, should accompany applications or be sent immediately afterwards. Download the application form.(PDF, 844 KB)
Each candidate must be sponsored by the head of delegation of the member state of which he or she is a national (contact details: "Representatives" page) and/or by the President of the EPO (president@epo.org).
Interviews are planned between 27 February and 6 March 2012.
Main duties
The Vice-President is responsible for Directorate-General 4 (DG 4) "Administration" at the European Patent Office (EPO). The function of DG 4 is to deliver Office-wide support inter alia in the following areas:
Human Resources - developing, proposing, following up and implementing human resource policies, procedures and standards; dealing with matters related to personnel administration and the welfare of all staff; managing appropriate relations with the EPO staff committees.
General Administration - building projects, internal services and facility management.
Language Service - translating, editing and interpreting, primarily in the three official languages.
Health Service - advising management and staff on all matters related to health at the workplace and on medical aspects of the Service Regulations.
Management Application and Process Support - defining and communicating user needs and advising on the development and implementation of new automation projects.
Central Procurement - supporting the acquisition of goods, works and services for the EPO and providing assistance in the preparation of tenders and contracts.
Security - overall responsibility for security, including security awareness and security relating to human resources and the Office's sites.
These areas are subject to regular review in accordance with the Office's service needs; a study on support functions at the European Patent Office is currently in progress. Within this portfolio of responsibilities, the Vice-President DG 4 (VP 4) has the lead role in developing and implementing policies and is directly responsible for significant elements of the EPO's budget (salaries, compensation and benefits, operating expenditure for infrastructure, etc). VP4 is also the site-manager of the EPO site in Munich
VP 4 is responsible for planning, controlling and motivating the highest level of performance among DG 4 staff (currently about 530 staff members working at four locations: Munich , The Hague , Berlin and Vienna
VP 4's duties further include liaising with the Office's other organisational units (DG 1, DG 2, DG 3, DG 5 and the Presidential area), as well as co-operating with the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation and its sub-committees and, where appropriate, with external bodies (external stakeholders and other international organisations).
VP 4 is a full member of the EPO's Management Committee (MAC) and reports to and assists the President of the Office.
Minimum qualifications
Candidates must have completed studies at university level or have acquired equivalent knowledge over many years of professional activity. They are required to have at least 15 years' working experience, including at least 7 years in senior management positions. They should have managed a large organisational unit in a responsible position in the national or international, public or private sector. They should also have exercised effective leadership in human resources and have developed, implemented and delivered efficient use of human resources and innovative procurement policies. They should have a proven record in developing and implementing efficient and cost-effective service strategies.
Other requirements include excellent leadership skills through the management of managers, good communication skills and a thorough knowledge of at least one of the EPO's official languages (English, French and German) and the ability to understand the other two, a clear service orientation, the ability to deal efficiently with the various stakeholders (member states, users of the patent system, etc.) and a convincing way of managing people in a multicultural environment.
Interesting to know
For over 30 years, the EPO has been a very successful organisation. Along with the rest of the patent world, it is now facing a number of challenges. To reflect the requirements for this challenging position, the EPO is offering an attractive compensation package and generous social benefits.
Closing date and application procedure
Completed applications, including a CV and a reference showing the support of one of the delegations on the Administrative Council and/or the President of the EPO and quoting Ref. INT/EXT/5189, should be sent to the Chairman of the Administrative Council (c/o PD 4.3, Erhardtstr. 27, D-80469 Munich). The closing date for applications is 16.02.2012. The position is for a five-year term. Additional information about the EPO's activities and the dynamic field of intellectual property can be found at www.epo.org.
