SECRETARY GENERAL OF CEMR

The Post

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is looking to recruit its next Secretary General to succeed Jeremy Smith when he finishes his mandate at the end of this year. CEMR, founded in 1951, is the broadest European association of local and regional government; our current President is Michael Häupl, Mayor of Vienna. We have a staff of 17 persons, with offices in Brussels and Paris.

The post is a very diverse, interesting and complex one, which has both a political (but not party political) and a managerial dimension.

The Secretary General is the principal adviser to the President and the governing bodies on CEMR’s overall strategy. He/she is responsible for drawing up and implementing the yearly work programme, as approved by the Policy Committee.

The Secretary-General must be able to promote CEMR’s policies in an effective way towards the European Union, especially in relation to EU legislation, and also to the Council of Europe and other institutions.

He/she is also an advocate and leading ambassador for the organisation.

Networking and co-operation with member associations and communicating with the public are other essential aspects of this position.

CEMR’s members are the national associations of local and regional governments in 38 countries. Full information about CEMR is available on CEMR’s website, www.ccre.org.

The person

We are seeking a person who has a strong commitment to the principles and values of local and regional democracy.

Potential candidates will have a successful track record in management in a political environment. They will be likely to have direct experience of working in a local / regional government environment (as an officer or elected representative), or of working in a European or international organisation.

They must have a very good understanding of the international issues and challenges which impact on Europe’s local and regional governments, and in particular of the decision-making processes of the European Union.

In addition, this multi-faceted position requires excellent strategic analytical skills, inter-personal, advocacy and diplomatic skills of a high order, strong all-round management skills (including financial and staff management), and the ability to deliver practical, timely results.

The post-holder needs to have excellent English or French, and a high level of competence in the other. Other main European languages are, of course, an advantage.

The post is mainly based in Brussels, though it involves a large amount of travel.

The application pack with the full job description and person specification, plus information about the CEMR and on how to apply, can be obtained at the following address.

The deadline for applying for the position is Monday 28th September 2009.

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