Senior Cybersecurity Officer

www.euaa.europa.eu Tel: +356 2248 7500 info@euaa.europa.eu Winemakers Wharf Valletta, MRS 1917, MALTA External Vacancy Notice Reference: EUAA/2026/TA/017 Publication: External Title of function: Senior Cybersecurity Officer Category and grade: Temporary Agent* – AD 7

1. European Union Agency for Asylum

The European Union Agency for Asylum (hereinafter "EUAA"), established by Regulation (EU) 2021/23031, is a centre of expertise by virtue of its independence, the scientific and technical quality of the assistance it provides and the information it collects and disseminates, the transparency of its operating procedures and methods, its diligence in performing the tasks assigned to it, and the information technology support needed to fulfil its mandate.

Specifically, the EUAA focuses on:

• Contributing to ensuring the efficient and uniform application of Union law on asylum in the

Member States in a manner that fully respects fundamental rights.

• Facilitating and supporting the activities of the Member States in the implementation of the

Common European Asylum System (CEAS), including by enabling convergence in the assessment of applications for international protection across the Union and by coordinating and strengthening practical cooperation and information exchange.

• Improving the functioning of the CEAS, including through a monitoring mechanism and by providing operational and technical assistance to Member States, in particular where their asylum and reception systems are under disproportionate pressure.

The organisational chart of the Agency can be consulted on the EUAA’s website at: https://euaa.europa.eu/about-us/who-we-are The Agency’s headquarters are located in Malta with additional offices in Belgium, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus.

• See Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union at https://eur-

lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:01962R0031-20250101

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2. Job description

The Senior Cybersecurity Officer will be working in the Corporate Security Unit (CSU) and will be recommending, communicating, and coordinating the relevant cybersecurity controls for the entire IT infrastructure of the Agency. The jobholder will be leading the Cybersecurity Team that is part of the Corporate Security Unit. The Senior Cybersecurity Officer will be working in close cooperation with the Information & Communication Technology Unit (ICTU) and with special interest groups, other agencies, CERT-EU, National CERT, forums or professional associations within cybersecurity domain at EU level. The jobholder will report to the Head of the Corporate Security Unit and will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Lead the Cybersecurity Team and advise the Head of the Corporate Security Unit in all

cybersecurity matters;

2. Fulfill the role of the Local Cybersecurity Officer (LCO) of the Agency in accordance with the

Cybersecurity regulation 2023/2841;

3. Contribute to the definition, maintenance and implementation of cybersecurity policies,

strategies, baselines and action plans for all ICT environments, including cloud and hybrid infrastructures;

4. Support in the design, review and validation of IT architectures, ensuring appropriate

cybersecurity controls are correctly implemented and aligned with Agency policies and the EU regulatory frameworks;

5. Provide input to cybersecurity risk assessments (including threat modelling);
6. Participate in IT system specification, procurement and development processes to ensure

cybersecurity requirements are correctly defined, documented and enforced;

7. Identify, assess and prioritise cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities and emerging risks relevant

to the Agency’s operational and geopolitical context;

8. Contribute to planning and execution of security testing, including vulnerability scanning,

penetration testing, red team exercises and configuration reviews;

9. Provide ownership and expert support for assigned security operations services including

privileged access management, secret management, endpoint security, application security operations and network detection and response;

10. Collaborate with ICTU in accordance with the Incident Response Plans, including assigned

incident triage, containment, eradication, recovery and reporting activities;

11. Collaborate with CERT-EU, and internal system owners in responding to cybersecurity incidents;
12. Steer the validation of ICT changes to ensure they do not compromise confidentiality, integrity

or availability of Agency assets and that security requirements are met prior to deployment;

www.euaa.europa.eu Tel: +356 2248 7500 info@euaa.europa.eu Winemakers Wharf Valletta, MRS 1917, MALTA Page 3/10

13. Provide expertise regarding the operational security of AI systems, cryptographic services and

systems processing sensitive or personal data;

14. Contribute to business continuity, disaster recovery exercises and cybersecurity crisis

management planning;

15. Perform any other task, in the interest of the service, as required by the Head of Corporate

Security Unit.

3. Requirements

A) Eligibility Criteria Candidates will be considered eligible for selection based on the fulfilment of the following formal criteria, by the deadline for applications:

1. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 4 years

attested by a diploma and, after having obtained the university diploma, at least 6 years of appropriate professional experience, or have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma and, after having obtained the university diploma, at least 7 years of appropriate professional experience;

2. Be nationals of one of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein,

Norway, and Switzerland;

3. Be entitled to full rights as an EU citizen;
4. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws on military service;
5. Possess a thorough knowledge (level C1 in all dimensions as per the Common European

Framework of Reference for Languages or CEFRL) of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge (level B2 in all dimensions as per the CEFRL) of another one of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties pertaining to the post;

6. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved;

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7. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post.

B) Selection Criteria If the eligibility criteria set out in section A) Eligibility criteria are met, the candidates’ applications will be evaluated on the following selection criteria. These criteria have been subdivided into two categories: Essential and Advantageous Selection Criteria.

Please note that all Essential criteria are mandatory, meaning that no application will be assessed further if a candidate obtains a zero score in any of the Essential Criteria. The most suitable candidates with the highest overall scores will be invited to an interview. Essential

1. Professional experience of at least five years in positions relevant to section “2. Job description”

such as Information Security/Cybersecurity Officer or similar roles;

2. Good knowledge and practical experience in delivering technical controls guided by NIST

Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) version 2, and/or ISO/IEC 27001 or other Information/Cybersecurity frameworks;

3. Good knowledge of system security vulnerabilities, threats and exploit mechanisms,

penetration testing and remediation techniques;

4. Professional experience in direct management of security monitoring, application security

operations, forensic oversight, endpoints and cloud security, privileged access and cybersecurity aspects of AI and Data Privacy;

5. Professional experience in defining and implementing ‘zero-trust architecture’ type

cybersecurity controls for governmental organisations and practical knowledge and understanding of various security architectures within EUCI environments with different classification levels.

Advantageous

1. Professional experience in working and defining cybersecurity strategies and ICT policy

frameworks within the governmental agency environments and/or international organisations and/or EU Agencies/Institutions/Bodies;

2. Good knowledge of cyber risk analysis methodologies and threat modelling and professional

experience in monitoring, testing and evaluating cybersecurity controls' effectiveness, system security accreditation processes;

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3. University degree or post-graduate degree in information technology or

information/cybersecurity management or another field relevant to the job description;

4. Relevant certification in ICT security (such as CISSP, CISM, CISA or similar).

C) Evaluation during interviewing process Candidates invited to the interviewing process (interview and written test) will be assessed based on the essential and advantageous criteria described in this Section, and the following additional criteria relevant to the post:

1. Thorough written and spoken communication skills in English, the working language of the

EUAA;

2. Ability to use electronic office equipment and applications (word processing, spreadsheets,

presentations, electronic communication, internet etc.);

3. Excellent adaptability to coordinate a wide range of activities independently and to remain

effective under heavy workload;

4. Very good planning and organization skills; and service-oriented attitude;
5. Ability to translate goals into detailed action plans to deliver expected results on time;
6. Accuracy and attention to details;
7. Good communication skills, and ability to build and maintain effective working relationships

within a multicultural team and internal and external stakeholders;

8. Knowledge of the mission and organisation of the EUAA.

In addition, the successful candidate should act and abide by the EUAA’s values and the EUAA Core Competencies.

4. Recruitment process

The Regulation which provides the legal basis for the EUAA was adopted on 15 December 2021 (Official Journal of the European Union L 468 of 30.12.2021).

A) Identifying eligible candidates After the deadline for submission of applications, the Selection Committee will verify the submitted applications against the eligibility criteria described in Section 3A (“Eligibility Criteria”). Applications satisfying these conditions will then be assessed against the “Selection Criteria” under Section 3B.

www.euaa.europa.eu Tel: +356 2248 7500 info@euaa.europa.eu Winemakers Wharf Valletta, MRS 1917, MALTA Page 6/10 B) Further analysis of applications Following this initial assessment, the Selection Committee will compare the applications of eligible candidates with reference to:

• The Selection Criteria (“Essential” and “Advantageous”);
• The overall quality of the application and the candidates’ suitability for the post when compared to the established job profile.

Please note that the Essential Selection Criteria are mandatory, and no application will be further assessed if one of these criteria is not satisfied.

The Selection Committee will then establish a shortlist of the most suitable candidates to be invited for a written test, an interview, and/or other tests based on the order of merit. These assessments will be held in English and, where applicable, other languages.

Both shortlisted and not shortlisted candidates will be notified thereof. C) Assessment phase The assessment phase is composed of the following components:

• Technical competency written test and/or any other assessment deemed necessary for the post;
• Interview with the Selection Committee.

The assessment phase will be devised to evaluate the following components:

• General aptitude and language abilities to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties in accordance with Article 12(2)(e) of the Conditions of Employment of other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• Specific competences with reference to the applicants' profiles in line with the selection criteria included in the Vacancy Notice.

Please note that only candidates who are successful in the interview and written test will have the possibility of being placed on the reserve list.

This selection procedure may be organised online. In such case, further information will be provided by the Agency to candidates invited for an interview regarding the practical modalities for the assessment.

www.euaa.europa.eu Tel: +356 2248 7500 info@euaa.europa.eu Winemakers Wharf Valletta, MRS 1917, MALTA Page 7/10 D) Verification of supporting documents Only candidates who receive an offer letter will be required to present originals or certified copies of the documents listed below to confirm the accuracy and eligibility of the application against their supporting documents:

• A document proving their citizenship (e.g., passport);
• Any academic qualification mentioned in the application;
• Any professional experience mentioned in the application.

E) Establishing a reserve list A reserve list will be established based on the outcome of the assessment phase and will remain valid until the end of the current year from the date of its establishment. The reserve list may be extended at the discretion of the Executive Director. The established reserve list may be used for the recruitment of a similar post depending on the needs of EUAA. Candidates shall note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee recruitment. Recruitment will be based on availability of posts and budget.

Prior to taking up duties, the successful candidate will be asked to undergo a compulsory medical examination by one of the institutions' medical officers which will enable the EUAA to ensure that he/she fulfils the requirement stated in Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulations of the Officials of the European Union.

The selected candidate shall be required to undergo a vetting procedure executed by the National Security Authority of the applicant’s state of citizenship in order to obtain a personnel security clearance. The level of the latter depends on the specific post/position. Candidates who at the time of request hold a valid personnel security clearance at the required level (or higher) may not need to obtain a new one, pending confirmation from their respective National Security Authority. The National Security Authority of the candidate shall provide the Agency with an opinion or a personnel security clearance in accordance with relevant national legislation. In case the selected candidate does not currently hold a valid security clearance at the above-mentioned level, the EUAA will request such from the National Security Authority of the candidate’s state of citizenship. In case of a failure to obtain the required personnel security clearance or if the National Security Agency issues a negative opinion at the above-mentioned level after the signature of the contract of employment, the Agency has the right to terminate the contract of employment.

5. Equal opportunities

The EUAA applies an equal opportunities policy and accepts applications without discriminating on the basis of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion, political or

www.euaa.europa.eu Tel: +356 2248 7500 info@euaa.europa.eu Winemakers Wharf Valletta, MRS 1917, MALTA Page 8/10 any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

6. Conditions of employment

The successful candidate(s) will be appointed by the Executive Director following the selection procedure and will be recruited as a Temporary Agent according to Article 2(f) of the CEOS for a period of 5 years, which may be renewed. The Temporary Agent will undergo an initial probation period of nine months.

The Temporary Agent post in question will be placed in group AD 7. The basic salary of a Temporary Agent, AD 7 (step 1) is EUR 7,876.27 which is weighted by the local correction coefficient (for Malta currently 92.4%). In addition to the basic salary, the EUAA offers various allowances and benefits depending on personal circumstances, such as:

• Family allowances;
• Expatriation or foreign residence allowance;
• Entry into service-related allowances (travel expenses, daily subsistence allowances, removal expenses, installation allowances);
• Annual travel allowances;
• Social benefits;
• Benefits stemming from Agreements with national Governments;
• Benefits stemming from Service Level Agreements with pre-schools and schools;
• Wide range of leave entitlements;
• Benefits to support work-life balance;
• Relocation services in Malta.

The salaries of Staff members are subject to a European Union tax deducted at source. Staff members are exempt from national tax on salary and are members of the European Union social security and pension scheme.

For further information on Conditions of Employment please refer to EUAA website section Work for EUAA and to Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS). The place of employment is Malta.

7. Application procedure

All of the EUAA’s vacancies can be found on our Vacancies page and online e-Recruitment tool. For applications to be valid, candidates shall use the EUAA’s online e-Recruitment tool to create a candidate account, activate it, and complete all sections of the application form, as detailed in the User Manual found on the landing page. Candidates are requested to complete their application in English.

www.euaa.europa.eu Tel: +356 2248 7500 info@euaa.europa.eu Winemakers Wharf Valletta, MRS 1917, MALTA Page 9/10 Incomplete applications will be disqualified and treated as non-eligible. Please note that the selection process may take several months. In order to facilitate the selection process, all correspondence to candidates concerning this vacancy will be in English. Candidates should not approach, directly or indirectly, the Selection Committee under any circumstances in relation to this recruitment process. The Executive Director reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.

Closing date: The closing date for the submission of applications is 8 September 2026 at 12:00 pm (noon - Malta time). The Agency will disregard any application received after this date and time. Applicants are strongly advised not to wait until the date of the deadline to submit their applications. The EUAA is not held responsible for any delays in submission of applications due to technical difficulties or any other factors that may arise.

If a candidate is found to have provided false information at any stage in the selection procedure, the Agency is within its capacity to disqualify the candidate in question.

8. Data protection

The purpose of processing of the data submitted by the candidate is to manage the application(s) of the candidate in view of a possible selection and recruitment at the EUAA. The Agency does not make public the names of successful candidates on reserve lists. However, it is possible that, for the purposes of recruitment and related planning purposes, members of the Agency’s management may have access to reserve lists and, in specific cases, to the application of a candidate. The personal information requested will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC. You may find more information on the processing of your personal data here: Data Protection Notice Recruitment for Temporary and Contract Staff.

9. Appeal procedures

Any person to whom the Staff Regulations and the CEOS apply may submit to the competent Authority Empowered to Conclude Contracts of Employment a complaint against an act affecting him/her

www.euaa.europa.eu Tel: +356 2248 7500 info@euaa.europa.eu Winemakers Wharf Valletta, MRS 1917, MALTA Page 10/10 adversely within 3 months, pursuant to Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations and under the conditions laid down therein. Complaints concerning this selection procedure may be lodged either by post or by e-mail using the following contact details: The Executive Director Winemakers Wharf, MRS 1917 Malta E-mail: edsecretariat@euaa.europa.eu Any person to whom the Staff Regulations and the CEOS apply may also lodge an action before the General Court of the EU within 3 months, pursuant to Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations and under the conditions laid down therein. More information about the submission of an action before the General Court of the EU can be found here.

Any citizen of the EU or natural person residing in the EU may lodge a complaint with the European Ombudsman pursuant to Article 228(1) of the TFEU in respect of an instance of maladministration. The complaint must be lodged within 2 years of the date when the facts on which it is based came to the attention of the complainant, and after making the appropriate administrative approaches to the EUAA, pursuant to Article 2(3) of the Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/11639 and under the conditions laid down therein. More information about the submission of a complaint before the European Ombudsman can be found here.

Please note that complaints with the European Ombudsman do not affect the time limits to file a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations or to lodge an action before the General Court of the EU pursuant to Article 270 of the TFEU and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations, in accordance with Article 2(8) of the Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163.