The ICT Department has the responsibility for devising, delivering and operating critical technology capabilities and solutions supporting the core mission and support processes of Europol. Over 150 internal staff members and a significant number of domain-specific consultants are responsible for devising, developing, delivering and operating information management and communication technology capabilities that ensure enhanced criminal information analysis and exchange among Europol, Member States and third parties.
Organisational setting:
The ICT Strategy & Execution Coordination Unit is responsible for maintaining/updating the ICT strategic direction and operating model, for the overarching planning coordination and implementation of the project portfolio, governing the ICT landscape and for progressing data science and AI activities. The Unit comprises of teams responsible for: ICT Project Execution & Coordination, ICT Architecture and Data Science & AI. Other activities performed by the Unit include budget forecasting and financial implementation, contract management, procurement coordination in the ICT suppliers’ space and corporate reporting.
The selected candidate will work in a team of architects, each one predominantly focused in the specific architecture domain area for which they are most competent, but all closely cooperating as a team, coordinated by a Senior Specialist who reports to the Head of ICT Strategy & Execution Unit.
The selected candidate will cooperate closely with other software, security engineering and operations teams, providing hands-on architecture guidance and contributing to solution engineering, technical product management in the area of competence.
The growing diversity and urgency of Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects, products and deployment models is creating the need for an AI architect role.
This role will be key to facilitating widespread AI adoption and successful scalable AI implementation within Europol’s current solution landscape and regulations.
Purpose of the post:
As an AI architect, the job holder will lead the design of Europol’s robust enterprise-wide AI adoption via governance, technology and processes, to enhance Europol’s solutions and to further develop an AI-enabled architecture strategy.
The AI architect works closely with fellow architects and other teams, including data scientists, machine learning experts, management and other (operational) stakeholders.
As an AI architect, the job holder will be deeply involved in helping Europol move forward with further integrating AI into existing systems and prepare systems for new programs and applications to keep pace with emerging trends.
The job holder will create the necessary foundations to support AI initiatives, often working with a team to develop AI-based architectures, manage deployment, and identify uses for current and future business needs. The job involves strategizing and making decisions about AI applications and systems.
It is further expected that the job holder will be a change agent to help the organization adopt an AI-driven mindset. The AI architect will take a pragmatic approach to the limitations and risks of AI, and project a realistic picture in front of IT executives who provide overall digital thought leadership.
Reporting lines:
The selected candidate will report to the Head of Team Architecture / Head of ICT Strategy & Execution Unit.
The incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:
• Define AI architecture and guide leaders and decision-makers in choosing compatible technologies;
• Promote AI adoption: by collaborating with data scientists and other AI professionals by identifying and piloting use cases;
• Provide solution design: create architectural designs and roadmaps for AI-enabled systems, ensuring they align with business objectives and technical requirements;
• Provide technology evaluation: assess and select appropriate tools, frameworks, and technologies for AI projects, keeping up with the latest advancements in the field;
• Support and enable data quality: define data requirements and strategies, ensuring the availability and quality of data necessary for training and using AI models;
• Promote collaboration: work closely with data scientists, software engineers, and business stakeholders to ensure seamless integration of AI solutions into existing systems;
• Conduct performance optimization: monitor and optimize AI models for performance, scalability, and reliability, making adjustments as needed;
• Promote compliance and ethics: ensure that AI systems comply with legal, ethical, and regulatory standards, addressing issues like bias and data privacy;
• Provide documentation and training: document designs and processes and may provide training or guidance to teams on best practices in AI development;
• Perform any other duties in the area of competence as assigned by line management.
REQUIREMENTS - ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA
REQUIREMENTS - ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
a. Candidates must
• Be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union and enjoy full rights as a citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as further specified in Article 13 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);
• Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.
b. Candidates must have
• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four 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 one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years;
OR
• Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:
Duration of professional training Additional professional experience required for equivalency
More than 6 months and up to 1 year 4 years
More than 1 year and up to 2 years 3 years
More than 2 years and up to 3 years 2 years
More than 3 years 1 year
• In addition to the above at least 9 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.
REQUIREMENTS - SELECTION CRITERIA:
a. Professional experience:
Essential:
• Experience leading or managing AI-enabled projects including designing and deploying AI models into production and monitoring their performance;
• Experience working with machine learning models, algorithms, and frameworks as well as with statistical and mathematical models used in AI methods;
• Experience in software engineering, including proficiency in programming languages like Python, Java, or C++, as well as application design;
• Experience in design of data acquisition, extraction, cleansing, pipelining, reporting, analytics solutions;
• Experience with large scale operational systems in production, mixing custom built and COTS solutions;
• Experience in architecture modelling, notations and methods applicable to data and information architecture, with experience preferably in Archimate, BPMN, DEMO, TOGAF.
b. Professional knowledge:
Essential:
• Knowledge of AI-enabled design and pipeline development. Understand the workflow and system-level architectures of Machine Learning and Deep Learning pipelines;
• Knowledge of AI and machine learning libraries (like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn) and data processing tools (such as Apache Spark or Hadoop);
• Knowledge of data and information governance methods, roles, techniques;,
• Knowledge of software engineering and DevOps principles, including knowledge of DevOps workflows and tools, such as Git, containers, Kubernetes and CI/CD;
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure) and their AI services;
• Knowledge of Data Science and advanced Analytics, including knowledge of advanced analytics tools (such as SAS, R and Python) along with applied mathematics, ML and Deep Learning frameworks (such as TensorFlow)
• Knowledge of AI trends.
c. General competencies
Essential:
Communicating:
• Excellent communication skills in English, both orally and in writing.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various audiences.
Analysing & problem solving:
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills including the ability to anticipate potential problems, determine and implement solutions.
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.
Delivering quality and results:
• High degree of commitment and flexibility.
• High level of customer and service-orientation.
• Ability to display initiative and a drive for improvement.
Prioritising and organising:
• Excellent organizational skills including the ability to plan work load, establish clear priorities and exercise initiative.
• Ability to manage projects and familiarity with project management terminology and methodology.
Resilience:
• Excellent ability to work well both independently and in a team.
• Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.
Living diversity:
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with co-workers in an international and multi-disciplinary work environment.
Advising:
• Strong ability to synthesise various data into a coherent and relevant whole, transforming it into a valuable and correct conclusion.
• Building constructive relationships with clients, adequately identifying and managing their needs and expectations, and giving well-grounded advice.
d. Additional conditions:
Fulfil the condition stipulated in Article 5 of the Decision of the Executive Director on the Duration of contracts of employment for Temporary Agents, on the start date of the possible contract of employment which may be offered.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
All applications for Temporary Agent posts must be submitted through the online recruitment system accessible via Europol’s website. For further information, please consult the Europol Recruitment Guidelines.
The Authority Authorised to Conclude Contracts of Employment (AACC) sets up a Selection Committee, composed of at least three members, consisting of one chair and at least one member from the administration and one member designated by the Staff Committee.
The selection criteria, set out in this Vacancy Notice, will be assessed by the Selection Committee throughout the different stages of the selection procedure. Before the start of the selection procedure, the Selection Committee will decide which selection criteria will be used at each stage of the selection procedure. Certain selection criteria will be assessed only for shortlisted candidates during a written test and/or a competency-based interview.
The Selection Committee will assess the applications received in order to make an initial selection of those candidates meeting all eligibility criteria and matching best the selection criteria (suitability).
The minimum pass-mark for being shortlisted, i.e. invited to participate in a post-related selection procedure, consisting of a written test and a competency-based interview, is established as 60% of the total maximum score.
The Selection Committee will shortlist the 8 highest scoring candidates. All candidates having a score equal to the 8thhighest scoring candidate will be invited to take part in the selection procedure. At shortlisting stage, the Selection Committee will establish the pass-mark for the selection procedure.
It is intended for the selection procedure to be conducted remotely. Should the Selection Committee consider it necessary to conduct the selection procedure on-site at Europol in the interest of the proceedings, and subject to budget availability, the candidates invited to participate in the selection procedure will be informed accordingly.
After the selection procedure has taken place, the Selection Committee will establish a list of successful candidates, i.e. those scoring above the pre-defined pass-mark, which is shared with the AACC.
The Selection Committee makes a proposal to the AACC on the candidate(s) to appoint. Following that proposal, the AACC makes a decision of appointment.
Candidates who participated in the interview will be informed of the outcome, i.e. whether they have been successful or not. In view of the list of successful candidates established by the Selection Committee, the AACC retains the discretion to constitute a Reserve List. A Reserve List is valid for 24 months.
Candidates who participated in the interview will be informed of the outcome, i.e. whether they have been successful or not.
The Selection Committee’s work and deliberations are confidential. It is forbidden for candidates to make direct or indirect contact with the members of the Selection Committee or for anyone to do so on their behalf.
All enquiries related to a selection procedure should be addressed to the Europol HR Operational Support Team. Detailed information on the selection procedure- including enquiries, measures of redress and their applicable deadlines is available in the Europol Recruitment Guidelines, which can be found on Europol’s website.
COMPENSATION, TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Scale: AD8
The basic monthly salary is EUR 8,553.32 (step 1) or EUR 8,912.72 (step 2).
The step in grade is determined on the basis of professional experience gained after the education required for the position and in line with applicable implementing rules.
Staff pay EU tax at source but salaries are exempt from national taxes. Compulsory deductions are made for medical insurance, pension and unemployment insurance.
Subject to the applicable conditions being met, as defined in the EU Staff Regulations (EUSR)/CEOS and further specified in the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, allowances such as expatriation allowance (16% of basic gross salary) or foreign residence allowance (4% of basic gross salary), household allowance, dependent child and/or education allowance may be granted.
Staff enjoy worldwide insurance coverage by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) and are insured against sickness, the risk of occupational disease and accident (conditions and ceilings apply).
Europol offers flexible working arrangements, a comprehensive provision for annual leave as well as parental leave supporting a healthy work-life balance.
Indicative net salary sample calculation AD8/1:
a) Staff member (single) in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 8,593.23
b) Staff member with two dependent children in their custody in receipt of expatriation allowance (16%): EUR 10,866.96
The above information is indicative and for information purposes only. It is merely meant to give an indication of your possible net salary in light of the currently applicable amounts of the related allowances and the level of taxation. It has no legal value and no rights can be derived from it.
The information is based on figures applicable as of July 2024.
Contract of employment
The successful candidate will be engaged in the type of post Administrator and function group AD, grade 8 pursuant to Article 2(f) CEOS and Annex I to the EUSR.
The initial contract will be concluded for a period of 4 years (full-time – 40 hours a week). The contract may be renewed, in principle, for a period of 2 years. Any further renewal shall be for an indefinite duration.
If the successful candidate is already a member of temporary staff 2(f) in the relevant function group, he/she may be offered the opportunity of contract continuity, should the relevant conditions be fulfilled.
Conditions of engagement
Before the employment contract is concluded by Europol, the successful candidate will have to:
• declare any conflict of interest;
• undergo a pre-employment medical examination to confirm that he/she is physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post or, alternatively, receive the confirmation from Europol that he/she fulfils the conditions laid down in the Decision of the Deputy Executive Director of the Capabilities Directorate on the pre-employment medical examination available on www.europol.europa.eu;
The place of employment will be The Hague, The Netherlands.
For further information on terms and conditions, please consult the EUSR/CEOS available on Europol’s website.
Probation period
Engagement for this post is subject to the successful completion of a probationary period of 9 months.
If the successful candidate chooses contract continuity, and has already successfuly completed the probationary period provided for in Article 14 of the CEOS, in the relevant function group, he/she will not serve the probationary period.
Europol reserves the right to terminate the contract of employment during or at the end of the probation period in accordance with Article 14 CEOS.
Security screening and certificate of good conduct
Candidates who have been recruited to a post at Europol are required to furnish a valid certificate of good conduct before the start of their employment. The certificate of good conduct must be provided to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract. The certificate of good conduct must be issued by the relevant authorities of the country of nationality of the candidate and must not be older than three months at the time of submission to Europol. Europol reserves the right not to proceed with the signature of the contract based on the content of the certificate or if the candidate fails to provide the certificate to Europol.
The certificate of good conduct does not substitute a valid security clearance required for all Europol staff at the level indicated in the vacancy notice. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the employment contract.
Candidates who currently hold a valid security clearance at the level indicated in the vacancy notice or above do not need to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a new security clearance and must provide a copy of the current security clearance certificate to Europol prior to the signature of the employment contract. Europol shall verify and confirm the continued validity of the security clearance. In case Europol determines that the security clearance is not valid, the candidate will be required to provide a valid certificate of good conduct prior to the signature of the employment contract. Europol may at any time terminate the employment contract if the result of the security screening is not positive and the necessary clearance level is not granted or extended.
The requested level of security clearance for this post is: CONFIDENTIAL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Equal opportunity
Europol is an equal opportunity employer. Europol accepts applications without distinction on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, national, ethnic or social origin, religion or beliefs, family situation, age, disability, or other non-merit factors. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications, experience and skills.
Europol lives diversity and provides an inclusive work environment to all. Europol strives to recruit, develop and retain a diverse and talented workforce through application of equal opportunity and impartiality.
Privacy Notice
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, applies to the processing of personal data carried out in the process of selection and recruitment of staff at Europol, following the application of this Regulation to all administrative personal data held by Europol in accordance with Article 46 of the Europol Regulation.
For additional information, please consult the applicable privacy notice available on Europol’s website, also inserted in the EUROPOL RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES.
Statutory obligations upon leaving the service
Pursuant to Article 16 of the EUSR, EU officials and, by analogy, temporary agents continue to be bound by the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance of certain appointments or benefits after leaving the service. Those staff members intending to engage in an occupational activity within two years of leaving the service shall inform their institution, so that it may take an appropriate decision in that respect. In cases where the intended activity is related to the work carried out by the staff member during the last three years of service and could lead to a conflict with the legitimate interests of the institution, the decision to be taken may include forbidding the staff member from undertaking it or giving its approval subject to any conditions it thinks fit.
Main dates
Publication date: 06 February 2025
Deadline for application: 07 March 2025, 23:59 Amsterdam Time Zone
Selection procedure: April 2025
