VACANCY NOTICE

Secretary General of the Cyprus Youth Council

One of the highest positions in the Cypriot youth movement

Deadline: 22 May (23h59 EET)

The Cyprus Youth Council is the umbrella organisation of Youth Organisations in Cyprus. The Cyprus Youth Council (CYC) was founded in 1996 as a non – governmental, non – profit organization. It aims to promote the dialogue and cooperation between youth in Cyprus and also to connect them with youth in Europe and globally. CYC is in continuous cooperation with the European Youth Forum. Among the areas of interest of the CYC, is anything relating to youth, including human rights and equality, employment and social issues, active citizenship and life- long learning, non-formal education and youth policies. The CYC seeks to act as a platform of exchange and communication between all youth organisations – political and non-political in Cyprus.

The Cyprus Youth Council (CYC) is now looking for a new Secretary General for the organisation. The person selected will hold one of the highest positions in the Cypriot youth movement. The position is based in Nicosia.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Secretary General will be the executive head of the Cyprus Youth Council. He/She will be responsible for the supervision, management and coordination of the day to day operations and overall work of the CYC and its officers. He/She will also perform all his/her duties as General Secretary. He/She will be immediately responsible to the Executive Secretariat of the Cyprus Youth Council and he/she will be executing the decisions of the executive secretariat. He/She will be reporting daily and coordinating with the President and the Vice Presidents of the Cyprus Youth Council accordingly, as set by the statute of the Cyprus Youth Council.

The Secretary General will be appointed by the Executive Secretariat of the CYC in June 2019 for a three-year mandate, renewable once for a second two-year mandate, upon positive decision of the Executive Secretariat.

In accordance with the Cyprus Youth Council Statutes, the Secretary General shall:

• Supervise and co-ordinate the work of the Secretariat;
• Be responsible for the daily functioning of the Cyprus Youth Council following the decisions of the Executive Secretariat;
• Plan and manage the organisation’s advocacy work;
• Act as a key external representative of the organisation.

REQUIRED SKILLS

Leadership & Management

• Proven leadership capacity;
• Confidentiality;
• Impartiality;
• Proven organisational, project management and strategic planning skills;
• Excellent problem management and decision-making skills;
• Excellent organisational communication skills: active listening, empathy and diplomacy;
• Able to manage different priorities and responsibilities;
• Able to proactively anticipate on possible opportunities and consequences.

Public Representation

• Proven public speaking representation skills;
• Able to articulate and promote the vision of the organisation;
• Demonstrate clarity, concision and confidence;
• Excellent advocacy, negotiation and persuasion skills;
• Excellent oral, written and digital communication skills;
• Able to work with and report to a volunteer-led Board;
• Able and willing to work with youth organisations from all communities of Cyprus. Prior experience will be considered an advantage.
• Understanding of cultural differences and ability to work in an international and intercultural environment.

MINIMUM SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

The candidates for the CYC Secretary-General position must satisfy the minimum selection requirements, in order to be taken into consideration. These are listed below:

• Able and willing to work flexible hours outside normal working hours and when required on weekends (regulated contractually) – subsidized accordingly
• Able and willing to travel frequently abroad (regulated contractually)
• Available to start the position immediately, with a mandate to start by June 1^st the latest
• Graduate from a recognized academic institution with a BA/BSc, with an equivalent minimum of a Second-class degree
• Excellent written and oral knowledge of Greek Language (Minimum Requirements and Equivalent of: Native Greek Language – Graduate of a Greek speaking high school/university and/or holder of Διαπίστωση Άριστης Γνώσης Ελληνικής Γλώσσας of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus)
• Very good command of the English Language (written and oral). A relevant certification from an accredited organization or academic institution is required;
• Prior good experience in non-formal education
• Prior experience in drafting resolution
• Prior experience in the creation of successful application(s) and management of Erasmus + and/or other European/International funded project(s)
• Have completed all military obligations, or has acquired a relevant exemption (if applicable)
• Clear criminal record certificate will be required for the selected candidate and must be present before contractual agreement

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Secretary-General will be selected in line with the following criteria:

• Knowledge and proven experience in Youth Policies and Strategies in Local and European level;
• Extensive experience and good knowledge of the Cyprus Youth Council, the European Youth Forum, youth work issues and working of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations;
• Ability to be one of the key external representatives of the Cyprus Youth Council, and therefore possess high skills in public speaking and presentation;
• A master’s degree will be considered as an advantage;
• Previous experience in Local/European/international institutions will be considered as an advantage;
• Experience in human resources, financial and project management will be considered as an advantage;
• Very good knowledge of any additional EU language or Turkish (oral and written), will be considered as an advantage;
• Basic Budgeting and accounting knowledge will be considered an advantage.

WHAT WE OFFER

• An international and dynamic working environment with young people;
• A key position in the youth movement in Cyprus;
• A contact network among youth leaders in Cyprus and the EU;
• The possible maximum duration of the mandate for the post is until May 2024.

TERMS OF CONTRACT

The duration of the contract is three years. The contract is renewable for a period of two years upon positive decision of the Executive Secretariat. An attractive and competitive remuneration package will be provided according to qualifications and experience.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Please send your CV and a cover letter preferably in English by the 22 May 2019 to [email protected]  quoting the title Secretary General of the Cyprus Youth Council in the subject line.

The Cyprus Youth Council aims to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the ground of race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, gender, marital status, caring responsibilities, sexual orientation, disability or chronic illness.

In order to facilitate the selection process, all communication to candidates concerning this vacancy will be in English.

All candidates are kindly requested to refrain from any phone inquiries.

The selected candidates will be informed on the next steps of the process.