Job description

Purpose of the position

Are you looking for a challenging job and want to contribute to the protection of the North Sea? The scientific department MUMM of the Institute of Natural Sciences, which is responsible for the management of the marine environment, is recruiting a scientific collaborator to strengthen the national programme of aerial surveillance above the sea. The employee will work within a team as aerial operator in a marine policy framework, in collaboration with various government partners in the framework of the Coast Guard (for further information on this programme: see https://odnature.naturalsciences.be/mumm/en/aerial-surveillance/missions).

Outcome areas

Your objectives and core tasks are:

1.      Conducting regular control flights over the sea operating remote sensing instruments on board our aircraft,

2.      Analysis of results and the broader framework of law enforcement at sea in the field of marine pollution,

3.      Contributing to the daily management of the aircraft and monitoring programme.

Employer

There is 1 position open in the service MUMM of OD Nature, at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (address: Vautier street 29, 1000 Brussels).

The activity group for the position is: II. Science public service

Department / Unit / Team: MUMM – surveillance team, consisting of 4 staff members responsible for organising the aerial surveillance programme.

Federal scientific institution recruiter: Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) – for more info, see https://www.naturalsciences.be/en/science

Skills

Behavioural skills

You have broad interests and are eager to learn

You are stress resistant and operationally minded

You are a team player, but also able to work autonomously

You are mobile and enthusiastic for field work with many moves (between Brussels, Antwerp and Ostend) and irregular hours.

Technical skills

You have already acquired scientific or maritime experience or knowledge useful for surveillance over the sea.

Assets

Knowledge of the second national language and English, technical knowledge related to the use and management of remote sensing instrumentation - or other equipment.

Conditions for consideration

Your profile

You have a University degree (Master) in science, engineering or nautical sciences – incl. marine engineering

Experience required

No specific work experience is required.

Job offer

Contract and category

Applicant recruited as category SW1

You will be hired under a fixed-term (1 year with possibility of extension)  contract as a trainee assistant on the SW1 salary scale.

Minimum pay: 45.525,72 EUR (SW10) (gross annual salary, at the current index, legal benefits not factored in).

Benefits

We offer you an interesting job with a social impact, which comes with a number of benefits:

• A good work-life balance
  • flexible working hours of 38 or 40 hours (with compensatory adjustment) per week
  • option of taking compensatory leave for overtime worked in operations
  • offices closed between Christmas and New Year's Day; however, flights may take place in this period
  • possibility of working from home
  • 26 days of paid leave (for a year of full time employment)
  • easy commuting using public transport

• numerous opportunities for self-growth
  • numerous opportunities for training and apprenticeship (during working hours)

• Financial benefits
  • holiday and end-of-year bonus
  • laptop provided
  • possibility of receiving a bilingualism bonus
  • hospitalisation insurance provided
  • supplementary pension (occupational pension)
  • free use of public transport for commuting between your home and the place of work
  • meal vouchers (€6 per day)
  • (if applicable) work from home/office allowance
  • possibility of receiving a bicycle allowance for travel via bicycle
  • Benefits and offers via the Benefits@Work card
  • a range of fringe benefits (subject to conditions)
  • free entry to the RBINS and other federal scientific institutions with the Belspo card (Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Planetarium, etc.)
  • 10% discount at the Museum shop and Dino Café
  • Attractions & Tourism pass (subject to conditions)

Conditions for employment

If you are selected through this procedure, you must – in order to be hired – fulfil the following requirements on the date of selection:

• Enjoy full civil and political rights
• Behave in a manner fitting of the requirements of the position
• Hold the necessary degree(s)
• Have the necessary skills and fulfil the requirements listed in the job profile

Procedure

Step 1 – Verification of the participation conditions

You will be considered in the selection procedure if you fulfil all of the required conditions. Verification will be carried out by the selection board on the basis of the application documents you have submitted. The board will decide whether the qualifications, awards and experiences you have submitted meet the requirements of the position. If they do, you will be invited to continue to the next step of the procedure.

Depending on the number of applications received, the selection board reserves the right to limit the number of applicants eligible for the next step by selecting those applicants it deems most suitable for the position.

Step 2 – Interview

The interview will take place at the Institute on 28 February 2025. Further details will be sent to you by one of our employees via email.

The selection board assesses whether the qualifications, awards and experience you included in your application documents meet the requirements for the position.

If you fail to attend

If you fail to attend the additional evaluation and/or interview, you will be automatically excluded from the remainder of the selection procedure unless you provide evidence, within three days, that your absence was justified for one of the following reasons:

• illness
• emergency relating to a member of your household (= anyone who lives with the applicant) or family (= spouse or legal cohabitant of the applicant, parents or grandparents of the applicant)
• mandatory presence at your workplace
• disruption or delay to public transport of at least 30 minutes
• force majeure

If applicable, you may request, within 10 days of the interview date, to be interviewed by the board. A new date will then be offered to you.

Notification

If you are not selected in a step, the procedure will end and you will not be invited to any subsequent evaluations in the same selection procedure.

For each step, you will receive a notification of the result.

Equal opportunities and reasonable accommodations

The Federal Administration has an active diversity policy.

Do you live with a disability, with learning difficulties or an illness? If so, you can request accommodations for the selection procedure. Please contact the individual listed under the “Contact persons” section.

Facilities provided for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding

Are you pregnant or breastfeeding your child? If so, you can request access to the relevant facilities. Please contact the individual listed under the “Contact persons” section.

Final result

What happens if you are selected?

Following the selection procedure, an unranked group of applicants will be placed on a short-list. These applicants will be those deemed most suitable to fill the open position in accordance with the conditions for consideration.

How long will this list remain valid?

A short-list of selected applicants will be created that will be valid for 3 months.

Apply

Do you want to apply?  Send your application documents by email to wvanroy@naturalsciences.be, including the selection reference in the subject line.

Your application documents must include:

• an updated CV
• a cover letter
• a copy (or copies) of the degree certificates with all associated annexes

The closing date for sending your application is 21/02/2025 (inclusive).

Applications that do not follow the indicated procedure will not be considered.

Contact persons

Concerning the position:

For more information about the position, please contact:

VAN ROY Ward – SURV coordinator – +32-(0)476 94 04 08 – wvanroy@naturalsciences.be

Concerning the selection procedure:

For more information about the selection procedure, please contact:

RICHARD Alexis – Head HR –  +32 (0)2 627 42 56 – HR@naturalsciences.be

If you want to request a reasonable accommodation for the selection procedure or access to facilities for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, please also contact this person.

We promote diversity and place great importance on an inclusive working environment with equal opportunities, regardless of sexual identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation or age. We actively encourage people of different origins and with different characteristics to submit their application