​​Head of Unit Administration

Duties

FRA is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Administration to lead and continuously modernise its core administrative services. Reporting directly to the Director, this key middle management role is vital to ensuring high standards of good administration across the agency — defined by transparency, efficiency, service orientation, and responsiveness. The post covers a broad portfolio of responsibilities, including human resources, finance, procurement, legal affairs, unit’s planning, digital services, security, facilities and quality management, and involves close cooperation with the Director, and the middle management team.  

The role requires a strong combination of managerial expertise, capacity to optimise administrative processes, and the ability to build and lead a motivated and multidisciplinary team. The Head of Administration contributes significantly to maintaining FRA as an agile, inclusive, sustainable and accountable public body, capable of delivering high-quality results in a dynamic institutional context. 

The position will entail the following main tasks and responsibilities: 

Specific to the post 

Internal Governance and Good Administration

• Ensure agile and modern administrative practices that support timely decision-making, efficient use of resources, adaptive planning, supporting the organisation’s operational and strategic goals.
• Simplify, harmonise and optimise internal processes and procedures to reduce administrative burden and strengthen internal governance and operations, while ensuring compliance with applicable legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Foster and integrate a culture of effective administration throughout all units, ensuring lawful conduct, accountability, consistency, transparency, and a service-oriented approach.
• Contribute proactively to change management, strengthening the agency’s ability to respond to evolving strategic and operational priorities and to emerging risks, while increasing its resilience.

Planning and Performance Management

• Lead the development and implementation of administrative Management Plans, using modern planning tools and dashboards, that are aligned with strategic objectives, programming documents and the available resources. 
• Coordinate Administration input to key institutional documents (e.g. Single Programming Document, Consolidated Annual Activity Report) and ensure that unit planning and its implementation are effectively linked to performance monitoring and reporting. 
• Drive the optimisation of evidence-based insights across administrative functions to maximise resource efficiency, streamline processes and enhance service delivery performance.  
• Oversee the collection, accuracy and integrity of data generated at the level of unit’s services, ensuring it meets regulatory standards and supports informed, transparent decision-making.

Financial Management, Procurement

• Ensure sound financial management and reporting, including legal compliance with EU public procurement and financial rules. 
• Coordinate the agency’s overall budget and resource allocation, encompassing the phases of implementation, monitoring and reporting. 
• Oversee procurement and contract management, including procurement planning and execution, to ensure value for money. 

Human Resources and Organisational Capacity

• Oversee all HR policies and processes, including workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, learning and development, and entitlements administration, in line with EU Staff Regulations. 
• Drive internal mobility, strategic allocation of staff and skills-based workforce planning to enhance flexibility and organisational agility. 
• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as healthy and psychologically safe working conditions, which enable performance, motivation, and wellbeing of staff. 

Legal Affairs and Compliance

• Oversee the organisation’s legal affairs, including staff matters, contracts, agreements, regulatory compliance, and legal representation of the agency in case of litigation. 

Digital Services, Cybersecurity and AI integration

• Lead the organisation’s digital and cybersecurity strategy, ensuring the deployment of secure, safe, efficient and innovative systems and infrastructure. 
• Promote digital transformation and automation across administrative functions, with a focus on smart and agile workflows, remote-friendly tools, and user-centred design. 
• Ensure the responsible and legally compliant use of emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, and build staff awareness and capability through targeted guidance and training. 

Quality Management, Risk management and Audit Coordination

• Oversee the implementation and continuous optimisation of the organisation’s Internal Control Framework, and coordinate responses to external auditing bodies, ensuring timely follow-up of recommendations.  
• Promote a risk-aware culture by embedding risk management practices into planning, operations and decision-making.  
• Drive quality management initiatives, promoting a culture of administrative excellence, accountability and continuous improvement across the agency.  

Facilities, Security and Environmental Sustainability

• Manage office facilities and physical infrastructure safely and securely while promoting sustainability, efficient energy use and accessibility at the workplace.  

Management of the Unit Staff 

• Lead and manage a multidisciplinary team of approximately 25 staff. 
• Ensure effective and efficient staff management within the unit in line with the Agency’s human resources policies, such as planning and distributing workloads, setting objectives, monitoring and reporting on performance, managing feedback to staff, identifying development needs in line with learning and development policies, and managing working time and absences.  
• Serve as the main channel for the exchange of information between the Director and the unit’s members, ensuring strategic alignment and coherence. 
• Foster team building within the unit, as well as with other units. Take initiative to prevent and resolve any internal conflicts. 

Management 

• Advise the Director on all matters within the unit’s scope of responsibility and support informed decision-making at the senior management level. 
• Define, manage and ensure the achievement of the unit’s objectives in line with the strategic priorities of the Agency by identifying key areas of contribution. 
• Ensure that unit activities and resources are managed in the most efficient, effective, economic and sustainable manner, by developing and managing action plans within the agreed timelines, budget and quality requirements. 
• Oversee the development of internal policies and procedures based on unit mission, ensuring coherence across administrative functions and high-quality support to the agency. 
• Promote cross-unit collaboration and contribute to a cohesive and service-oriented organisational culture. 
• Represent the Unit in meetings with Management Team, Management Board and FRA key stakeholders. 

Duties applicable to all staff 

• Actively work towards the achievement of the goals of FRA in accordance with the Strategic Plan. 
• Perform any other duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the Director.