The proposal for Horizon Europe – the next framework programme for research and innovation (2021 – 2027) was adopted by the European Commission on 7 June 2018. European Heads of State endorsed the creation of a European Innovation Council (EIC) in the next EU budget, and invited the Commission to launch a new pilot initiative on breakthrough innovation within the remaining period of Horizon 2020 (see here). In response to this invitation, on 18 March 2019, the European Commission has announced an Enhanced EIC pilot (2019/2020) to pave the way for an EIC in Horizon Europe (see press release).

For the purpose of the launch and implementation of this enhanced EIC pilot, the European Commission wishes to recruit three to five EIC Programme Managers. They will be expected to make a major contribution to achieving breakthroughs in strategic emerging technologies, in particular through the oversight and support to the management of a portfolio of research and/or innovation projects funded by the EIC. This is a new role, and is expected to be rolled out more extensively in the full implementation of the EIC as of 2021.

All Programme Managers will be administratively attached until 31 December 2020 to the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation  or Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology which are implementing the enhanced EIC pilot in the frame of the extended EIC Task Force; from 2021, the EIC will be fully-fledged under the Framework Programme Horizon Europe and will be placed under an administrative authority that remains to be identified. For this reason, the initial contract of the Programme Managers shall be concluded for a period running until the end of 2020. That contract may be extended once for a maximum of two years. If the administrative authority operating the EIC as of January 2021 is different than the Commission, a new contract may be foreseen for a duration of maximum three years. In this case, the Temporary Agent staff of the Commission shall be offered by that administrative authority the possibility without publication and selection procedure, of concluding Temporary Agent contracts in the same function group to ensure continuity of their activities.

Programme Managers are expected to work full-time. They will be subject to the Conditions of Employment of Officials and other Servants of the European Union (CEOS) and the Commission’s code on good administrative behaviour. These lay down strict rules on ethics, confidentiality and conflict of interest.