Please note that the European Chemicals Agency and the job position are located in Helsinki, Finland.
1) The job
ECHA wishes to establish a reserve list of senior managers that may be called to lead one of its operational or corporate Directorates. Initially, this list will serve to fill a current vacancy as Director of one of our operational Directorates. If you are an individual with management and leadership experience in the private or public sector, in a national, EU or international organisation and are interested in joining a dynamic, expanding organisation, then this job could be for you. ECHA launched its new organisational structure in March 2026 and this introduced operational directorates addressing delivery of our chemicals mandate; corporate services, administration and IT. We also established a new directorate on data services to further enhance our data capabilities and deliverables in line with strategic goals and technological advances. The person appointed as a Director will be initially assigned to one of ECHA’s operational Directorates, however, the role may change as business and strategic requirements evolve.
2) Key responsibilities
We are looking for enthusiastic, dynamic and highly skilled leaders who are experienced in fundamental management responsibilities and are capable of working at senior and management board levels. The successful candidates will demonstrate sound judgement in complex situations, a collaborative leadership style, and the capacity to guide and implement change with confidence and clarity. The individuals we are looking for also have broad experience relevant to either corporate (finance, people and organisational management, data management, digital and IT technologies) or operational (chemicals or environmental management, involving the use of scientific advice in a policy or regulatory context) functions. A Director can be recruited from the reserve list to serve in different areas under ECHA’s remit or may be required to take up different roles at the senior management level over time. In the application form you will be requested to choose the profile that suits best your skills and experience – either corporate or operational.
We cannot accept simultaneous applications for both profiles, nor would you be able to change your choice during the selection process.
The ideal candidate will understand the business of the Agency, possess the necessary vision and communicate it clearly, are open to different points of view and engage others in the forming of the vision. The expectation is that the Director will play a key role in leading and adapting the Agency in line with strategic vision and goals and driven by existing and new EU policies and challenges. The Director, reporting to the Executive Director, will be a member of ECHA’s senior management team, responsible for ensuring the effective overall management of the Agency, and will be responsible for managing and leading one of the Directorates and coordinating the achievement of its objectives within the framework of the overall strategic planning of the Agency.
Shared responsibilities for Corporate and Operational Director profiles:
- As a member of the senior management team of the Agency, ensure constructive cooperation and communication with other Directors and Directorates;
- Manage the (multi)annual planning, corporate identity, stakeholder engagement, overall governance and decision‑making in alignment with the Agency’s strategy, priorities and policies;
- Promote collaboration and engagement with internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to the European Institutions (Commission, Parliament, Council and Court of Auditors) and other European Agencies on matters related to ECHA’s mandate;
- Ensure sound financial management, in accordance with the financial regulation of the Agency, coordinate budget forecasting and monitoring of budget execution, and ensure timely procurement of necessary services, in accordance with public procurement procedures;
- Manage the resourcing through planning, organisation, performance parameters, versátil deployment, prioritisation, capable balancing of opportunities and constraints, in line with the overall strategic planning framework of the Agency;
- Determine the staffing requirements, participate in the selection of personnel and ensure sound and continuous professional development, including learning activities, knowledge sharing and mobility of staff;
- Ensure the achievement of deliverables according to required deadlines and quality standards, and monitor, evaluate and regularly report on progress;
- Determine the working procedures in line with the Agency’s Quality Management System and, in coordination with the Executive Director, the delegation of responsibilities and their compliance;
- Ensure solid management of organisational preparedness to address security and business continuity risks;
- Handle external requests for information, including requests from other European Institutions, European Commission services, International Bodies, Member States and the general public;
- Lead innovation and transformation initiatives to respond to changing external policy, new technologies and stakeholder demands.
Unique responsibilities of an Operational Director profile:
- Ensure that policy and regulatory requirements stemming from ECHA’s mandate in chemicals management are translated into processes and outputs in line with the Agency’s strategy and policies, the (multi)annual planning, stakeholder engagement, overall governance and decision‑making;
- Ensure strategic decision‑making based on robust data analysis and advanced expertise in regulatory science, resulting in scientifically sound and legally compliant outcomes.
Unique responsibilities of a Corporate Director profile:
- Ensure the adequate planning, implementing and reporting of the Agency’s financial and human resources and their correct allocation over the different activities and regulations assigned to the Agency as well as providing safe and healthy facilities for staff and stakeholders that are cost efficient and serve the needs of a hybrid work environment;
- Ensure efficient delivery and operations of ECHA’s digital applications and services. Manage the Digital and IT strategy, medium to long‑term planning, IT sourcing strategy, partnerships and cooperation in the IT domain with other EU Agencies’ and the European Commission’s IT services, IT related policies, IT security and Information security management as well as IT governance.
a) Successful completion of a full course of university studies attested by a degree, where the normal duration of university education is four (4) years or more.
b) Successful completion of a full course of university studies attested by a degree, where the normal duration of university education is three (3) years and at least one (1) year of relevant professional experience.
Only qualifications issued by EU Member State authorities or EEA authorities and qualifications recognised as equivalent by the relevant EU or EEA Member State authorities will be accepted. 4) Professional experience
To qualify for this profile, you must have at the closing date for applications a total professional experience of at least 15 (fifteen) years acquired after achieving the minimum requirements stated in section 3 of this vacancy notice.
Of your total professional experience, at least 7 (seven) years must be in a field, or fields, relevant to the areas of work mentioned in section 2; additionally, at least five (5) years must be in a management role (Head of Unit or equivalent, or higher).
5) Selection criteria
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be assessed on the basis of the following selection criteria:
- Your academic and professional qualifications and their relevance to the main areas of work listed in section 2;
- Your professional experience, including the range of fields covered, the type, length and level of work done and its relevance to the areas of work for either profile in Section 2;
- Your experience in managing large, multidisciplinary teams in the public or private sector.
The following will be considered as assets for both profiles:
- Work experience in leading and managing organisational change or innovation programmes, with demonstrated results;
- Experience working in data‑intensive and/or highly digitalised organisational environments;
- Work experience gained in a similar multicultural environment;
- Executive‑level training or certification in leadership, corporate governance, data management or digital transformation;
- Experience working at the interface of science and policy in politically sensitive or high‑impact contexts.
Your academic and professional qualifications, professional experience and knowledge and experience considered as an asset must be described as precisely as possible in your application.
6) How to apply
You can submit your application and find more information (the vacancy notice and application form) on ECHA website Open positions - ECHA. ECHA is an equal opportunity organisation committed to achieving diversity, as the diversity of ECHA’s staff is essential to the Agency's success.
The deadline to fill in the application form is 04 May 2026 at noon 12:00 Helsinki time (11:00 a.m. CET).
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