Position of Head of the Central Visa Unit within the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
*In accordance with clause 3.1 of the current Collective Agreement,
nomenclatures denoting the male gender include also the female
gender.
The Public Service Commission invites applications for the position
of Head of the Central Visa Unit within the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
2.1 The selected candidate will enter into a thirty-six (36) month
assignment as Head of the Central Visa Unit within the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. Unsatisfactory performance as Head of the Central
Visa Unit during the assignment period will lead to termination of
assignment. Moreover this is an assignment covered by Regulations
7(4)(b) and 7(4)(d) of Legal Notice 51/2007.
2.2 If a selected candidate is a Public Officer holding a
substantive grade in the Malta Public Service, he/she will retain
his/her substantive grade during the assignment period and will
return to his/her substantive grade on termination of assignment. In
the case of a selected candidate who is not a Public Officer holding
a substantive appointment in the Malta Public Service, his/her
service with the Central Visa Unit within the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs as well as with the Maltese Government will be discontinued
in case of termination of assignment.
2.3 If a selected candidate is a Public Officer holding a
substantive appointment in the Malta Public Service and, during the
assignment period, is appointed to a grade with a salary scale
higher than Scale 4, he/she will be required to relinquish the
duties of Head of the Central Visa Unit and be transferred to duties
pertinent to his/her new grade.
3.1 The position of Head of Unit in the Central Visa Unit carries a
salary equivalent to Salary Scale 4 (€26,460). In case that a
selected candidate is a Public Officer holding a substantive
appointment in the Malta Public Service, for the purpose of the
Pensions Ordnance (Cap. 93), the difference between the salary to
which he/she is entitled by virtue of his/her substantive grade and
the salary of the position will be paid as a non-pensionable
allowance.
3.2 The Head of Unit at the Central Visa Unit will work under the
direction and instructions of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs,
4. The duties of Head of Unit - Central Visa Unit include:
(a) Responsibility for visa policy direction in conformity with the
Common Manual and the Common Consular Instructions on visa for the
Diplomatic Missions and consular Posts;
(b) Responsibility for the overall administration of the Unit;
(c) Responsibility for participation at EU Commission meetings and
Working Party meetings;
(d) Coordinating with Security Services and Immigration on all visa
matters;
(e) Responsibility for monthly consultation meetings with the
Permanent Secretaries of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry
for Justice and Home Affairs; and weekly meetings with Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs officials,
as required;
(f) Developing effective links and working relationships with
external consular partners to ensure a consistent approach to
achieving the Unit’s objectives and priorities;
(g) Advise the Ministry on policy regarding visa application and
issuances.
5. By the closing time and date of this call for applications,
applicants must be:
(a) (i) Citizens of Malta;
(b) In possession of a relevant post-graduate degree (Masters) from
a recognised University or an appropriate, comparable and recognised
qualification and 4 years relevant work experience of which at least
two (2) must be in a managerial position;
Or
In possession of a relevant first degree from a recognised
University or an appropriate, comparable and recognised
qualification and six (6) years relevant work experience of which at
least two (2) years must be in managerial position;
Or
Public Officers in a scale not below Salary Scale 7 having at least
nine (9) years relevant work experience of which at least two (2)
must be in a managerial position.
and
(c) Of good moral character (applicants who are already in the Malta
Public Service must provide a Service and Leave Record Form (GP 47);
those applying from outside the Malta Public Service must produce a
Certificate of Conduct issued by the Police or other competent
authority not earlier than six (6) months prior to the date of this
call for applications and state whether they have ever been in the
Malta Government Service, giving details).
6.1 Persons registered with the National Commission for Persons with
a Disability (NCPD) may be given reasonable accommodation in terms
of Section 7 of the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability)
Act, 2000, even if they do not satisfy in full the eligibility
requirements for this position provided they can carry out, in
essence, the duties related to the position and subject to the
concurrence of the Management and Personnel Office and approval of
the Public Service Commission.
6.2 Representations in terms of this clause should be attached to
the application form and supported with relevant documents, which
must also include documentary evidence of registration with the NCPD.
Reasoned justifications should be given by the applicant to
substantiate the lack of full eligibility requirements and why
reasoned considerations are merited. All correspondence is to be
addressed to the receiving Division and copied to the NCPD.
7.1 Qualifications and experience claimed must be supported by
certificates and/or testimonials, copies of which should either be
attached to the application or sent separately to the receiving
Department by not later than ten (10) working days from the closing
date. Scanned copies sent electronically are acceptable.
7.2 Original certificates and/or testimonials are to be invariably
produced for verification at the interview.
7.3 It is the responsibility of applicants in possession of
qualifications awarded by foreign Universities/tertiary education
institutions, to produce a recognition statement on comparability of
qualifications issued by the Malta Qualifications Recognition
Information Centre (MQRIC) within the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Youth and Sport or the designated authority, as applicable,
which statement should be attached to the application and the
original presented at the interview. Candidates not in possession of
this statement may still apply, provided that they submit a copy of
the statement, issued by the pertinent authority, to the receiving
department as soon as available and, in any case, by not later than
one month from the closing date of the call for applications.
8.1 Eligible applicants will be interviewed by a Selection Board to
assess their suitability for the position.
8.2 Petitions objecting to the result in terms of Section 1.1.10 of
the Public Service Management Code should be submitted within ten
(10) working days from the date of the result.
9. Applications together with a curriculum vitae indicating
qualifications and experience will be received in the first instance
by the Permanent Secretary, Palazzo Parisio, Triq il-Merkanti,
Valletta by not later than noon (Central European Time) of
Friday, 19th September 2008.
10. Application forms may be downloaded from the following
websites:-
or may be obtained from the Office of the Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Palazzo Parisio, Triq il-Merkanti,
Valletta.
11. Applications received from abroad through a fax or other similar
message by noon (Central European Time) of Friday, 19th September
2008 may be considered provided that all requisite details are
given. The formal application duly signed by the applicant must
reach the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Palazzo
Parisio,
Triq il-Merkanti, Valletta, by
not later than one week after the closing date together with an
explanation for the delay. The fax number of the Permanent
Secretary is +356 21236 604.
12. (a) Applications delivered by hand will be acknowledged in
writing by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Palazzo Parisio, Triq il-Merkanti, Vallettta.
(b) Applications by post should be sent by registered mail in
sufficient time to ensure delivery by the above deadline. The
applications will be acknowledged in writing by the Permanent
Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within seven (7)
days.
