Malta Medicines Authority

Post of Head (Legal)

(Jobsplus Permit No: 344/2021)

1. The Malta Medicines Authority invites applications for the post of Head (Legal) within the Authority.

2. Terms and Conditions

2.1. The selected candidate will be employed as a Head in Grade 4, according to the Medicines Authority Top Management salary structure 2019-2021.

2.2. The post of Head (Legal) is subject to a probationary period of twelve (12) months.

3. Salary pegged to the post

3.1 The salary attached to the post of Head (Legal) is that of €29,134 per annum.

3.2 Other benefits include:

All-inclusive communication Allowance €1600

Expertise Allowance €3301

All-inclusive car Allowance €2000

Performance Bonus A maximum of 10% of the basic salary based on Performance and Salary increments Continued Professional Development Allowance (payable at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Medicines Authority. Payments are subject to submission of receipts, etc, as applicable) €1165

Qualification Allowance (The qualification allowance will be paid only to employees in possession of a non-prerequisite for appointment qualification) Amount stated is established by the Central Administration in line with the Medicines Authority Collective Agreement.

4. Duties

Overall purpose

The Head (Legal) is responsible to:

-Analyse legal risks that may affect the Malta Medicine Authority as well as any implications of the Authority’s business transactions;

-Overlook all legal activities, which include services and resources, that occur within the Authority; and

-Advise the Chairperson/CEO, the Directorates and Units on any legal issues as required.

The Head (Legal) should lead the Legal Unit, support management in the day to day operations and ensure effective and efficient management of processes.

Functions

(a) Assists line management in:

-Addressing queries raised by Ministries and other entities;

-Compiling publications, reports, agendas, and meeting-minutes; and

-Day-to-day management.

(b) Represent the Authority before:

-All courts/tribunals of civil and administrative jurisdiction on matters involving litigation

and other civil and administrative proceedings and ancillary matters;

-The Ombudsman;

-The Courts of Criminal Jurisdiction in connection with criminal prosecutions; and

-The Court of Appeal in its inferior jurisdiction concerning appeals.

(c) Ensure:

-Active communication and liaison with involved parties on enforcement cases and on necessary remedial/actions following court rulings and/or legal proceedings;

-Continuous improvement of performance, using KPIs as appropriate to incentivise and monitor improvement;

-Compliance and adherence to relevant legislation, public administration and European Directives and policies by studying existing, new and anticipating legislation and policies;

-Compliance with the set standards and the quality management system of the Authority;

-Documentation and implementation of all policies and SOPs;

-Maintenance of appropriate contacts and necessary relations with Government departments and other local and international organisations;

-Development, delivery, review and evaluation of the relevant strategies and quality documents;

-Necessary approvals are in place;

-Timely processing of tasks and issues for the respective area; and

-Efficient use of resources within the Authority.

(d) Draft, prepare, review and/or update:

-Bills and legal notices;

-Submissions required for court cases on behalf of the Authority in conjunction with any involved officer; and

-Policies, procedures, regulations, agreements, contracts, memoranda and other legal documentation, as may be required.

(e) Provide:

-Advise on necessary changes to acts or subsidiary legislation and carry out any necessary reviews of legislation from time-to-time;

-Advise on legal aspects pertaining to pharmaceutical activities and other matters, including but not limited to complaints against the Authority or individual employees, court cases, etc;

-Relevant and consistent information, advice and legal assistance to the Chairperson/CEO, Director/s, Head/s and staff;

-Support to staff in order to maximise their potential, in turn delivering the work in an efficient and effective manner and in line with the policies and guidelines of the Authority;

-Advice to the Chairperson/ Directors as required, seeking to propose strategic solutions to the challenges in this area; and

-Advice on internal control weaknesses and ensure system process controls are introduced and maintained.

(f) Monitor and report performance against the key performance indicators for the area assigned.

(g) Carry out translations from the Maltese to the English language and vice-versa, as may be required.

(h) Undertake any necessary searches in various public registers to provide the required information, as may be required.

(i) Continuously improve the performance of the organisation by:

-Promoting and maintaining good professional and ethical working relationship with colleagues and stakeholders;

-Promoting communication and liaison between different sections of the organisation;

-Participating in newly operational ventures such as projects with other Departments/Entities/Ministries and provide advice and support as necessary;

-Representing the Malta Medicines Authority at meetings, seminars, conferences and other fora, both locally as well as abroad;

-Encouraging and ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the quality of service;

-Training, motivating, supervising and monitoring other colleagues, as may be required;

and

-Promoting the vision, mission, values, strategy and objectives of the Authority.

(j) The Head will be represented, if applicable, in the Management Team by the relevant Chairperson/ CEO and/or the appointed substitute.

(k) Any other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Chairperson/ CEO and Director/s.

5. Eligibility requirements

5.1 By the closing time and date of this call for applications, applicants must be:

(i) (a) citizens of Malta; or

(b) citizens of other Member States of the European Union who are entitled to equal treatment to Maltese citizens in matters of employment by virtue of EU legislation and treaty provisions dealing with the free movement of workers; or

(c) citizens of any other country who are entitled to equal treatment to Maltese citizens in matters related to employment by virtue of the application to that country of EU legislation and treaty provisions dealing with the free movement of workers; or

(d) any other persons who are entitled to equal treatment to Maltese citizens in matters related to employment in terms of the law or the above-mentioned EU legislation and treaty provisions, on account of their family relationship with persons mentioned in paragraph (a),

(b) or (c); or

(e) third country nationals who have been granted long-term resident status in Malta under regulation 4 of the “Status of Long-Term Residents (Third Country Nationals) Regulations, 2006” or who have been granted a residence permit under regulation 18(3) thereof, together with family members of such third country nationals who have been granted a residence permit under the “Family Reunification Regulations, 2007”.

The advice of the Citizenship and Expatriates Department should be sought as necessary in the interpretation of the above provisions. The appointment of candidates referred to at (b), (c), (d) and (e) above would necessitate the issue of an employment licence in so far as this is required by the Immigration Act and subsidiary legislation. The Jobsplus should be consulted as necessary on this issue.

(ii) Proficiency in both written and spoken Maltese and English Languages.

(iii) Applicants should be in possession of a valid warrant of Advocate in Malta granted in terms of Article 81 of the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure (Cap. 12 of the Laws of Malta). Candidates are to present a scanned copy of the warrant with their application.

(iv) Experience of court work for at least three (3) years.

Other skills and abilities:

-Thorough knowledge of legislation and established procedures relevant to the Authority’s needs.

-Legal, interpersonal, communication, presentation, and general management skills.

-Ability to withstand pressure, and act with tact and firmness in potentially aggravated situations.

-Other relevant work experience within regulatory entities is considered an asset.

6. Submission of supporting documentation

6.1 Qualifications and experience claimed must be supported by certificates and/or testimonials, copies of which should be attached to the application. Scanned copies sent electronically are acceptable.

6.2 Original certificates and/or testimonials are to be invariably produced for verification at the interview.

7. Selection procedure

Eligible applicants will be assessed by a Selection Board to determine their suitability for the post. The maximum mark for this selection process is 100% and the pass mark is 50%.

8. Submission of applications

Applications, together with a curriculum vitae showing qualifications and experience and a signed Data Protection Consent Statement (Appendix 1), are to be submitted to hr.medicinesauthority@gov.mt by not later than 19 June 2021.