Executive Secretary of the JCRB - two-year secondment
The BIPM seeks a secondee to act as the Executive Secretary for the Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations and the BIPM (JCRB):
- Department: International Liaison and Communication Department (ILC)
- Deadline for applications: 31 August 2026 (23h59 Paris time)
- Starting date: beginning March 2027
- Contract: Secondment, 2 years - Full-time basis, in Sèvres (Paris suburb), France
The BIPM International Liaison and Communication (ILC) Department strengthens coordination, liaison, communication, and promotion in support of the BIPM Strategy and Work Programme, thereby enhancing the effectiveness, visibility, and impact of the international metrology system. The Department promotes the importance of the global comparability of measurements through sustained engagement with international organizations of strategic relevance. It also contributes to improved coordination and recognition of Quality Infrastructure (QI) worldwide.
In addition to its international coordination activities, the ILC Department delivers capacity building and knowledge transfer activities aimed at increasing the effectiveness with which Member States and Associates engage in the world-wide coordinated metrology system.
The ILC Department provides the administrative and technical secretariat for the Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations and the BIPM (JCRB), which plays a central role in overseeing the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA). The JCRB ensures the consistent operation of the CIPM MRA by coordinating activities among the Regional Metrology Organizations (RMOs) to establish confidence in the recognition of calibration and measurement certificates, in accordance with the terms of the CIPM MRA. The JCRB is chaired by the Director of the BIPM, and its Executive Secretary function is provided through the secondment of staff from institutes participating in the CIPM MRA.
Principal duties and responsibilities
The JCRB Executive Secretary works in the center of the worldwide metrology community. The secondee interacts directly with the RMOs and the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and Designated Institutes (DIs).
Under the direct supervision of the Director of the ILC Department, the successful applicant will act as the administrative and technical secretariat for the JCRB, supporting the operation of CIPM MRA, including:
- Operational activities:
- Organise and report on JCRB meetings, and following up on agreed actions;
- Maintain the JCRB document suite;
- Advise the Working Groups (WGs) of the Consultative Committees, RMO Technical Committees (TCs) and WGs, NMIs/DIs regarding their engagement in CIPM MRA processes;
- Work with the CIPM MRA database (KCDB) Office to monitor the review and publication of Calibration and Measurement Capabilities (CMCs);
- Support the KCDB Office in the processing of comparison reports and CMCs;
- Provide contributions to the semi-annual publication of the KCDB report to the JCRB.
- Promotion of the CIPM MRA:
- Ensure and promote efficient operation of the CIPM MRA, including participation in BIPM Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer (CBKT) programme activities;
- Analyse and report on the CIPM MRA process performance, proposing and then coordinating follow up initiatives, including those related to policy development;
- Answer enquiries from RMOs and NMIs/DIs participating in the CIPM MRA.
- Participation in the wider work of the ILC Department:
- Depending on the experience and background of the successful applicant, and in order to broaden the experience gained from the secondment, the expectation is that he/she will be involved in further projects within the scope of the ILC Department.
Professional background, skills and competencies
The secondment is open to staff members of an NMI or a DI that participates in the CIPM MRA with the following qualifications and experience:
- a professional background in some area of physical or chemical science or engineering;
- an interest and successful track record in metrology and institutional liaison, ideally at the international level;
- previous direct involvement at some level in CIPM MRA activities;
- working knowledge of the use of databases and web-based documentation;
- a high-level of written and spoken English;
- self-motivation and a willingness to travel;
- ability to maintain good working relations inside and outside the organization.
Conditions
A
The home institute continues to pay the secondee's salary and related costs for the duration of the secondment period. In addition, the BIPM pays a monthly allowance to the secondee, in euros, to cover living costs in Paris area. The secondee remains an employee of his/her institute. The secondee shall not at any time be considered as a staff member of the BIPM.
The BIPM will also provide support in facilitating the issuance of specific visas if needed, including for the accompanying family members if applicable, and in finding local furnished accommodation. Since some overlap with the term of the current Executive Secretary is preferred, the selected secondee should be able to take up his/her functions at the BIPM ideally around the beginning of
Applications
The BIPM encourages applications from qualified candidates regardless of gender.
Informal inquiries can, in the first instance, be made directly to the ILC Department Director,
A full curriculum vitae (CV) with a cover letter and a letter of support from the NMI/DI Director of the applicant including his/her availabilities should be sent no later than 23h59 Paris time on
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted with details regarding the selection process. They may be invited to take part in a distance written test and/or in a remote interview as part of the selection process. Thereafter, successful candidates will be invited to a face-to-face interview. The selection process may be modified.
The BIPM retains the discretion not to fill this secondment opportunity, to offer a contract with a modified job description, or to offer a contract term for a shorter duration than the one indicated in this secondment announcement.
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