ShareDirector Selection Process for AQU Catalunya 2025
Objective
AQU Catalunya is launching the process for the selection and appointment of the person who will hold the position of Director of the Agency for the next four years.
In accordance with Article 9 of Law 15/2015, of 21 July, on AQU Catalunya, the Director of the Agency is appointed through an open and competitive selection process, following the criteria agreed by the Governing Board, for a four-year term renewable only once, in accordance with the principles of merit and capability and the criterion of suitability.
Call for the open and competitive selection process for the position of Director of AQU Catalunya
Position Description and Duties
| Position title | Director of the Agència per a la Qualitat del Sistema Universitari de Catalunya (AQU Catalunya) |
| Gross annual salary plus seniority increments | €94,324.17/year, plus seniority increments [salary corresponding to 31 December 2024] |
| Type of contract | Senior management employment contract formalised under Royal Decree 1382/1985, of 1 August, regulating the special employment relationship of senior management staff |
| Location | Barcelona |
| Working hours and schedule | Full-time position with a special senior management schedule |
Incompatibilities | Those established by Law 13/2005, of 27 December, on the incompatibility regime for senior officials serving the Government of Catalonia |
| Duration | 4 years, renewable once |
The Director of the Agency assumes the technical and administrative management of AQU Catalunya and implements the resolutions of the Governing Board and the Standing Committee. The Director of AQU Catalunya has the following duties:
- Direct, organise and manage the Agency’s services in accordance with the guidelines of the Governing Board.
- Implement and enforce the resolutions of the Governing Board and its Standing Committee.
- Prepare the proposal for the programme contract, strategic plan, annual activity plan and catalogue of services of the Agency, and submit them to the Governing Board for approval, where appropriate.
- Create, modify and abolish advisory committees required for the development of the Agency’s activities and services.
- Prepare the proposal for the staffing structure and exercise the functions of recruitment, management, supervision and direction of staff providing services to the Agency.
- Prepare and submit the draft annual budget and any amendments for review and approval by the Governing Board; oversee the Agency’s financial management; authorise expenditure within the limits set by the Governing Board; and order payments and the preparation of annual accounts.
- Implement and enforce the Agency’s investment plan.
- Manage the Agency’s assets in accordance with the guidelines established by the Governing Board and within the scope of delegated powers, ensuring the conservation and maintenance of facilities and equipment.
- Exercise the powers of the contracting authority within the limits established by the Governing Board and in accordance with public sector procurement regulations and AQU Catalunya’s Statutes.
- Sign contracts on behalf of the Agency in accordance with AQU Catalunya’s Statutes.
- Hold the legal representation of AQU Catalunya and enforce final judgments and resolutions imposing obligations or financial liabilities on the Agency.
- Inform the President of AQU Catalunya and the presidents of the commissions of all matters necessary to ensure proper coordination and operation of activities, as well as the appropriate exercise of their functions, and submit proposals deemed appropriate for the proper functioning of the Agency.
- Ensure the improvement and quality of procedures and working methods and the introduction of technological innovations.
- Perform any other functions expressly entrusted or delegated by the President of AQU Catalunya or the Governing Board, or attributed by the Statutes and applicable regulations.
The position of Director of the Agency also includes the role of Chair of the Institutional and Programme Review Commission of AQU Catalunya.
Eligibility Requirements
To participate in this selection process, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Be a full university professor or equivalent position, or hold an advanced research accreditation or an accreditation as full professor issued by AQU Catalunya or equivalent.
- Be in active service..
- Have proven experience in research, teaching, university management and project management..
- Have knowledge of the Catalan university system.
- Have written and spoken proficiency in Catalan, Spanish and English.
These requirements must be met on the closing date for applications.
Applicants must not have been disqualified by a final court judgment from holding public office, nor dismissed from any public administration through final disciplinary proceedings.
Selection Process
Given the nature of the position, the Selection Committee guarantees the confidentiality of applicants for the position of Director of AQU Catalunya and will only make public the name of the selected person.
The selection process consists of four phases:
Phase 1. Verification of compliance with the eligibility requirements
Phase 2. Assessment of merits based on the accredited curriculum vitae
Phase 3. Assessment of the management project to be implemented at AQU Catalunya
[The management projects submitted are considered practical exercises and their use is limited to the selection process for the position of Director of AQU Catalunya. AQU Catalunya will not disseminate them or use them in the Agency’s planning or activities.]
Phase 4. Personal interview.
The deadlines for each phase are as follows:
| Phase | Schedule |
| Submission of application, CV and management project using the standard forms | From 21 January to 21 April 2025 (inclusive) |
| Assessment of CVs and projects by the Selection Committee (Phases 1, 2 and 3) | April–June 2025 |
| Interviews and final assessment by the Selection Committee (Phase 4) | June–July 2025 |
| Appointment by the President of AQU Catalunya | July 2025 |
| Start date | 1 October 2025 |
The criteria and scoring for the assessment of the CV, management project and interview can be consulted in the rules governing the open and competitive selection process for the Director of AQU Catalunya.
Selection Committee
The Selection Committee is composed of:
- Francesc Xavier Grau Vidal, President of AQU Catalunya and Chair of the Selection Committee
- Javier Lafuente Sancho, Rector of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and representative of the Governing Board of AQU Catalunya
- Miren Nekane Balluerka Lasa, Professor of Methodology of Behavioural Sciences at the Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, serving as an internationally renowned academic
- Maria Giné Soca, Secretary of AQU Catalunya and of the Governing Board, with voice but no vote, acting as Secretary of the Selection Committee
Submission of Applications
Applicants wishing to participate in the selection process must submit the following completed standard forms by email to selecciodireccio@aqu.cat, no later than 21 April 2025 (inclusive):
Applications not submitted using AQU Catalunya’s official templates will not be considered.
The application form and CV must be submitted in PDF format and electronically signed with a valid electronic signature.
The management project must be written in Catalan and submitted in both Word and PDF formats. The PDF document must be electronically signed by the candidate using a valid electronic signature.
Once applications are received, AQU Catalunya will acknowledge receipt of the documentation and provide each applicant with a unique identification code, which will be used to publish the final results.
At the end of the selection process, only the person proposed for appointment will be required to submit the original or certified documentation proving the merits listed in the CV within ten working days from the date requested, unless the Agency already holds the documentation in its records.
Implementation of the Selection Process
To assume the position of Director of AQU Catalunya, Mercè Gisbert Cervera successfully completed an open and competitive selection process initiated by the Agency on 21 January, to which a total of nine applications were submitted. Gisbert was the candidate who obtained the highest score during the selection process.
The selection committee responsible for evaluating the candidates consisted of the President of AQU Catalunya, Francesc Xavier Grau Vidal; the representative of the Governing Board of AQU Catalunya, Javier Lafuente Sancho, Rector of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; internationally renowned professor Nekane Balluerka Lasa, member of AQU Catalunya’s Advisory Committee; and the Secretary of AQU Catalunya and of the Governing Board, Maria Giné Soca, with voice but no vote during the process.
Of the nine applicants, eight met the admission requirements. Among these eight candidates, two were women and six were men. Five candidates came from public universities and three from private universities. Seven candidates were from Catalan universities and one from outside Catalonia.