Brussel

The European Defence Agency was established on 12 July 2004, and is governed by Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1835 defining the statute, seat and operational rules of the European Defence Agency.
The Agency has its headquarters in Brussels.

The main task of the EDA is to support the Council and the Member States in their effort to improve the Union's defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) as it currently stands and as it develops in the future.
The Agency is structured into four directorates. Three operational directorates: Industry, Synergies and Enablers (ISE); Capability, Armaments & Planning (CAP); Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) and the Corporate Services Directorate (CSD).

2. THE AGENCY'S WAY OF WORKING

The Agency is an “outward-facing” organisation, constantly interacting with its shareholders, the participating Member States, as well as with a wide range of stakeholders. It works in an integrated way, with multi-disciplinary teams representing all the Agency’s functional areas, to realise its objectives. Its business processes are flexible and oriented towards achieving results. Staff at all levels need to demonstrate the corresponding qualities of commitment, flexibility, innovation, and team-working; to work effectively with shareholders and stakeholder groups, formal and informal; and to operate without the need for detailed direction.

3. THE CAPABILITY, ARMAMENT AND PLANNING DIRECTORATE (CAP)

The Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate (CAP) proposes collaborative opportunities in support of EU capability development priorities. The Directorate is responsible for capability development planning, based on analysis of military requirements conducted together with Member States within the Capability Development Plan (CDP).

The Directorate coordinates in-house the implementation of the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), for which the Agency provides the secretariat, establishing a regularly updated overview of the European defence capability landscape.

The CAP Directorate implements EDA’s secretariat functions to the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), together with the European External Action Service, including the EU Military Staff. Within the PESCO secretariat, the Directorate coordinates EDA’s assessment of PESCO project proposals from the capability perspective, as well as the National Implementation Plans of PESCO participating Member States, and supports PESCO project implementation.

Based on coordinating the results of CDP, CARD and PESCO, the Directorate plans and prepares activities tailored to Member States’ needs. These activities span from advice and roadmaps to collaborative capability development projects, including the support to Member States in upstream EDIDP/EDF.

The CAP Directorate comprises six Units with the following key areas of activity:

• Air Domain Unit: Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, Air-to-Air Refueling, Airlift
  
• Cooperation Planning Unit: CDP, CARD, Defence Data
  
• Land and Logistics Unit: Land platforms, Counter-IED, Personnel Recovery, Military Mobility, Logistics, Medical Support
  
• Information Superiority Unit: Communication & Information Systems, Surveillance & Reconnaissance, Space, Cyber Defence
  
• Maritime Unit: Maritime Surveillance, Mine Counter Measures, naval training, harbor protection
  
• PESCO Unit: PESCO secretariat and support to project development
  

4. DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of Unit Land & Logistics, the jobholder will be responsible for/contribute to the following activities:

• contribute to capability development to support Member States in improving their capabilities; the work entails, in particular, conceptual work, doctrinal as well as training and exercise aspects, technical and technological developments and operational activities;
• deal with aspects of the comprehensive approach in creating synergies between military and civilian capability development;
  
• participate in the definition of capability requirements and contributing to the development of the Capability Development Priorities and advertise generating new collaborative capability related projects along the lines agreed within the Strategic Context Cases (SCCs);
• contribute to the development and update of the SCCs to implement the EU Capability Development Priorities;
  
• contribute, as appropriate, to the assessment of PESCO project proposals and to the assessment of proposals related to the EU Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) and European Defence Fund (EDF) related project proposals upon Member States’ request;
  
• contribute to inputs for the development of the CARD aggregated analysis and exploit the collaborative opportunities identified by the CARD report;
  
• coordinate and chair Project Teams (PTs), Ad Hoc Working Groups and contribute to ongoing projects such as the “Optimisation of the Main Battle Tank Capability in Europe with initial focus on Leopard 2 (OMBT-Leo2), European Camouflage Net (EUCAN), the Anti-Tank (AnTk) Weapons Experts meeting as well as the Carl Gustaf Ammunition Joint Procurement meeting;
  
• support ad hoc projects, which are in Member States’ interest, facilitating and running Cat A and B projects such as OMBT-Leo2, EUCAN, AnTk and Carl Gustaf;
  
• monitor the activities in the field of R&T and Armaments in a transversal, cross-Directorate approach and coordinate the work with the responsible Project Officers;
  
• maintain the appropriate links with participating Member States and relevant other interested parties like the Council General Secretariat, the European External Action Service, the EU Commission and Agencies as well as the Alliance;
  
• represent the Agency during conferences and seminars;
  
• take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.
  

Duties may evolve according to development of the EDA’s structure and activities, and the decisions of EDA management.

5. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

a. Conditions for secondment

To qualify for secondment to the Agency, experts shall:

have worked for their employer on a permanent or contract basis for at least 12 months before their secondment;

remain in the service of their employer throughout the period of secondment and continue to be paid by that employer;

have at least three years' full-time experience in defence, administrative, scientific, technical, operational, advisory or supervisory functions relevant to the performance of the duties assigned to them. Before the secondment, the employer shall supply the Agency with a statement of the expert's employment covering the previous 12 months;

be nationals of a participating Member State or falling within the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 1 of Council Decision (EU) 2016/1352 of 4 August 2016;

have a thorough knowledge of one official language of one of the participating Member States and a satisfactory knowledge of another of these languages for the performance of their duties.

b. Essential criteria

(1) Professional

The candidate will be required to demonstrate that he/she has:

• a thorough understanding and professional experience of the challenges related to land forces in CSDP operations and missions, and the competence necessary to propose and champion effective short, medium and long-term solutions related to capability development;
  
• land forces background, preferably with strategic and conceptual assignments and significant operational experience;
  
• knowledge of and experience in land armament programmes;
  
• familiarity with the international environment of defence in general and especially with CSDP;
  
• an understanding of the EDA’s main tasks, functions and products;
  
• knowledge/experience of defence planning, capability development and preparation and conduct of projects/programmes/studies;
  
• a track record of delivering successful business outcomes;
  
• a very good knowledge of written and spoken English;
  
• knowledge and ability to use simulation tools and research tools.

(2) Personal

All staff must be able to fit into the Agency's way of working (see para. 2). Other attributes important for this post include:

• strong conceptual, drafting and analytical skills;
  
• flexibility and innovativeness;
  
• ability to work in team and independently in his/her area of responsibility;
  
• ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;
  
• good leadership and organisational skills;
  
• results-orientation, and strong motivation;
  
• genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives.

c. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• hold a (recognised) Project Management qualification.

6. INDEPENDENCE AND DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The Project Officer Land Programmes will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the Agency’s interest and to make a declaration in relation to interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence.

7. APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The Project Officer Land Programmes will be appointed by the Chief Executive.

Secondment will be as a member of the Seconded National Expert staff of the Agency for a three-year period (unless a shorter period is mutually agreed between the parties). Renewal is possible within the limits set out in the EDA SNE Rules. The successful candidates will be seconded as AD11 equivalent.

Applications are invited with a view to establishing a reserve list for the post of Project Officer Land Programmes at the EDA. This list is valid until 31/12/2020, and may be extended by decision of the Chief Executive. During the validity of the reserve list, successful candidates may be offered a secondment in the EDA according to their competences in relation to the specific requirements of the vacant post.

Inclusion on the reserve list does not imply any entitlement of secondment to the Agency.

8. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The EDA is an equal opportunities employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, sex or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or family situation.

9. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Candidates must submit their application electronically solely via the EDA website. Applications by any other means (hard copy or ordinary e-mail) will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight. Candidates are reminded that the on-line application system will not accept applications after midnight (Brussels time, GMT+1) on the date of the deadline.
When applying, candidates from Ministries of Defence or other governmental entities are encouraged to inform their national administration.
A selection panel will be appointed. Please note that the selection panel's internal proceedings are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is forbidden.

Each application will be screened based on the requirements of the job profile stated in the vacancy notice. The most suitable applicants will be called for an interview and a written test.

If recruited, you will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements that you make for this application. Do not send any supporting or supplementary information until you have been asked to do so by the Agency.
Please note that once you have created your EDA profile, any correspondence regarding your application must be sent or received via your EDA profile.
For any prior enquiry, please refer to the FAQ (Frequently asked questions) section, or send an e-mail to recruitment@eda.europa.eu.

10. DATA PROTECTION

Please note that EDA will not return applications to candidates. The personal information EDA requests from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) N° 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union
institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) 45/2001 and Decision No. 1247/2002/EC.
The purpose of processing personal data which candidates submit is to manage applications in view of possible pre-selection and recruitment at EDA.
More information on personal data protection in relation to selection and recruitment can be found on the EDA website: http://www.eda.europa.eu/jobs/dataprotection