1. BACKGROUND

The European Defence Agency (EDA) 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 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. The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) and three operational directorates: Industry, Synergies and Enablers (ISE); Capability, Armament & Planning (CAP); Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI).

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 of 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 INDUSTRY, SYNERGIES AND ENABLERS DIRECTORATE (ISE)

The Industry Synergies & Enablers (ISE) Directorate supports a range of activities critical to collaborative defence capability development in Europe.

On top of leading the work on identifying together with Member States’ Key Strategic Activities (KSA) at EU level, the ISE Directorate is responsible for the effective engagement with industry across the Agency’s activities and in support of related priorities set by Member States.

The ISE Directorate facilitates work to address the implications of EU legislation and policies for the defence sector: REACH, procurement, funding instruments and the analysis of developments influencing governmental and industrial stakeholders. The Directorate is responsible for activities on critical enablers to support defence cooperation and enhance interoperability: military airworthiness, standardisation and certification, defence test & evaluation and education and training. The Directorate provides support to CSDP military and civilian operations and missions and EU Battlegroups.

The Directorate facilitates the coordination of military views from and in support of Member States and the relevant international military organisations in the framework of Single European Sky (SES) and acts as the interface with the EU institutions and related bodies. In the wider context of military aviation, the Directorate supports Member States in their efforts to enable RPAS integration in non-segregated airspace and in harmonising military aviation safety issues using the Total System Approach to Military Aviation.

The ISE Directorate comprises four Units:

• The Industry Strategy & EU Policies (ISP) Unit: engagement of industry in the activities of the Agency, determination of Key Strategic Activities at EU level, defence aspects of EU policies varying from legislation (REACH, procurement) to funding instruments
• The Critical Enablers (CRE) Unit: support defence cooperation and enhance interoperability through the identification, development and maintenance of harmonized safety, certification and standardisation requirements, references to the best practice standards and networking of Defence Test & Evaluation capabilities in all military domains
• The Single European Sky (SES) Unit: facilitation and coordination of military views in the framework of SES; interface with the EU institutions and related bodies to ensure that Military Aviation will continue to provide and further improve effective security and defence in Europe in the changing context of the civil aviation sector
• The Operations, Training & Exercises (OTE) Unit: promotion of the use in CSDP operations of all relevant EDA projects & programmes; development and management of contracted solutions to support CSDP operations and Member States; initiation, development and management of training and exercise activities for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including RPAS, with a view to transfer these activities to Member States when mature.

4. DUTIES

The Director of Industry, Synergies and Enablers (ISE) focuses on the early identification of requirements at European level as well as the engagement with defence industry in EDA activities and the through-life aspect of capabilities including harmonisation of standards and certification, joint procurement, test and evaluation, and support to operations. The ISE Director also deals with the military dimension of other wider EU policies and funding instruments.

More specifically, under the supervision of the Chief Executive, the jobholder will be responsible for/contribute to the following activities:

• providing vision, direction and leadership for the ISE Directorate;
• managing, with the support of the Heads of Units, the Directorate’s contribution to the Agency’s work regarding the outcomes of the Steering Board, Foreign Affairs Council and European Council and ensuring coherence with the work strands and programmes assigned to the Directorate; these include:
  • industry engagement in EDA activities and supporting the development of industry strategy and EU policies;
  • monitoring wider EU policies to evaluate impact in defence, to facilitate access to EU funding instruments of military interest;
  • identify key industrial enablers to support defence cooperation and enhance interoperability, through an integrated approach including military airworthiness, standardisation and certification, as well as defence test and evaluation activities;
  • acting as the military interface for SES/SESAR, facilitating the coordination of military views from, and in support of, Member States and informing military planning mechanisms of the requirements stemming from SESAR deployment, as well as evaluating the operational risks and financial implications of the Single European Sky for military aviation;
  • identifying and fostering defence opportunities in the field of education, training and exercises, responding to Member States’ needs, involving partners willing and able to take on the responsibility for their implementation and continued development;
  • identifying, developing, promoting and managing tools and procedures, and promoting framework contracts and joint procurement, in support of military preparedness and operations, EUBGs, CSDP civil missions and Member States.
• managing integrated teamwork in cooperation with the other Agency Directorates and in relation with external partners, allocating appropriate resources transversally in the most efficient way possible;
• developing and sustaining appropriate links with Member States and/or the relevant services of the Council, European Commission, EEAS, EUMC, EUMS, EASA and international organisations including NATO;
• planning and organising the work and the financial and human resources of the Directorate;
• developing the competences and skills of the Directorate’s personnel and evaluating their performance;
• take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.

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

5. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be considered eligible to take part in this selection procedure, on the closing date for the submission of applications candidates must satisfy all the eligibility criteria as specified below:

• be a national of a Member State participating in the Agency;
• be entitled to their full rights as citizens;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws concerning military service;
• produce the appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of their duties (extract from the “judicial record” or certificate of good conduct will be requested prior to recruitment);
• be physically fit to perform their duties;
• have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1 oral and written) of one of the languages of the participating Member States and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2 oral and written) of another of these languages to the extent necessary to discharge their duties;
• have no personal interest (financial, family relationship, or other) which could be in conflict with disinterested discharge of their duties within the Agency;
• hold, or be in a position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (national or EU PSC at SECRET UE/EU SECRET level). Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC) means a certificate issued by a competent authority establishing that an individual is security cleared and holds a valid national or EU PSC, and which shows the level of EUCI to which that individual may be granted access (SECRET UE/EU SECRET), the date of validity of the relevant PSC and the date of expiry of the certificate itself. Note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSCC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate;
• have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years or be a graduate of a national or international Defence College; or where justified in the interests of the service, professional training of an equivalent level.

Only diplomas that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration. In the latter case, the authority authorised to conclude contracts of employment reserves the right to request proof of such equivalence.

For diplomas awarded in non-EU countries, a NARIC recognition is required: https://www.enic-naric.net/

Qualifications/diplomas awarded until 31/12/2020 in the United Kingdom are accepted without further recognition. For diplomas awarded after this date (from 01/01/2021), a NARIC recognition is required.

For native English speakers, your ability to communicate in another EU language will be tested during the selection process. To assess your foreign language levels, see: https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference-language-skills

6. SELECTION CRITERIA

A. Essential

Only applications meeting all essential selection criteria will be assessed.

(1) Professional

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications:

• a minimum of 15 years of professional experience relevant to the duties, acquired after the award of the qualification required as a condition of eligibility;
• knowledge of and experience in defence and its international environment;
• knowledge of and experience in multinational organisations;
• knowledge of and experience with the European institutional framework, EU programmes and policies;
• knowledge of armaments cooperation in a European context;
• knowledge of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base and procurement procedures;
• knowledge and experience in engagement with defence industry from institutional perspective;
• a proven track record in management at senior level;
• very good command of written and spoken English.

(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:

• excellent leadership and managerial skills;
• excellent interpersonal, influencing and networking skills;
• excellent negotiation and chairing skills;
• excellent public speaking and presentation skills;
• strong analytical skills;
• ability to adapt to changing circumstances;
• ability to prioritise and organise tasks and resources;
• genuine commitment to the Agency’s objectives and the ability to communicate these.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• experience in the management of multi-national teams.