JOB DESCRIPTION

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 CAPABILITY, ARMAMENT AND PLANNING DIRECTORATE (CAP)
The Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate (CAP) identifies and proposes collaborative opportunities in support of EU capability development priorities.

The Directorate is responsible for planning and conducting capability development 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), establishing a regularly updated overview of the European defence capability landscape, in coordination with the European External Action Service (EEAS), including the EU Military Staff (EUMS).

The CAP Directorate implements EDA’s secretariat functions to the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), together with the EEAS, 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 capability development activities and projects tailored to Member States’ needs. These activities span from advice and roadmaps to collaborative capability development projects, including the support to Member States upstream of the European Defence Fund.

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

Air Domain Unit: Air Combat, Air ISR Platforms, Anti-Access/Area-Denial, Air-to-Air Refuelling, Strategic and Tactical Air Mobility
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, harbour protection
PESCO Unit: PESCO secretariat, assessment and support to project development

4. DUTIES
We are looking for a highly skilled, autonomous and enthusiastic Data Steward professional to join the Cooperation Planning Unit (CPU) in the Capability, Armament & Planning (CAP) Directorate. The successful candidate will join a dynamic and diverse team covering a wide spectrum of defence planning and policy activities and will have the opportunity for professional development in a fast-evolving data-driven environment.

Under the supervision of the Head of CPU, the jobholder will support the development and operation of the EDA Platform for Integrated Collaboration (EPIC), a system designed to connect, analyse, and visualise defence data across multiple domains.

The jobholder will be responsible for ensuring the integrity, quality, and governance of data across multiple sources and systems and will contribute to the establishment of robust data management practices in CAP and CPU, supporting EDA’s broader digital transformation objectives.

Expected activities include:

support the design, development, and operation of EPIC and its data architecture, with a focus on CPU/CAP;
define and maintain data models, taxonomies, metadata and associated documentation in CPU/CAP;
ensure data quality, consistency, and traceability across systems and workflows (e.g. Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), Capability Development Plan (CDP), Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO));
contribute to implementing and monitoring EDA’s data governance policies, including access rights and compliance with applicable EU data management and security standards within CPU and CAP;
collaborate with subject-matter experts and technical teams in EDA and Member States, to define data requirements and business rules for EPIC;
provide guidance and support to users on data management practices and tool usage in CPU and CAP in the context of EPIC;
contribute to the continuous improvement of CPU and CAP data management processes and participate in cross-directorate digital initiatives;
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 their 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 of at least three years attested by a diploma or be a graduate of a national or international Defence College.
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.

It should be noted that due to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 31/01/2020, candidates from the United Kingdom who do not hold the nationality of another participating EU Member State, are not eligible.

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 university degree (or equivalent academic degree) in data management, information systems, computer science, or a related field;
at least three (3) years of relevant professional experience in data stewardship, data management, or related roles, acquired after the award of the minimum qualification required as a condition of eligibility (see eligibility criteria section above);
proven experience with data governance frameworks, metadata management, and data quality assurance;
knowledge of database systems (SQL Server, PostgreSQL, etc.), data modelling, and integration tools;
familiarity with EU data policies and security principles, particularly in defence or governmental contexts;
a 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:

ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary and multinational environment;
reliability and capacity to work under pressure with little supervision;
results-orientation and strong motivation;
strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
attention to detail and commitment to data quality and a proactive approach to digital innovation;
flexibility and innovativeness;
good communication and interpersonal skills;
genuine commitment to the Agency’s objectives.
B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

a Master’s degree in data management, information systems, data science, or related field;
experience in digital platform development within an EU, intergovernmental, or defence-related organisation;
a good understanding of defence capability development and planning processes or structured analytical methods;
experience with business intelligence (BI) and data visualization tools (e.g. Power BI, Tableau, or Qlik;
a good understanding of cloud environments and data integration architectures.