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

Under the supervision of the Head of Unit Land and Logistics, the Project Officer Land/Programme Management will be responsible for planning, initiating and conducting collaborative military capability development activities in the Land Domain. In particular, the jobholder will be responsible for/contribute to the following activities:

• support EU Member States in improving their military capabilities in the Land domain;
• support the development activities implementing EDA Core Task 3, harmonisation of military requirements, and Core Task 4, aggregation of demand towards joint procurement;
• support the activities to develop Business Cases with Member States interested in launching specific collaborative development/acquisition projects;
• have the primary responsibility on collaborative acquisition/procurement of defence equipment/materiel/armament on behalf of Member States within EDA frameworks, including:
  • management of EDA’ s Cat. B project “Collaborative Procurement of Ammunition (CPoA)”, including the project governance, the associated framework contracts management, supplies delivery and all financial, administrative and fiscal aspects;
  • coordination on collaborative activities supporting the definition of defence equipment/materiel/armament technical requirements/specifications;
  • support the activities related to EDA’s role as Contracting Authority and/or Procurement Agent, including market consultation, procurement strategy, tendering, and contracting for the supply of defence equipment/materiel.
• interact, as appropriate, with relevant external stakeholders such as the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU Military Staff (EUMS), European Commission (EC), NATO, EU Defence technological and Industrial base (EDTIB), and any other relevant EU Institutions, bodies and agencies;
• contribute to Agency’s and Directorate’s lines of effort to reinforce/develop project management/procurement approaches, processes and competencies in the area of collaborative procurement of military equipment;
• contribute, as appropriate, to the assessment of PESCO project proposals and be ready to provide support to Land collaborative projects upon Member States’ request, including seeking synergies among existing initiatives;
• contribute, as appropriate, to the assessment, preparation and management of DG DEFIS-led initiatives related to the jobholder’s area of responsibility;
• provide technical advice related to the jobholder’s area of responsibility to EU defence-related policies and concepts;
• 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. 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 University degree (or equivalent academic degree) in a field relevant to the post (e.g. Engineering, Defence and Security, etc.);
• at least six (6) years of professional experience in a defence-related governmental organisation and/or an international defence organisation, including concrete working experience in the areas of defence procurement/acquisition, and/or military capability development, and/or preparation of defence capability projects/programmes;
• relevant professional experience in the preparation and primary management of defence procurement programmes, including thorough understanding of the applicable regulatory frameworks at EU level;
• solid expertise in the identification, evaluation and integration of defence standards and specifications into procurement documentation for collaborative procurement/acquisition programmes;
• a track record in the field of Defence international cooperation and a good understanding of armament market, in particular with regards to Munitions and Missiles;
• extensive expertise in land-based military operations and strategy, supported by a strong military background;
• thorough understanding of EU institutions and NATO, their functions and Defence related initiatives, in particular related to Defence Procurement;
• a good understanding of the EDA’s main tasks and functions;
• a very good command of written and oral 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:

• genuine commitment to the Agency’s objectives;
• ability to work in a team;
• strong results-orientated approach;
• flexibility and innovativeness;
• strong negotiations and management skills;
• good communication skills

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• hold a (recognised) Project Management qualification;
• experience in a National Armament Directorate/Agency in EU Member States;
• participation in national or multinational Land-based military operations;
• a track record in managing major multinational defence programmes.