Project Officer Space

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).

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.

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

Under the supervision of the Head of Unit Information Superiority, the Project Officer Space will be responsible for the following activities:

• prepare, review, define and implement the relevant Capability Development Priorities, objectives, and timelines, in close cooperation with operational directorates and under the supervision of the Head of Unit;
  
• update when required, in conjunction with Member states’ representatives, the Priority Implementation Roadmaps;
  
• undertake relevant activities as outlined in the Priority Implementation Roadmaps;
  
• implement the EU Capability Development priorities by identifying, collecting, analysing and harmonizing capability requirements, promoting and proposing collaborative projects within the jobholder’s area of responsibility;
  
• provide input into relevant strategies and policies that may emanate from within the Agency, or addressed to the Agency, and provide views and analysis at a strategic level of documents when requested in relation to the jobholder’s area of responsibility;
  
• coordinate relevant aspects of work related to the Agency’s Three-Year Planning Framework in relation to the jobholder’s area of responsibility;
  
• provide support to top management and support the preparation and conduct of meetings with Member States’ representatives and other institutions;
  
• coordinate and/or chair relevant working groups of Member States’ experts and of national and international organisations, collect requirements, analyse and develop project proposals in relevant fields;
  
• liaise and maintain the appropriate links with stakeholders regarding space activities including with the European Commission, the EU SATCEN, the European Space Agency (ESA) and, where appropriate, other relevant institutions and bodies such as NATO.

In the area of Space-Based Earth Observation:

• develop the future orientation of Space-Based Earth Observation activities from a capability development prospect, operating with a cross-unit and cross-directorate approach and providing regular reports when required to inform the Agency’s management;
  
• liaise, and contribute where relevant, with stakeholders regarding Space-Based Earth Observation activities including with the European Commission, the European Space Agency and, where appropriate, other relevant institutions and bodies;
  
• gain/maintain a technical, legal and operational knowledge of the military and civilian Space-Based Earth Observation matters;
  
• support of (or chair) the relevant working groups on Satellite Communications;
  
• manage contracting processes for outsourced activities;
  
• develop, manage and animate collaboration opportunities on Space-Based Earth Observation and their implementation;
  
• maintain a high-level of operational knowledge of the evolution of the EU activities related to Space Based Earth Observation for Defence applications (EU Space Programme, European Defence Fund, PESCO projects, etc.);
  
• participate in conferences, seminars, and other similar activities within the jobholder’s subject matter area.

In the area of Positioning, Navigation & Timing:

• develop the future orientation of Positioning, Navigation & Timing activities from a capability development prospect, operating with a cross-unit and cross-directorate approach and providing regular reports when required to inform the Agency’s management;
  
• develop a future perspective for the area of Positioning, Navigation & Timing, including support of (or chairing) the relevant working groups on Positioning, Navigation & Timing;
  
• manage contracting processes for outsourced activities, if any;
  
• develop, manage and animate collaborative opportunities on Positioning, Navigation & Timing;
  
• maintain a high-level of operational knowledge of the evolution of the EU activities related to Space Based Earth Observation for Defence applications (EU Space Programme, European Defence Fund, PESCO projects, etc.);
  
• participate in conferences, seminars, and other similar activities within the jobholder’s subject matter area;
  
• maintain the appropriate links with participating Member States, relevant EU Council bodies, EU Commission and other external bodies;
  
• participate in conferences, seminars, and other similar activities within his/her subject matter area.

In accordance with the Rules applicable to national experts and military staff on secondment to the European Defence Agency (Council Decision (EU) 2016/1352), Seconded National Experts are seconded to the Agency while remaining in the service of their national employer and continue being paid their national salary by that employer.

Therefore, to be considered in the selection process, candidates for SNE posts must be sponsored by their national authorities. Confirmation is required in the form of a letter of sponsorship addressed to the Agency as far as possible by the closing date for the receipt of applications and in any case before a decision is taken by EDA on the candidate to be selected for a secondment.

The Rules are available on the EDA website http://www.eda.europa.eu - vacancies.

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 (minimum level C1 oral and written) of one official language of one of the participating Member States and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2 oral and written) of another of these languages for the performance of their duties.

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

IMPORTANT: Confirmation of sponsorship is required at the latest by the deadline for applications and in any case before a decision on a candidate selected for secondment is taken by EDA.

A. Essential

Only applications meeting all essential selection criteria will be assessed.

(1) Professional

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications:

• knowledge of the space domain and experience in space activities for security and defence;
• experience in armaments acquisition and international armaments collaboration;
• experience in space programmes management by national or international agencies (e.g. ESA, OCCAR, etc.);
• good knowledge of, and familiarity with, both current and future space and space-related EU programmes and EU policies/directives that have a bearing on defence activities in space, in particular Space-based Earth Observation;
• excellent knowledge of Space-based Earth Observation capabilities, and in particular space-based ISR;
• good knowledge of Positioning, Navigation and Timing capabilities;
• good knowledge of the EU defence environment (especially CSDP) and the European institutions and a good understanding of EDA’s main tasks and functions;
• 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:

• ability to work in a team and independently in his/her area of responsibility;
• ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;
• reliability and capacity to work under pressure with little supervision;
• good communication and organisational skills;
• strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills;
• results-orientation and strong motivation;
• flexibility and innovativeness;
• genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• hold a (recognised) project management qualification;
  
• a University degree (or equivalent academic degree) in a field relevant to the post;
  
• experience of leading organisational and process change;
  
• experience of working in an international environment.

Selected candidates 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 their independence.

The Project Officer Space 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. Renewal is possible within the limits set out in the EDA SNE Rules. The successful candidate will be seconded as AD10/AD11 equivalent.

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Project Officer Space at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2026, 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 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.

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.

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.

In order to be considered in the selection process, candidates for SNE posts must be sponsored by their national authorities. Confirmation is required in the form of a letter of sponsorship addressed to the Agency as far as possible by the closing date for the receipt of applications and in any case before a decision is taken by EDA on the candidate to be selected for a secondment.

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.

EDA will not accept any phase of the selection & recruitment process prepared or assisted, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools.

EDA reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI tools may be rejected without further consideration at EDA’s sole discretion, and EDA reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

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