Trainee Air Domain

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.

EDA’s traineeship programme is addressed to university graduates, including those who, in the framework of lifelong learning, have recently obtained a university diploma and are at the beginning of a new professional career.

The aim of EDA’s traineeship programme is:

• to introduce recent graduates to the professional world and enable them to apply knowledge acquired during their studies, particularly in their specific areas of competence.
  
• to create a pool of young people with first-hand understanding of EDA’s mission and activities.
  
• to enrich the work of EDA with a fresh point of view and up-to-date academic knowledge.
  
• to promote European integration and create awareness of European citizenship in a multi-cultural and multilingual environment.

While at EDA, trainees will be working side by side with motivated and highly qualified experts coming from the participating Member States and they will have the opportunity to contribute to specific projects within the Agency.

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

The aim of this traineeship is to contribute to, and support, the daily activities of the Air Domain Unit (ADU). This traineeship offers a unique opportunity to experience working within the EDA ADU and immerse the trainee in all areas related to Air Superiority and Air Mobility from a multinational perspective at EU level.

The ADU is a four-person unit tasked with a wide range of responsibilities essentially dedicated to support EU Members States in maturing and initiating collaborative Capability Development Projects meeting their needs as well as EU priorities. This activity is conducted in close coordination with national military capability experts. The Project Officers’ responsibilities, with which the trainee will work and provide support, can broadly be categorised within four main areas:

• Air Combat: The Air Combat capability-related projects are addressing manned and unmanned, fixed and rotary wings, combat platforms and their related weapon systems, including Precision Strike capabilities.
  
• Airborne Command and Inform Capabilities: Projects in that domain are focused on air manned platforms dedicated to Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), Airborne Early Warning (AEW), and including all types of Unmanned Air Systems.
  
• Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD): IAMD is of strategic importance for Europe, increasingly facing a degree of contested environments and thus the need and a growing interest for multinational cooperation. Projects in that domain are addressing multi-layered IADM systems including counter rocket/artillery/mortar, counter UAS, MANPADs, short and Medium Range Air Defence systems, surveillance radars, command and control systems.
  
• Air transport: Air Transport projects are dedicated to tactical manned/unmanned, fixed and rotary wings platforms, as well as strategic transport platforms.

Under the supervision of a trainee advisor, the trainee will work with all colleagues and have the opportunity to explore the responsibilities and activities of each Project Officer in the ADU. In particular, the trainee will contribute to/be responsible for the following activities:

• develop a European and international “events and conferences” overview, to build a focused and recurrent annual planning;
  
• prepare official communications to Member States;
  
• organize and participate in internal and multinational meetings;
  
• support the preparation of Food-For-Thought and Concept Papers on Air Domain related topics;
  
• scan open media for news of interest in support of the work of ADU;
  
• develop media content for topics related to ADU work strands (in close cooperation with the Media and Communication Unit for external use, such as conferences, networking, etc.);
  
• update databases for the areas Air Combat, Airborne Command and Inform, Integrated Air and Missile Defence, and Air Transport;
• take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.

A typical day at work involves the following activities:

• supporting the organisation of meetings/workshops and relevant communication with participating Member States;
  
• participating in meetings/workshops and preparing minutes and related documentation;
  
• supporting in preparing internal and external presentations;
  
• managing data and records on the EDA Collaboration Platform (ECP) and internal ADU SharePoint;
  
• updating the EDA Air Domain website by collaborating with the Media and Communication Unit;
  
• supporting Project Officers in conducting meetings on EDA premises;
  
• supporting the Head of Unit in gathering the conclusions of these meetings;
  
• conducting ad-hoc research on topics of interest for ADU activities;
  
• drafting and circulating a weekly newsletter on key developments in the Air domain;
  
• supporting the knowledge and document management of the ADU via different IT-tools.

Daily tasks and activities may vary significantly in a small team environment such as the ADU. Each day the trainee will work closely with a Project Officer, planning project meetings, engaging with member states, and exploring capability development activities across all project areas. The trainee will need to be able to work autonomously and show initiative under the guidance of a trainee advisor. A creative or innovative mindset is always an asset.

A. Project outputs & learning outcomes

The selected trainee will be involved in international project management and will become familiar with/will acquire practical experience in conducting international meetings. The trainee will gain:

• knowledge on international project management;
  
• knowledge on European defence policy and the decision-making mechanisms within the EU security ecosystem;
  
• knowledge of the European Air domain landscape, understanding of CARD, PESCO, EDIDP and EDF;
  
• understanding of European collaborative opportunities in the defence domain;
  
• experience in data and information management;
  
• experience in multinational meetings;
  
• research experience in Air-related affairs and defence industry;
  
• experience in data analysis;
  
• broader knowledge/understanding of the Air capabilities landscape.

B. Technical / Soft skills to be acquired

From this experience the trainee will gain:

• ability to work effectively in a multinational/multicultural and complex environment;
  
• ability to work in a small team and independently in his/her/their area of responsibility;
  
• accuracy and attention to detail;
  
• user access management;
  
• organisational and communication skills;
  
• affinity with security and defence;
  
• research and analytical skills;
  
• increase versatility skills;
  
• report preparation and writing skills;
  
• web-tool/database management skills;
  
• understanding of interproject management principles;
  
• ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;
  
• result-orientated planning and execution;
  
• time management;
  
• multi-stakeholder relations/management;
  
• organisation of (international) meetings and events;
  
• ability to work effectively in an EU environment;
  
• organisation of defence research.

• be a national of a Member State participating in the Agency;
• be entitled to their full rights as citizens;
• 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);
• have completed at least the first (minimum three-year) cycle of a higher education course (university education) and obtained a full degree or its equivalent by the closing date for applications;
• have not previously undertaken for more than six weeks a paid or unpaid traineeship or any kind of employment in another EU institution, Agency, or body.

Please note the following:

Age limit:

No age limit is imposed on the candidates for traineeships; however, as a matter of priority, traineeships are offered to recent university graduates.

UK nationality:

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.

Languages:

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

Personnel Security Clearance (PSC):

This is 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 (CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU CONFIDENTIAL or above), the date of validity of the relevant PSC and the date of expiry of the certificate itself. Please note that the procedure for obtaining a PSCC can only be initiated by EDA on behalf of the selected candidate;

Non-EU diplomas:

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

UK diplomas:

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.

Only applications meeting all essential selection criteria will be assessed.

The pre-selection of candidates to be invited to an interview is based on a comparative assessment of all applications against the selection criteria and additional assets.

It should be highlighted that the selection criteria constitute a minimum threshold and that only candidates considered as most suitable are invited to an interview.

A. Essential

On the closing date for the submission of applications candidates must satisfy all the essential criteria as specified below:

• a University degree (or equivalent academic degree) in at least one of the following fields: Political Science/International Affairs (with a focus on security and defence) or Aerospace Engineering, or similar;
  
• advanced IT skills, particularly in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook);
  
• a very good command of written and spoken English (minimum level C1).

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• exposure to an EU defence and/or air environment;
• previous experience in defence-related research;
• previous experience working in a team;
• previous experience as project assistant;
• previous experience in organizing meetings and workshops.

The traineeship is offered for a 1-year period.

Trainees are awarded an allowance of 1.4763,34€ per month. They also receive a fixed monthly meal allowance of 100 EUR/month.

Upon presentation of the proper justification, disabled trainees may receive a supplement to their allowance equal to a maximum of 50% of the amount of the allowance. The objective of this extra payment is to help disabled trainees to cover extra expenses (i.e. transport, cost of special accommodation etc.) which may be required due to their disability.

Health and accident insurance is mandatory. Trainees shall be responsible for organising their own insurance against accident along with health cover and any insurance required for family members for the duration of the traineeship. Trainees whose place of origin is more than 50km from the place of employment are entitled to a reimbursement of travel expenses incurred at the beginning and end of the traineeship. Travel allowances are paid at the end of the training period, provided the trainee has completed a minimum of 6 months of the traineeship.

In exceptional cases only, trainees may be sent on a mission provided that the mission is of a technical and not of a representative character. The authorisation shall be granted by the Director of the respective Directorate. For the reimbursement of these mission expenses, the general procedure of reimbursement provided in EDA’s Staff Regulations will apply.

For further information on financial matters, read the FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on EDA's website: https://www.eda.europa.eu/jobs/faqs

Admission to a traineeship does not confer on trainees the status of temporary agents or other servants of the European Union nor does it entail any right or priority with regard to future engagement in the Agency. Trainees cannot benefit from any privileges and immunities granted by the host country to temporary agents or other servants of the European Defence Agency.

Admission to a traineeship does not confer on trainees the status of temporary agents or other servants of the European Union nor does it entail any right or priority with regard to future engagement in the Agency. Trainees cannot benefit from any privileges and immunities granted by the host country to temporary agents or other servants of the European Defence Agency.

A person can only benefit from one traineeship experience at EDA. Traineeships are not renewable and may not, in principle, be extended. However, the Chief Executive may grant an extension at the end of each training period, which may not exceed six months. Requests for extensions will only be accepted if the budgetary appropriations and the capacity of the Directorate/Unit to accommodate trainees allow and if objectively justified in the interest of the service.

Regardless of the traineeship, trainees are entitled to participate as candidates in any selection procedures organised by the Agency, provided that they meet the requirements for doing so. If successful, they shall be entitled to a post accordingly.

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 shall not apply for more than 2 trainee profiles and are requested to indicate an order of preference.

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 on the date of the deadline. Candidates are reminded that the on-line application system will not accept applications after midnight (Brussels time, GMT 1).

The Agency defines its requirements for each call and successful candidates are selected on the basis of the educational background, qualifications, competences, and motivation.

EDA’s Human Resources Unit assesses compliance of applications with the eligibility criteria. The respective hiring Directorates/Units assess applications against the selection criteria and shortlist a number of candidates that meet the requirements. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Following the interviews, the hiring Directorate/Unit will select the trainee who most closely meets the requirements of the specific profile.

If offered a traineeship, candidates will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements made in their application. Candidates are requested not to send any supporting or supplementary information until they 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 inquiry, 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