Legal Officer

Contract type: Temporary agent

Directorate: Corporate Services Directorate

Group: N.A.

Grade: AD7

Level of Security Clearance: SECRET UE/EU SECRET

Management of staff: N.A.

Location: Brussels

Indicative starting date: 16/10/2026

Closing date for applications: 07/07/2026

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  • BACKGROUND THE AGENCY'S WAY OF WORKING THE CORPORATE SERVICES DIRECTORATE DUTIES ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA SELECTION CRITERIA APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR TEMPORARY AGENTS AT EDA INDEPENDENCE AND DECLARATION OF INTEREST EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES APPLICATION PROCEDURE DATA PROTECTION

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 CORPORATE SERVICES DIRECTORATE

The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) provides critical business support to EDA operations by delivering high-quality corporate services under seven dedicated organizational elements, namely: Human Resources; Procurement and Contract Management; Finance; IT and Information Management, Security, Legal and Infrastructure. Additionally, the Record Manager is responsible for the effective management of information produced and/or received by the organisation.

CSD processes are geared towards efficient and optimal use of resources, leveraging good practice and technological solutions while ensuring sound financial management, transparency and accountability; outward focus and commitment to continuous improvement are the hallmarks of CSD.

4. DUTIES

The Legal Officer provides legal advice and support across the Agency’s activities, with a particular focus on EU institutional and administrative matters, the Agency’s legal framework, and collaborative procurement as one of the Agency’s key areas of activity. The role is advisory in nature and requires an enabling, solution-oriented legal approach, combining sound legal judgement with creativity within the applicable rules and framework. The post contributes to the preparation, review, and follow-up of legal instruments, procedures, and decisions, while helping to ensure legal soundness, consistency, and compliance. It also requires close proximity to the business, a strong understanding of operational realities, and the ability to take account of stakeholders’ constraints, objectives, and desiderata in order to support workable, legally robust outcomes. The post also supports the proactive handling of legal risks, disputes, and sensitive files, and contributes to the development of internal rules, templates, and guidance. Through close cooperation with operational and corporate stakeholders, the role supports legally robust decision-making and the effective functioning of the Agency.

Under the supervision of the Head of Legal Unit, the Legal Officer will contribute in particular to the following activities:

  • provide legal advice and support on collaborative procurement, contractual, administrative, and institutional matters relevant to the Agency’s activities;
  • review, draft, and help negotiate contracts, Project Arrangements, Contribution Agreements, memoranda, decisions, and other legal instruments impacting on the Agency’s governance;
  • contribute to the legal review of collaborative procurement procedures and related documentation, ensuring compliance with the applicable legal and regulatory framework;
  • assist in identifying, assessing, and help mitigating legal risks arising from the Agency’s activities, including tendering, contractual and contentious matters and support the handling of legal disputes, pre-litigation matters, and follow-up actions in coordination with the relevant services;
  • analyse the evolving legal framework applicable to EDA’s procurement activities under the current and future Multiannual Financial Frameworks, including its interplay with other relevant EU frameworks and instruments such as the European Defence Fund (EDF), the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), and any future European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) architecture relevant to defence;
  • support internal decision making and engagement with external stakeholders, including the Member States, partner institutions and Third Parties, through clear, practical and legal robust advice;
  • adapt to evolving priorities and legal needs in a dynamic, multinational environment;
  • take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.

All of the above activities shall be carried out in support of the Agency’s services, with legal advice on procurement matters provided in an advisory capacity and on demand, in full respect of the respective distribution of roles and responsibilities.

The duties associated with this post may evolve in line with the development of EDA’s structure and activities, as well as the Agency’s organisational needs.

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 of at least three years attested by a diploma; 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

(1) Professional

The candidate will be required to demonstrate that he/she has:

  • a University degree in Law;
  • at least six (6) years of relevant professional experience, acquired after the award of the minimum qualification required as a condition of eligibility (see eligibility criteria section above);
  • at least four (4) years of experience in providing legal advice on EU affairs, institutional and/or administrative matters, including where relevant collaborative procurement, public procurement and contracts;
  • extensive knowledge of the EU legal and institutional framework including administrative law, public law, and the rules applicable to collaborative procurement (i.a. export control, intellectual property rights, security requirements, conflict of interest);
  • experience in providing legal advice and support on complex and high-value/risk dossiers;
  • 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 par. 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;
  • sound communication and organisational skills;
  • strong problem-solving skills, including creativity within the applicable rules and framework, with the ability to identify enabling and workable legal solutions;
  • excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills, with the ability to build trust, work in close proximity with the business, and understand stakeholders’ constraints and expectations;
  • strong goal orientation, with a sense of end-to-end accountability for the tasks under his/her responsibility;
  • flexibility and innovativeness;
  • genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives;
  • a well-developed sense of judgement and discretion, combined with an enabling mindset, full respect for the roles and responsibilities of others, and the ability to balance legal rigour with practical solutions.

B. DESIRABLE

The following will be considered an advantage:

  • experience in litigation, pre-litigation, or dispute management (for example before national courts, the Court of Justice of the European Union, or in administrative complaint procedures);
  • awareness of/experience in dealing with the interaction between the Agency’s legal framework and other EU legal or funding frameworks (for example EDF, EDIP, or other current or future EU initiatives relevant to defence and security).

7. APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR TEMPORARY AGENTS AT EDA

EDA, whose staff are governed by its own Staff Regulations, offers specific conditions of employment with regards to contract duration and pension arrangements.

CONTRACT DURATION

Subject to budget availability, the Legal Officer will be appointed by the Chief Executive. Recruitment will be as a member of the temporary staff of the Agency for a 4-year period. Renewal is possible only once for an additional period of 4 years, within the limits set out in the EDA Staff Regulations. The successful candidate will be recruited as Temporary Agent, grade AD7. In line with EDA's Staff Regulations, the Agency does not offer inter-Agency mobility.

FINANCIAL ENTITLEMENTS

The pay for this position consists of a basic salary of 7 .876,27€ supplemented with various allowances including, as applicable, expatriation or family allowances. Successful candidates are graded on entry into service according to the length of their professional experience. Salaries are exempted from national tax, instead an Agency tax is deducted at source.

PENSION ARRANGEMENTS SPECIFIC TO EDA

Prospective staff members considering a career at the European Defence Agency (EDA) should be aware that EDA has its own pension provisions and is not part of the EU institutions' pension scheme (PSEUI).

In addition, EDA staff have several flexible options regarding their pension contributions at the end of their contract, under certain conditions, such as:

  • transfer to a public pension scheme;
  • transfer to a private pension scheme;
  • direct payment as a severance grant.

For further information on working conditions please refer to: https://eda.europa.eu/jobs/what-we-offer

8. INDEPENDENCE AND DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The selected candidate 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.

9. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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.

10. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Legal Officer at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2027, and may be extended by decision of the Chief Executive. During the validity of the reserve list, successful candidates may be offered a post 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 employment in the Agency.

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. 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.

When applying, candidates from Ministries of Defence or other governmental entities are encouraged to inform their national administration.

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. Candidates may also be requested to take part in an assessment centre, participating in a number of individual and group activities related to the competences required for the post.

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.

If recruited, candidates will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements made in their application. They should not send any supporting or supplementary information until asked to do so by the Agency. Candidates are advised that part of the recruitment process includes medical analyses and physical check-up with the Agency’s Medical Adviser.

Staff members employed at EDA require a Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC). The process to obtain a PSCC can be initiated only by EDA on behalf of the staff member. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance certificate before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the contract.

11. DATA PROTECTION

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

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.