Validation Assistant (Air Transport Domain)

• Function title: Validation Assistant (Air Transport Domain)
• Reference: NOC-AT-2026-AST/1158
• Location: Brétigny-sur-Orge
• In accordance with the Service Regulations, staff are required to reside either at their place of employment or at such distance from it as is compatible with the proper performance of their duties.
• The Innovation Hub is expected to relocate to the Innovation Cluster Paris-Saclay around 2028.
• Information about living in Brétigny-sur-Orge
• Nature of competition: Internal and external competition
• Applicable regulations: Staff regulations governing officials of the EUROCONTROL Agency
• Type of post: Assistant 
• Job level: AST4-AST6 - Check salary simulations for the basic grade
• Generic job title: Specialised Technical/Administrative Assistant
• Number of posts: 1
• Duration of appointment: 5 Year(s) - renewal or conversion of the contract is possible under certain conditions see “Useful information” section
• Security clearance: Security vetting may be required in accordance with the relevant EUROCONTROL security policies
• Directorate/Service: ATD/INO/COE - Centre of Expertise Service
• Working arrangement: EUROCONTROL operates a hybrid working model, combining onsite presence with teleworking opportunities. Teleworking is subject to the applicable internal rules and is granted in line with business needs and managerial approval.
  Teleworking must not exceed 50% of the days worked in a month when performed at the official place of residence as defined above.
  In addition, all staff may telework from a location of their choice for up to 20 working days per calendar year, with line manager authorisation. These 20 days do not count towards the 50% monthly limit.
• Competition publication date: 10/09/2026
• Competition closing date: 08/10/2026 (23:59 Brussels time)
• Reserve list: Applicable - See details in the "Useful information" section

Your team

Within the The Aviation Transformation Directorate, the simulation validation Assistant will join the Centre of Expertise (CoE) and provide specialised support in the validation of new Air Transport concepts through operational simulations, focusing on planning, executing, analysing, and reporting validation activities within innovation programmes.

Your role

Your role will be to:

• Provide specialised support for validation activities for Air Transport operational simulations related to the Innovation Programmes activities.
• Develop validation plans including objectives, validation exercise arrangements, scenarios, conditions, success criteria, metrics and data-collection materials.
• Contribute to validation/simulation preparation and operational and technical readiness activities, including platforms and tool checks, dry runs, and preparing training and briefings material.
• Support the conduct of validation exercises through structured observations, questionnaires, interviews and debriefings; monitor adherence to the agreed methodology and experimental design.
• Prepare, clean, structure and document quantitative and qualitative datasets; perform descriptive and preliminary analyses; identify relevant trends and anomalies and produce clear data visualisations.
• Analyse and interpret validation exercises results with subject matters experts and relevant specialists, and formalise and consolidate these results, conclusions and recommendations in technical notes, validation reports and presentations.
• Contribute to the improvement and consistent application of validation methods, templates and tools, including established quality assurance and standardisation practices.
• Carry out tasks according to the established methodology and experimental design and report any detected issues or anomalies.
• Share practical knowledge, tools and good practices with colleagues, assist and/or support staff with less experience in the domain of expertise/knowledge.
• Develop knowledge and skills in the field of expertise under the guidance of more senior staff.
• Carry out any other tasks in line with the main purpose of the job.

Required qualifications, experience & competencies

• Candidates must fulfil the following educational and professional experience requirements:

• Completion of post-Secondary education in a relevant field meeting European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Level 5 or higher followed by at least 5 years’ relevant professional experience.

• Internal candidates can check on the intranet to see what level of in-house experience is considered equivalent to educational qualifications where appropriate.
• Experience in applying validation methods, human-centred methodologies and experimental design approaches (e.g. EOCVM, design thinking).
• Experience in preparing, supporting and monitoring the execution of validation exercises such as Real Time Simulations (RTS), Fast Time Simulations (FTS), gaming, prototyping.
• Experience in descriptive and statistical analysis of data.
• Experience in using data-analysis and visualisation tools, such as Excel, Power BI, Tableau, R, Python or equivalent tools.
• Experience in Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) techniques and their application in validation and simulation exercises.
• Experience in Air Traffic Management or Air Transport.
• Knowledge on human factors assessments methods and human factors techniques.
• Technical drafting and presenting skills (English).
• The following are considered assets:
  • Experience in advanced statistical analysis.
  • Experience in task analysis, usability evaluation, or UI/UX research.
  • Experience with EUROCONTROL or equivalent operational simulation platforms (e.g. ESCAPE, eDEP, …).
• Communication: you are able to foster two-way communication.
• Team work: You foster teamwork.
• Quality Focus: You set and foster high quality standards.
• Planning and Organisation: You know how to plan ahead and adapt as required.
• Analytical Thinking: You analyse information and are able to identify relationships.
• Ability to work in a multinational and multicultural environment.
• Professional conduct in line with the corporate behaviours of the Agency, i.e. result-driven, readiness to change, customer focus, integrity and team-player approach.
• The working languages of the Agency are English and French. For this particular job, candidates must be proficient users of English at level C1. The selected candidate will be required to become basic users of French at level A2 before the end of the probation period.
  The levels relate to the European-framework-reference Common European Framework of References for languages (CEFR).

Useful information

• Applications will be accepted from nationals of EUROCONTROL Member States only.
• The selected candidate may be required to provide documentary evidence confirming they meet the minimum education requirements. They will be informed if and when specific evidence is needed. Please note that no offer (for external candidates) or appointment (for internal candidates) will be made until the necessary evidence, if required, is validated.
• The selected candidate will be appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Staff regulations governing officials of the EUROCONTROL Agency. This appointment may be renewed several times, but its total duration, including all renewal periods, may not exceed nine (9) years. A conversion to an undetermined duration appointment is possible where all of the following cumulative conditions are met: the post is confirmed as being of a lasting nature; the staff member has completed at least five years of service; the staff member’s performance has been satisfactory; and the conversion is in the interests of the service. Conversion is therefore not automatic.
• Conditions depending on current type of engagement
  Internal staff appointed for a determined period
  • Retain their current type of appointment duration.
  • Continue under their existing appointment duration, as appointment durations are not cumulative.
  • The duration of their appointment will therefore not restart upon selection to the new post, i.e. the remaining duration of their current determined appointment continues to apply.
  • Renewal(s): This appointment may be renewed several times, but its total duration, including all renewal periods, may not exceed nine (9) years.
  • Conversion: Conversion to an undetermined duration appointment is possible where all of the following cumulative conditions are met: the post is confirmed as being of a lasting nature; the staff member has completed at least five years of service; the staff member’s performance has been satisfactory; and the conversion is in the interests of the service. Conversion is therefore not automatic.
  Internal staff appointed for an undetermined period
  • Retain their current type of appointment duration.
  At the end of the 5 Year period of the post for which they were selected:
  • If the assignment is extended, they will continue in the post in accordance with the applicable rules.
  • If the assignment is not extended and/or the duties are not confirmed as being of a lasting nature, they will be transferred to another post corresponding to their “previous” type of post, job level, and function group.
• The selected candidate must successfully complete a probationary period of nine (9) months before being established in the post.
• The selected candidate shall be appointed at the grade set out in this vacancy notice, or if a group of grades has been published for a job level, in principle at the basic grade of the published job level.

• Candidates declared suitable who are not selected for the post will be placed on a reserve list for similar roles. The reserve list will be valid for one year from the closing date of applications.
• Information on salary and benefits can be found on our Careers site
• EUROCONTROL is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equality and diversity. In the event of equal merit, preference may be given to the applicant from the under-represented diversity characteristics in order to complement diversity of teams and rebalance the workforce.
• Candidates should go to our Careers site and .