Project Officer Land Systems Technologies

Contract type: Temporary agent

Directorate: Research, Technology and Innovation Directorate (RTI)

Group: N.A.

Grade: AD9

Level of Security Clearance: SECRET UE/EU SECRET

Management of staff: N.A.

Location: Brussels

Indicative starting date: 16/01/2027

Closing date for applications: 13/10/2026

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• BACKGROUND THE AGENCY'S WAY OF WORKING THE RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION DIRECTORATE (RTI) 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 RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION DIRECTORATE (RTI)

The Research, Technology & Innovation Directorate (RTI) promotes and supports defence research at EU level. Based on the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA), developed together with the Member States, the Directorate coordinates and plans joint research activities and the study of technical solutions to meet future operational needs.

The RTI Directorate provides support to Member States and to the European Commission for the Preparatory Action for defence research, including its implementation, and the research dimension of the European Defence Fund. The RTI directorate also ensures the promotion of innovation in defence and the exploitation of synergies at EU level with civil research in dual-use technology fields.

At present, the RTI Directorate comprises two Units, the EU-funded Defence Research Unit and the Technology & Innovation Unit, as well as the Hub for European defence Innovation (HEDI) and the RTI Coordination Team, with the following key tasks:

• The EU-funded Defence Research Unit: upstream, implementation and downstream support linked to defence research activities funded by the EU budget under delegation by the European Commission.
• The Technology & Innovation Unit: facilitation of the work of the Capability Technology Groups (CapTechs) and the Energy & Environment Working Group as well as development and management of ad hoc research activities based on sectoral Strategic Research Agendas.
• HEDI: focal point for defence innovation, driving the development of military capabilities while strengthening cooperation between EU Member States and associated countries. HEDI’s mission is to turn promising ideas into usable defence capabilities faster, while supporting EU defence priorities and strengthening Europe’s technological edge. HEDI is expected to become a dedicated Defence Innovation Centre (designation subject to approval of forthcoming organisational structure).
• The RTI Coordination Team: coordination of the RTI Directorate’s contributions to EDA’s transversal activities (such as capability development priorities (CDP), Capability Annual Review on Defence (CARD), Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and Key Strategic Activities (KSA); overview of the Agency’s research portfolio.

4. DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of Unit Technology and Innovation, the jobholder will be responsible for the following activities:

• moderate and steer the Capability Technology Group Land (CapTech Land Systems Technologies) and related activities of expert groups such as Space and electronic fora on the EDA Collaborative Platforms;

• in line with Member States’ orientations, maintain, implement and update the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) on Land Systems, synthetizing R&T&I priorities and identifying ways to address them;

• contribute to R&T&I initiatives aimed at defining capability-led priorities and projects in line with the CapTech Land Building Blocks (TBB) roadmaps;

• promote, support and manage R&T&I projects including contracting, monitoring and evaluation activities (financial, security or legal);

• support the development and implementation of the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA);

• define and organize RTI experts’ meetings and workshops;

• participate and represent the Agency in security and defence-related seminars and workshops, mainly in the areas covered by the CapTech Land;

• contribute to Technology Watch and Foresight exercises in the area of responsibility of CapTech Land;

• prepare briefing notes and assist in updating information concerning the activities of the assigned projects;

• participate and collaborate in projects and studies under the responsibility of the RTI Directorate or with other Directorates of EDA including projects entrusted to EDA for indirect management under the European Defence Fund (EDF);

• define and organise expert meetings and workshops;

• contribute to the assessment of assigned projects and draw lessons learnt and propose appropriate follow-on activities;

• collaborate actively with representatives and experts from the Member States;

• liaise with the European Commission and EU Agencies, companies and industry associations involved in military or dual use R&T in the jobholder’s area of responsibility;

• take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.

Duties may evolve according to the development of 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

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

• a University degree (or equivalent academic degree) in one of the following fields: Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, System Engineering or in a closely related engineering discipline;

• a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience, acquired after the award of the qualification required as a condition of eligibility (see eligibility criteria section above);

• strong technical background and knowledge in at least one of the following areas:

  • military vehicles, including onboard energy systems, drivetrains, protection systems, weapon system integration up to user interfaces,
  • land force up to multi-domain operations,
  • soldier equipment, including experience in unmanned/autonomous systems development/testing/operation;

• familiarity with the European defence cooperation environment and related policies;

• familiarity with European Research and Technology programmes and funding frameworks;

• extensive experience in R&T project management, covering all the phases: promotion, definition, competition and evaluation of proposals, running, assessment of the results, fostering of follow-up activities;

• experience in the dissemination and exploitation of defence research project results;

• experience in providing strategic input to, and supporting, organisational and process change;

• 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:

• ability to work in a team and independently in their area of responsibility;
• proactiveness to interact with other stakeholders, both internal and external;
• ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;
• reliability and capacity to work under pressure with minimal supervision;
• strong communication, organisational and coordination skills;
• strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills;
• flexibility and innovativeness;
• results-orientation and strong motivation;
• a strong sense of duty and responsibility;
• genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• hold a (recognised) project management qualification;
• a minimum of 3 years of experience in management of defence R&T projects;
• practical experience of cooperating with the European Commission and managing of stakeholder settings in public institutions and industry;
• proven records in cooperation with military stakeholders;
• proven experience in handling classified information;
• experience in robotics and space technologies for defence.

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

The Project Officer Land Systems Technologies 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 AD9. 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 10.082,77€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 Project Officer Land Systems Technologies at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2028, 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.