203a - Coordination Officer

Contract type: Seconded National Expert

Directorate: Procurement, Support, Industry & Interoperability Directorate (PSII)

Group: N.A.

Grade: AD9/AD10

Level of Security Clearance: SECRET UE/EU SECRET

Management of staff: N.A.

Location: Brussels

Indicative starting date: 01/03/2027

Closing date for applications: 12/01/2027

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  • BACKGROUND THE AGENCY'S WAY OF WORKING THE PROCUREMENT, SUPPORT, INDUSTRY & INTEROPERABILITY DIRECTORATE (PSII) DUTIES CONDITIONS FOR SECONDMENT SELECTION CRITERIA INDEPENDENCE AND DECLARATION OF INTEREST APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR SECONDED NATIONAL EXPERTS (SNE) AT EDA EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR SECONDED NATIONAL EXPERTS (SNE) 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: Capability, Armament & Planning (CAP); Procurement, Support, Industry & Interoperability (PSII); Research, Technology & Innovation (RTI).

2. THE AGENCY'S WAY OF WORKING

The Agency is an “outward-facing” organisation, constantly interacting with its shareholders, the 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 PROCUREMENT, SUPPORT, INDUSTRY & INTEROPERABILITY DIRECTORATE (PSII)

The Procurement, Support, Industry & Interoperability Directorate (PSII) supports a range of activities critical to collaborative defence capability development in Europe and the strengthening of its EDTIB.

The PSII Directorate supports Member States by conducting collaborative procurement of off-the-shelf defence equipment and services for their benefit. It also supports Member States in addressing the implications of EU legislation and policies for the defence sector, including REACH, Single European Sky (SES), funding instruments, and procurement legislation and policy. It also analyses developments influencing the European defence industry and security of supply. The Directorate is also responsible for activities supporting defence cooperation and interoperability, including airworthiness, standardisation, certification, test and evaluation, and education and training. It also supports CSDP operations, missions and EU Battlegroups.

The PSII Directorate comprises:

  • PSII Coordination and Management Office supports Member States in the adoption of new legislation and policies and supports internal coordination within and between the Directorate and the Agency’s other directorates;
  • Collaborative Defence Procurement Centre (CDPC) manages the collaborative procurement of off-the shelf defence equipment and services for the benefit of Member States and EU operations and missions, and provides procurement management and regulatory expertise to the Agency and Member States;
  • Wider EU Policies Support Unit engages industry in the activities of the Agency, performs strategic analyses of the defence industry and supply chains, and monitors the impact of EU policies on the defence sector, ranging from legislation (REACH, single European Sky) to funding instruments;
  • Interoperability Support Unit supports defence cooperation and enhances interoperability through the development of harmonised safety and certification requirements, identification of best practice standards, networking of test and evaluation capabilities, and facilitation of common training initiatives.

4. DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of the Coordination and Management Office, the Coordination Officer will be responsible for / contribute to the following activities:

  • support the coordination of the Directorate's planning, reporting and governance activities;
  • support the coordination of Directorate inputs to Agency-wide planning, budgeting, staffing and reporting processes;
  • facilitate coordination across Directorate units and with other Agency Directorates to ensure coherent input to Agency-wide efforts and activities;
  • assist in monitoring the implementation of Directorate objectives, identifying risks, tracking actions and ensure appropriate follow-up;
  • contribute to the coordination of the Directorate's activities related to EU defence policies and legislation, including preparation of background material, stakeholder coordination and support to Member States' engagement;
  • assist in the preparation, organisation and follow-up of meetings with Member States, senior management and Directorate stakeholders, including agendas, briefing materials, minutes and action tracking;
  • support the coordination and follow-up of Directorate contributions to cross-cutting Agency initiatives, working groups and other horizontal activities involving several organisational entities;
  • maintain an overview of key Directorate deliverables, meetings, deadlines and decision points and support the timely coordination of related inputs and actions;
  • contribute to the continuous improvement of Directorate coordination arrangements, working methods and information flows, including the development and maintenance of appropriate planning and monitoring tools;
  • liaise, as appropriate, with relevant internal and external stakeholders in support of the Directorate’s coordination activities;
  • 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. CONDITIONS FOR SECONDMENT

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

6. SELECTION CRITERIA

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

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

  • a university degree (or equivalent academic degree) in public administration, political science, international relations, European studies, law, business administration, defence studies or another field relevant to the post;
  • at least seven (7) years of relevant professional experience;
  • experience in coordination, planning, programme management, governance support and monitoring activities;
  • experience in preparing reports, briefing materials, meeting documentation and management information for senior stakeholders;
  • experience in coordinating activities involving multiple stakeholders in an international or multinational environment;
  • good knowledge of EU institutions, policies and decision-making processes, particularly in the field of security and defence, including the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the wider international defence environment;
  • understanding of the EDA’s main tasks and functions;
  • a very good command of written and spoken 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;
  • experience of supporting organisational and process change;
  • familiarity with new and emerging digital tools and applications, and an interest in using them to streamline processes, improve workflows and support the modernisation of the function.

7. 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.

8. APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR SECONDED NATIONAL EXPERTS (SNE) AT EDA

The Coordination Officer 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 AD09/AD10 equivalent.

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Coordination Officer 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 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.

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.