Project Officer UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems)

Contract type: Temporary agent

Directorate: Capability, Armament and Planning Directorate (CAP)

Group: N.A.

Grade: AD8

Level of Security Clearance: SECRET UE/EU SECRET

Management of staff: N.A.

Location: Brussels

Indicative starting date: 01/10/2026

Closing date for applications: 18/06/2026

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  • BACKGROUND THE AGENCY'S WAY OF WORKING THE CAPABILITY, ARMAMENT AND PLANNING DIRECTORATE (CAP) 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 CAPABILITY, ARMAMENT AND PLANNING DIRECTORATE (CAP)

The Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate (CAP) supports EU Member States in identifying and preparing possible cooperation projects and programmes ranging from long term military capability development to short term armament procurement. This includes obtaining agreement on shared needs and related priorities, harmonising capability requirements and conducting capability development preparatory activities, and also aggregating demand towards joint procurement.

The Directorate is operating several EU tools related to capability development and planning, in cooperation with other competent EU institutions and bodies. The Capability Development Plan (CDP), managed together with the EU Military Staff (EUMS) leads to identification of Capability Development Priorities agreed at EU level as a reference for all EU initiatives on Defence. The Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), ran together with the EUMS, enables to characterise the “State of the Union on Defence” and to identify opportunities for cooperation. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), conducted together with the European External Action Service (EEAS), including EUMS, coordinates the analysis of the annual PESCO National Implementation Plans to assess the participating Member States’ fulfilment of the PESCO commitments, assesses Member States’ PESCO project proposals and monitors their progress. These tools are operated with Member States throughout a structured EU Capability Development Planning System (EU-CDPS).

Within EU CDPS, the Directorate engages with Member States’ Capability planners and experts to implement the EU Capability Development Priorities based on agreed collaborative Roadmaps. When preparatory activities enable to identify a possible cooperation project, the Directorate support Member States interested in the project by elaborating with them a Business Case.

The CAP Directorate comprises six Units; four are addressing capability development and armament procurement activities of operational domains associated to EU agreed priorities and two are operating EU related processes and tools:

  • Air Domain Unit: Air Combat, Airborne Command and Inform Capabilities, Integrated Air and Missile Defence, Air Transport
  • Land and Logistics Unit: Ground Combat Capabilities, Land-Based Precision Engagement, Future Soldier Systems, Logistics, Military Mobility, CBRN Defence, C-IED
  • Information Superiority Unit: Communication & Information Systems, Surveillance & Reconnaissance, Space, Cyber Defence
  • Maritime Unit: Naval Combat and Maritime Interdiction, Underwater and Seabed Warfare, Maritime Domain Awareness
  • Cooperation Planning Unit: Capability Development Priorities, CARD, Defence Data
  • PESCO Unit: PESCO secretariat, assessment of fulfilment of commitments as well as new PESCO project proposals, support to PESCO projects

4. DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of the Air Domain Unit, the Project Officer will contribute to the following activities:

  • foster Defence cooperative activities among EU Member States for the collaborative development and procurement of Member States’ Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) capabilities. This includes in particular to:
    • act as primary EDA point of contact for UAS activities from a capability development and armament procurement perspective, providing expertise both internally and externally. This requires maintaining this level of expertise also through continuous operational and armament monitoring, as well as participating in specific events in the domain;
    • explore and promote collaborative opportunities for UAS capability development and procurement within the EU, including support to Member States in maturing these opportunities into concrete cooperative projects in the context of all EU initiatives and instruments related to Capability Development (CDP, CARD, PESCO, EDF, SAFE, EDIP, PCAs…). This includes preparing Business Cases, presenting to Member States detailed options for cooperative projects and thus launching the projects entrusted for management to the Agency;
    • support Member States, as appropriate, in the execution of capability development / armament procurement projects, ensuring coordination and minimizing duplication of efforts, including by establishing and running EDA ad hoc supporting projects;
    • plan, coordinate and manage all EDA activities related to the development or procurement of UAS capabilities, including outsourced activities funded by the EDA Operational Budget;
    • monitor EDA-wide UAS related activities, including in the field of R&T, Innovation, protection of critical infrastructures, to ensure a cross-Directorate coordination and a proper CAP contribution to activities of the Hub for Innovation (HEDI), the EDA Autonomous Systems Ad Hoc Working Group (and its Action Plan APAS), and to Action Plans on Emerging Disruptive Technologies.
  • ensure strong coordination with the Project Officers in charge of the Capability Development.

Priorities Air Combat, Airborne Command & Inform and Air Transport, as UAS capabilities are embedded in these priorities and must be addressed in a consistent manner with their implementation. In particular, the Project Officer UAS will place strong emphasis on sharing information with these Project Officers, aligning work with existing or ongoing activities and coordinating any envisaged changes or further developments.

  • contribute, as far as UAS are concerned, to the conduct, enhancement, implementation of all initiatives related to Capability Development and Defence acquisition in which the Unit and the Directorate are involved, including the contribution to:

    • the preparation of CARD dialogues, the analysis of CARD findings, and the elaboration of concrete recommendations;
    • the assessment of PESCO Project proposals and to the support of these Projects when requested by Member States;
    • other elaboration of the Work Programmes of the European Commission’s Defence related funding programmes and all associated documents.

  • contribute to all activities related to the drafting, coordination, and implementation of high-level documents – such as Letters of Intents, Steering Board documentation to Ministries of Defence, and similar strategic or policy-level deliverables – as well as the development, execution, and follow-up of relevant Action Plans;

  • establish and/or maintain the appropriate dialogue with other relevant entities involved in activities related to UAS Capability Development and defence procurement areas;

  • represent the Agency during conferences and seminars;

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

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

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications:

  • a university degree (or equivalent academic qualification) in a field relevant to the position (e.g. Air academy, Aerospace Science);
  • at least six (6) years of military experience related to UAS, acquired after obtaining the minimum qualification required for eligibility (see criteria section above);
  • a proven experience in military capability development and / or in project / programme management;
  • a track record of relevant professional experience in the field of international cooperation;
  • a demonstrated knowledge of and familiarity with the international Defence environment in general;
  • a good understanding of EU institutions, their functioning, and of their defence-related frameworks and initiatives (such as CDP, CARD, PESCO, EDF, EDIP or equivalent);
  • 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:

  • a demonstrated capacity to perform effectively in complex and rapidly evolving environments where frameworks, priorities and knowledge are still being defined;
  • proven intellectual agility and curiosity, with the ability to rapidly acquire expertise in new and technically complex domains;
  • strong collaborative mindset and ability to integrate effectively into a small, high-tempo team where roles are broad and interdependencies are high;
  • excellent coordination and interface management skills, with the ability to proactively align work with adjacent domains and stakeholders;
  • results-orientation, initiative and strong personal motivation;
  • genuine commitment to European multilateral defence cooperation and to the objectives of the Agency.

B.Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

  • proven experience in UAS with concrete achievements in operational, conceptual or technical activities;
  • substantial professional experience acquired as a military pilot of manned aircraft, or as a pilot of NATO Class II or NATO Class III UAS in a military aviation context;
  • experience in an early stage of emerging capability domain, including domain structuring, concept development or study management in a defence context;
  • experience in an EU or NATO organisations, international/multinational headquarters or Agency.

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 UAS 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 AD8. 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 8.911,48€ 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 UAS 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.

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.