4. DUTIES

The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) is a treaty-based framework for the 26 participating Member States (pMS) to jointly plan, develop, and invest in collaborative capability development and to enhance the defence readiness. PESCO projects are designed to deliver capabilities for the use of pMS, including to support the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations and missions, and they provide an opportunity for the pMS to cooperate in all domains. The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the EEAS, including the EU Military Staff, working together, provide a Secretariat function for PESCO, with a single point of contact for the pMS.

Under the supervision of the Head of Unit PESCO, within the Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) Directorate, the jobholder will contribute to the following activities:

  • contribute to the annual assessment of the National Implementation Plans (NIP) and the report of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the Status of PESCO Implementation with accurate and validated information of participating Member States’ contribution to PESCO projects;

  • support the Unit’s work on PESCO projects, ensuring the effective monitoring and follow-up of both ongoing and upcoming projects, in close cooperation with participating Member States and relevant cross-unit and cross-directorate counterparts within EDA;

  • support enhancing strategic communication on PESCO;

  • cooperate with the European External Action Service (EEAS), including the EU Military Staff, to achieve efficiently the PESCO Secretariat functions;

  • 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

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications:

  • a University degree (or equivalent academic degree) in International Relations, Political Science, European Studies, Engineering, Security Studies or similar field;

  • experience that is relevant for the duties described in this vacancy notice;

  • experience in defence within a Ministry of Defence or armed forces at national and/or international level;

  • experience in contributing to the elaboration, assessment and implementation of high-level political and/or strategic documents;

  • a good understanding of EDA’s main tasks and functions, EU decision-making, roles of different EU institutions, and the EU defence cooperation, especially PESCO;

  • a good understanding of intergovernmental cooperative mechanisms;

  • 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 effectively in a team and to act as a cooperative and supportive team member;

  • ability to work independently in their area of responsibility;

  • ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;

  • reliability and capacity to work under pressure;

  • 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:

  • work experience in a multinational defence environment.

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 Project Officer PESCO (Analysis and Assessment) 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 AD10/AD11 equivalent.

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Project Officer PESCO (Analysis and Assessment) 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 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.