205a - Project Officer Collaborative Procurement of Equipment and Supplies

4. DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of the Collaborative Defence Procurement Centre, the jobholder will primary responsibility for the preparation, establishment and implementation of collaborative procurement activities for equipment and supplies, in particular loitering munitions, on behalf of participating EU Member States.

The jobholder will be responsible for/contribute to the following activities:

• manage or support the governance of relevant EDA ad hoc projects or programmes, including meetings, coordination of national positions, monitoring of decisions, risks, schedules, budgets and actions, and preparation of related records and reports;
• coordinate with participating Member States the harmonisation of technical requirements and the preparation, validation and maintenance of common technical specifications, including requirements related to performance, safety, airworthiness, communications, command-and-control integration, interoperability, cybersecurity, training, logistics, maintenance, certification and applicable defence standards;
• support EDA in its role as Contracting Authority and/or Procurement Agent, including market analysis and consultation, procurement planning, preparation of tender documentation, clarification and evaluation activities, contract award and implementation;
• develop, in cooperation with the relevant EDA services, procurement strategies, implementation arrangements, project documentation and decision papers required to launch and govern collaborative procurement activities;
• coordinate contract implementation across participating Member States, including order planning, configuration management, production and delivery monitoring, acceptance, quality assurance, testing, training, in-service support, financial matters and the resolution of contractual or performance issues;
• engage with industry to assess market capacity, supply-chain resilience, technological maturity, production lead times and opportunities for standardisation, while safeguarding equal treatment, transparency, confidentiality and the integrity of procurement procedures;
• identify and manage programme, technical, legal, financial, security, safety, industrial and schedule risks, and propose appropriate mitigation measures and decision options to participating Member States and EDA management;
• seek coherence and synergies with relevant EU, EDA, NATO and national capability-development, industrial and procurement initiatives, including European Commission activities and relevant PESCO projects;
• liaise, as appropriate, with the European External Action Service, EU Military Staff, European Commission, NATO, participating Member States, industry and other relevant institutions, bodies and agencies;
• provide subject-matter advice on loitering munitions, collaborative procurement and related land-based precision-engagement capabilities, and contribute to relevant policy initiatives, conferences and seminars;
• undertake 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

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 a field relevant to the post (e.g. Engineering, Defence and Security, etc.);
• at least seven (7) years of relevant professional experience;
• proven experience in the preparation and management of defence procurement/acquisition programmes in a governmental defence organisation and/or an international organisation, including knowledge of the applicable EU regulatory framework, in particular Directive 2009/81/EC;
• proven experience in translating technical requirements, defence standards and specifications into procurement documentation for collaborative procurement/acquisition programmes;
• good knowledge of the defence equipment and armaments market, particularly loitering munitions and related land-based precision-engagement capabilities;
• good understanding of EU institutions, EDA and NATO, their functions and Defence related initiatives, in particular related to Defence Procurement;
• 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, coordination 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;
• familiarity with the defence international environment;
• experience of supporting organisational and process change.