Policy Officer

This vacancy is for candidates who fulfill the following 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 degree) in a Political/Social Sciences, International relations, or other relevant domain;
   
• at least eight (8) years of working experience in the fields of security policy, defence, and strategic issues, acquired after the award of the qualification required as a condition of eligibility;
   
• direct experience of at least three years dealing with policy shaping and implementation either in national defence/security administrations or in international institutions in the defence/security field;
   
• excellent conceptual, planning, drafting and analytical skills;
   
• a good understanding of EDA's main tasks and functions among EU institutions, and of the CSDP environment;
   
• a proven track record of delivering successful business outcomes;
   
• a very good level of oral (e.g. presentations) and written (e.g. drafting of strategic/conceptual documents, speaking notes) communication in 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 and multicultural environment, displaying political awareness;
   
• ability to prioritise and organise tasks, and to multi-task and coordinate a wide range of activities;
   
• ability to take initiatives and work under high political and time pressure – flexibility required –, and with minimal supervision;
   
• strong motivation, flexibility and results-driven approach;
   
• genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives;
   
• a strong sense of initiative and ability to propose and promote innovative ideas and concepts.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• a direct and significant experience of at least 6 years in both a national defence/security administration and in relevant international security institutions;
• professional experience in dealing with EU institutions;
• understanding of military capabilities, capability development, defence planning, defence technologies or R&T;
• additional academic skills: specialised, expert-level courses or training in security, defence, and capability development related-issues; publications and public interventions in the field.

We are looking for a Policy Officer.

Under the supervision of the Head of the Chief Executive’s Policy Office, the jobholder will be responsible for the following activities:

• contribute to the planning, preparation, and revision of EDA's annual and multi-annual strategies, plans and policies, in close cooperation with EDA’s operational Directorates;
   
• support the internal policy coordination and organisational coherence of cross-directorate work strands and processes inside the Agency; 
   
• provide support to top management, including briefings, speaking notes, speeches and reports of visits and/or meetings; 
   
• support and monitor the preparation and functioning of the Agency's Steering Board meetings; 
   
• contribute to position papers, both for internal use and for wider circulation to Member States and EU institutions, in close coordination with EDA’s operational Directorates;
   
• liaise and coordinate work with the European Commission, other EU institutions, bodies, and stakeholders;
   
• engage with Member States and third parties at defence policy and expert level;
   
• take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.

Duties may evolve according to development of the EDA’s structure and activities, and the decisions of EDA management.

The Policy Officer will be appointed by the Chief Executive.

Recruitment will be as a member of the temporary staff of the Agency for a four-year period. Renewal is possible within the limits set out in the EDA Staff Regulations. The successful candidate will be recruited as Temporary Agent, grade AD10.

The pay for this position consists of a basic salary of 10.518,29€ 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 at source is paid. For further information on working conditions please refer to: https://eda.europa.eu/jobs/what-we-offer

Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance certificate before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the contract.

Candidates are advised that part of the recruitment process includes medical analyses and physical check-up with the Agency’s Medical Adviser.

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Policy Officer at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2025, 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.