Project Officer Cyber Defence Technology

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

Candidates should also fulfill the following selection criteria:

A. Essential

(1) Professional

Candidates will be required to demonstrate that they have:

• excellent knowledge of technologies and experience of research activities related to Cyber Security and Cyber Defence;
   
• good knowledge of the Cyber Security industry;
   
• good knowledge of the international environment concerned with Cyber Defence;
   
• experience in the duties listed above (see "DUTIES" section);
   
• experience in managing projects;
   
• a good understanding of EDA’s main tasks and functions;
   
• a very good knowledge 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:

• organisational and negotiation skills;
   
• ability to work in a team in an international environment;
   
• results-orientation, and strong motivation;
   
• flexibility and innovativeness;
   
• commitment to the Agency's objectives;
   
• strong interpersonal, communication and analytical skills.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• acadamic degree in computer science, software engineering or cyber security related subjects;
   
• knowledge of the CSDP Capability Development Mechanism;
   
• experience of working in a multinational environment;
   
• hold a (recognised) Project Management qualification;
   
• experience within public security agency and/or in a security research organization.

We are looking for a Project Officer Cyber Defence Technology.

Under the supervision of the Head of Technology and Innovation Unit, the jobholder will be responsible for/contribute to the following activities:

• manage the CapTech Cyber Defence consistent with the Strategic Research Agenda and through preparing and managing studies and projects to support Member States;
   
• assist participating Member States (pMS) interested in the analysis and generation of projects, including through the development of related courses of action;
   
• coordinate Cyber Defence related activities with all relevant CapTechs and assure a close cooperation with CapTech Information Technology;
   
• contribute to the development of the relevant planning, coordinating with EDA’s Operational Directorates’ Units, to promote the coherence of the European defence capability landscape, with a focus on the cyber-related R&D dimension;
   
• cooperate with relevant stakeholders and intensify working relationship with key stakeholders;
   
• support the validation and verification of requirements with stakeholders through prototyping projects, collaborative experimentation and participation in operational exercises;
   
• actively follow technology developments in the field of Cyber Defence and identify technology trends and solutions with respect to military requirements for Cyber Defence;
   
• provide input and advice to EDA´s plans and financial management regimes, and externally to the Steering Board and other Member States´ meeting formats (Project Teams, Member States Points of Contact);
• manage information through EDA’s Collaborative Platform and Portfolio Project Management systems to maintain a high level of information-sharing with Member States and internally within EDA;
• participate, on behalf of EDA, in conferences, seminars, and other activities within the jobholder’s subject matter expertise and deliver presentations and publications as required;
• 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 Project Officer Cyber Defence Technology 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 Cyber Defence Technology 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 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.