Project Officer Innovative Advanced Materials

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-langu…

Only applications meeting all essential selection criteria will be assessed.

(1) Professional

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications:

• university studies in materials science or engineering  and a broad scientific culture;  
• familiarity with the defence international environment and the EU defence R&T community including both government, industry, institutes and academia; 
• specific background knowledge in the area of Materials and Structures and of their applications in defence; 
• knowledge and experience in defence European and international R&T collaboration and a track record of delivering successful business outcomes; 
• experience in organisation and chairing of meetings and workshops; 
• excellent command of written and oral 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;
• good interpersonal, communication and influencing skills; 
• flexibility, innovativeness, tact with a strong sense of duty and responsibility; 
• results-orientation and strong motivation; 
• accuracy and dependability; 
• ability to adapt to a quickly changing working environment; 
• genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• familiarity with the defence international environment (especially CSDP);
• knowledge of European Defence Technological and Industrial Base;
• hold a (recognised) project management qualification.

We are looking for a Project Officer Innovative Advanced Materials.

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

• contribute to RTI initiatives aimed at defining capability-led priorities and projects; 
• support and manage of R&T projects including monitoring and evaluation and contracting activities; 
• participate and collaborate in projects and studies within integrated teams under the responsibility of the RTI Directorate or with other Directorates of EDA; 
• support the PO Materials and Structures Technologies on managing CapTech Materials & Structures 
• define and organise RTI experts’ meetings and workshops; 
• collaborate actively with representatives and experts from the participating Member States; 
• participate and represent the Agency in security and defence related seminars and workshops mainly in the areas covered by the CapTech; 
• contribute to technology watch and foresight in his/her assigned area of responsibility; 
• ensure the information flow and engagement of the CapTech members; 
• contribute to transversal activities among the CapTechs, and also with other work-strands within EDA, and other organizations; 
• 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 Innovative Advanced Materials 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 candidates will be seconded as AD10/AD11 equivalent.

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Project Officer Innovative Advanced Materials 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.