Project Officer Satellite Communications and Radio Spectrum

To be considered eligible to take part in this selection procedure, on the closing date for the submission of applications candidates must satisfy all the eligibility criteria as specified below:

• be a national of a Member State participating in the Agency;
• be entitled to their full rights as citizens;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed on them by the laws concerning military service;
• produce the appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of their duties (extract from the “judicial record” or certificate of good conduct will be requested prior to recruitment);
• be physically fit to perform their duties;
• have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1 oral and written) of one of the languages of the participating Member States and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2 oral and written) of another of these languages to the extent necessary to discharge their duties;
• have no personal interest (financial, family relationship, or other) which could be in conflict with disinterested discharge of their duties within the Agency;
• hold, or be in a position to obtain, a valid Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (national or EU PSC at SECRET UE/EU SECRET level). Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC) means a certificate issued by a competent authority establishing that an individual is security cleared and holds a valid national or EU PSC, and which shows the level of EUCI to which that individual may be granted access (SECRET UE/EU SECRET), the date of validity of the relevant PSC and the date of expiry of the certificate itself. Note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSCC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate;
• have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more, or a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and appropriate professional experience of at least one year when the normal period of university education is at least three years or be a graduate of a national or international Defence College; or where justified in the interests of the service, professional training of an equivalent level.

Only diplomas that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are the subject of equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration. In the latter case, the authority authorised to conclude contracts of employment reserves the right to request proof of such equivalence.

For diplomas awarded in non-EU countries, a NARIC recognition is required: https://www.enic-naric.net/

Qualifications/diplomas awarded until 31/12/2020 in the United Kingdom are accepted without further recognition. For diplomas awarded after this date (from 01/01/2021), a NARIC recognition is required.

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:

• a University degree (or equivalent academic degree) in a field relevant to the post;
• at least eight (8) years of relevant professional experience acquired after the award of the qualification required as a condition of eligibility;
• a thorough understanding and professional experience of the challenges related to electromagnetic spectrum operations and effective command, control and communications, and the competence necessary to propose and champion effective short- and long-term solutions;
• excellent knowledge of Satellite communication systems (strategic and tactical communications and datalinks, radio and wire) and their frequency requirements;
• good knowledge of EMSO and Frequency Spectrum management related issues like applications, procedures, organisations, and national and international decision making;
• good knowledge of International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Radio Regulations and Allocations;
• knowledge of common information and data processing systems and related hardware and software, and familiarity with automated information system architecture design;
• knowledge of/experience in capability development and interoperability requirements;
• a good understanding of EDA’s main tasks and functions, and familiarity with the international defence environment (especially CSDP) and with the European institutions;
• very good 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/their area of responsibility;
• ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;
• reliability and capacity to work under pressure with little supervision;
• 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.

Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• hold a (recognised) project management qualification;
• a track record of delivering successful business outcomes;
• experience of leading organisational and process change;
• experience of working with EU institutions;
• experience of EDA working methods and procedures.

We are looking for a Project Officer Satellite Communications and Radio Spectrum.

Under the supervision of the Head of Unit Information Superiority, the jobholder will have duties both as primarily Project Officer on Satellite Communications (SatCom) and secondary as Project Officer on Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO). The jobholder will be involved in/responsible for/contribute to the following activities:

• further develop  and implement the relevant Capability Development Priorities (Priority Implementation Roadmaps), objectives, and timelines, in close cooperation with operational Directorates and under the supervision of the Head of Unit and regularly update them;
• in line with the Priority Implementation Roadmaps, and also as provided for by the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence, identify, collect, analyse, aggregate and harmonize capability requirements;
• undertake relevant activities as outlined in the Priority Implementation Roadmaps. Promote and propose collaborative opportunities or studies within his/her/their area of responsibility;
• provide input into relevant strategies and policies that may emanate from within the Agency, or addressed to the Agency, and provide views and analysis at a strategic level of documents when requested in relation to his/her/their area of responsibility;
• implement SatCom and EMSO relevant EDA tasks and responsibilities as outlined in the EU Space strategy for Security and Defence;
• support of (or chair) the relevant working groups on SatCom and on EMSO and manage contracting processes for outsourced activities as well as provide support to top management and support the preparation of meetings with Member States’ representatives and other institutions;
• maintain an up-to-date technical, legal and operational knowledge of the military and civilian Satcom matters primarily and EMSO secondarily;
• provide support to EDA’s SatCom joint procurement and pooling & sharing projects, in particular about:
  • future orientation of SATCOM activities from a capability development prospect;
  • contributing to reports when required to inform the Agency’s management;
  • contributing to analyzing and evaluate the performance, coherence and pertinence of the projects making up the EDA SATCOM programme;
  • contributing to recommendations about the EDA SatCom projects.

As Project Officer EMSO:

• foster the development of EU common positions in the field of Radio Spectrum with a view to enabling an EU EMSO;
• maintain a high-level of operational knowledge of the evolution of the radio spectrum regulatory framework and about the EU defence stakeholders;
• coordinate with other Project Officers in the Agency to raise awareness of any particular radio spectrum implications in the portfolio of projects/programmes carried out by the Agency.

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

Candidates must submit their application electronically solely via the EDA website. Applications by any other means (hard copy or ordinary e-mail) will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight. Candidates are reminded that the on-line application system will not accept applications after midnight (Brussels time, GMT+1) on the date of the deadline.

When applying, candidates from Ministries of Defence or other governmental entities are encouraged to inform their national administration.

A selection panel will be appointed. Please note that the selection panel's internal proceedings are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is forbidden.

Each application will be screened based on the requirements of the job profile stated in the vacancy notice. The most suitable applicants will be called for an interview and a written test. Candidates may also be requested to take part in an assessment centre, participating in a number of individual and group activities related to the competences required for the post.

If recruited, you will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements that you make for this application. Do not send any supporting or supplementary information until you have been asked to do so by the Agency.

Please note that once you have created your EDA profile, any correspondence regarding your application must be sent or received via your EDA profile. For any prior enquiry, please refer to the FAQ (Frequently asked questions) section, or send an e-mail to recruitmenteda [dot] europa [dot] eu (recruitment[at]eda[dot]europa[dot]eu).

The Project Officer Satellite Communications and Radio Spectrum 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 Project Officer Satellite Communications and Radio Spectrum 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.