JOB DESCRIPTION

1. BACKGROUND
The European Defence Agency (EDA) was established on 12 July 2004, and is governed by Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/1835 defining the statute, seat and operational rules of the European Defence Agency. The Agency has its headquarters in Brussels.

The main task of EDA is to support the Council and the Member States in their effort to improve the Union’s defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) as it currently stands and as it develops in the future.

The Agency is structured into four directorates. The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) and three operational directorates: Industry, Synergies and Enablers (ISE); Capability, Armament & Planning (CAP); Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI).

2. THE AGENCY’S WAY OF WORKING
The Agency is an “outward-facing” organisation, constantly interacting with its shareholders, the participating Member States, as well as with a wide range of stakeholders. It works in an integrated way, with multi-disciplinary teams representing all of the Agency’s functional areas, to realise its objectives. Its business processes are flexible and oriented towards achieving results. Staff at all levels need to demonstrate the corresponding qualities of commitment, flexibility, innovation, and team-working; to work effectively with shareholders and stakeholder groups, formal and informal; and to operate without the need for detailed direction.

3. THE CORPORATE SERVICES DIRECTORATE
The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) provides critical business support to EDA operations by delivering high-quality corporate services under seven dedicated organizational elements, namely: Human Resources; Procurement and Contract Management; Finance; IT and Information Management, Security, Legal and Infrastructure. Additionally, the Record Manager is responsible for the effective management of information produced and/or received by the organisation.

CSD processes are geared towards efficient and optimal use of resources, leveraging good practice and technological solutions while ensuring sound financial management, transparency and accountability; outward focus and commitment to continuous improvement are the hallmarks of CSD.

4. DUTIES
The Corporate Services Director (CSD) is accountable to the Chief Executive as Head of the Corporate Services Directorate. Supported by the Heads of Units, the jobholder will be responsible for providing critical business support to EDA operations by delivering high-quality corporate services under 6 dedicated units, namely: Human Resources; Procurement and Contract Management; Finance; Legal; Security; IT, together with the Infrastructure Office and the Record Management Office.

CSD processes are geared towards efficient and optimal use of resources, leveraging good practice and technological solutions while ensuring sound financial management, transparency and accountability; outward focus and commitment to continuous improvement are the hallmarks of CSD.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the CSD Director will carry the overall managerial responsibility for financial, administrative and human resources matters and will have to act as an advisor on governance, resources and organisational development in view of strategic leadership decisions. The jobholder is expected to have expertise or experience in each of these particular fields and shall be an efficient manager of teams under their responsibility.

More specifically, the jobholder will be responsible for the following activities:

translating the Agency’s mission, strategy, work programme and priorities into a coherent departmental vision, objectives, and deliverables;
lead and manage the Directorate and ensure, with the support of the Heads of Unit, critical business support to EDA operations by delivering high-quality corporate services under the 6 dedicated units and the 2 offices mentioned above, ensuring synergies and integrated support to EDA’s operations;
manage the Agency’s budget (annual budget preparation and presentation, follow-up and co-ordination with the authorising officers of the Agency, monitoring of expenditures, preparation of reconciled financial reports) and act as Authorising Officer by sub-delegation;
overall personnel management support to all Agency Directorates and Units;
develop and sustain appropriate links with the local authorities, EDA Member States, the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the network of EU Agencies concerning administrative matters;
maintain a harmonised knowledge management framework across EDA;
safeguard a culture of consistent compliance with rules and regulations as well as ethical behaviour;
lead the effective and efficient implementation of EDA’s internal control framework;
develop the competences and skills of Directorate personnel, and evaluate/or contribute to the evaluation of their performance;
manage integrated teamwork in cooperation with the other Agency Directorates and in relation with external partners, allocating appropriate resources transversally in the most efficient way possible;
plan and organise the work and the financial and human resources of the Directorate;
take on 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.

5. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
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-language-skills

6. SELECTION 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 minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience acquired after the award of the academic qualification required as a condition of eligibility;
relevant professional experience in a managerial position with proven track-record in building and managing multinational teams at senior and/or middle-management level (candidates must indicate the size of teams managed);
demonstrated experience in the assessment, transformation and optimisation of administrative systems and processes, employing both established methodologies and the integration of emerging technologies and data-driven approaches;
sound and progressively responsible experience in public administration, preferably in an international/EU environment;
proven experience in providing strategic advice to senior management and representing administrative matters at a high level both internally and externally;
good knowledge of the EU Staff Regulations;
good knowledge of the EU financial and procurement rules and sound experience in budget-related issues (incl. general budget of the Union);
a track record of delivering successful business outcomes;
a 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:

excellent leadership and managerial skills of multinational and multidisciplinary teams;
the ability to develop strategic relations with multiple internal and external stakeholders;
result-orientation and strong intrinsic motivation, proactivity and a “can-do attitude”;
integrity and a genuine commitment to ethical standards and principles in the public service;
flexibility and innovativeness;
excellent analytical skills;
resilience and experience in managing and prioritising a significant workload and maintaining calmness under pressure;
excellent communication skills;
genuine commitment to the Agency’s missions and objectives.
B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

knowledge of and experience with the European institutional framework, EU programmes and policies;
familiarity with the defence environment;
a good level of French.