HR Assistant

The European Defence Agency 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).

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.

The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) provides critical business support to EDA operations by delivering high-quality corporate services under 5 dedicated units, namely: Human Resources; Procurement and Contract Management; Finance; IT and Information Management together with Security and Infrastructure Management. Additionally, the EDA Legal Team provides legal, data protection and institutional advice and checks to its management relating to the fulfilment of Agency objectives. The EDA Programme Manager and Corporate Projects Officer provides a leadership role in, and a focal point for, good practice in Project, Programme and Risk Management. Finally, the Record Manager is responsible for the effective and appropriate 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.

We are looking for highly skilled, autonomous and enthusiastic HR professional. The successful candidate will join a small but dynamic and dedicated HR team covering the full spectrum of HR activities and will have opportunity for professional growth.

Under the supervision of the Head of Human Resources Unit, the HR Assistant will contribute to the following activities:

Budget planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting

• contribute to the budget planning, monitoring of and reporting on staff-related expenditure, in close liaison with Finance;
• act as operational initiator for financial and procurement procedures linked to HR activities;
• act as the backup for payroll activities and salary matters.

Selection, recruitment and management of employee lifecycle

• contribute to the availability of human capital through support to planning and organisation of selection procedures, including participation in selection panels;
  
• plan and organise the on-boarding process of newcomers;
  
• inform and advise staff on statutory aspects (Staff Regulations/SNE Rules of the Agency) and administrative/practical issues relating to their installation such as schooling, removals, housing;
  
• prepare decisions relating to individual rights throughout the employee lifecycle (grading, indemnities, allowances, salary, severance grants) and liaise with the Office for the Administration and Payment of Individual Entitlements (PMO) of the European Commission on the establishment of the rights of EDA staff members.

Communication, document and database management

• prepare and disseminate HR-related communications;
  
• contribute to the management of the HR databases (e.g. Sysper), HR document and information management and personal files;
  
• gather, process and analyse staff-related data and contribute to HR metrics, statistics and reports for internal and external stakeholders;
  
• contribute to the drafting of manuals and procedures in the areas of responsibility.

The jobholder may be asked to 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.

• be a national of a Member State participating in the Agency;
• be entitled to his/her full rights as a citizen;
• have fulfilled any obligations imposed on him/her by the laws concerning military service;
• produce the appropriate character references as to his/her suitability for the performance of his/her duties (extract from the “judicial record” or certificate of good conduct will be requested prior to recruitment);
• be physically fit to perform his/her 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 his/her duties;
• have no personal interest (financial, family relationship, or other) which could be in conflict with disinterested discharge of his/her 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 post-secondary education attested by a diploma or a level of secondary education attested by a diploma giving access to post-secondary education, and appropriate professional experience of at least three years.

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. Please note that degrees awarded in the United Kingdom up to 31/12/2020 are considered valid.

It should be noted that due to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on 31/01/2020, candidates from the United Kingdom who do not hold the nationality of another participating EU Member State, are not eligible.

To assess your foreign language skills, see: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr

A. Essential

(1) Professional

The candidate will be required to demonstrate that he/she has:

• professional experience of at least six years (at least nine years in the case of secondary education), including professional experience of at least three years in at least two of the following HR management areas: budget planning and monitoring, selection procedures, recruitment (including rights and obligations) and payroll;
• proven experience in applying HR Regulations;
• effective, clear and concise communication skills in oral and written English;
• effective organisational and administrative skills and a methodical approach to work, including accuracy and attention to detail;
• experience with HRM tools;
• very good ICT skills with proficient knowledge of MS Office applications, including Excel;
• a track record of delivering successful business outcomes.

(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;
• proactivity, reliability and capacity to work under pressure with little supervision;
• strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
• excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills;
• customer service and results-orientation and strong motivation;
• flexibility and innovativeness;
• discretion, confidentiality and tact;
• genuine commitment to the Agency’s objectives.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• HR qualification/diploma;
• professional HR experience in an EU institution/agency or in the international public sector;
• experience with the EU HRM tool: Sysper;
• familiarity with the use of HR analytics to extract insights and translate them into impactful reports.

The HR Assistant will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the Agency’s interest and to make a declaration in relation to interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence.

The HR Assistant 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 AST5.

The pay for this position consists of a basic salary of 5.010,72€ supplemented with various allowances, including as applicable expatriation or family allowances. The successful candidate will be graded on entry into service according to the length of his/her professional experience. Salaries are exempted from national tax, instead an Agency tax at source is paid.