IT Contract and Project Manager

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.

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

• manage IT resources including contracting vendors, planning, monitoring and controlling consumption of resources, managing and controlling associated budgets;
• collaboratively manage and monitor supplier, service provider, outsourcer, and/or contractor performance to ensure quality of service;
• execute contract management and follow-up of IT contracts;
• issue and check financial documentation;
• assist in budget forecasting and follow-up;
• assist in planning and monitoring costs, risk and KPIs;
• provide the users with technical support and documentation;
• assist internal users in determining required system enhancements;
• maintain the IT knowledge base;
• maintain relationships with technology, software, and security vendors;
• maintain familiarity with current and upcoming IT equipment, services, and other developments;
• provide periodic oversight and execution of vendor assessment and requalification;
• where possible, standardise equipment to the lowest total costs;
• coordinate troubleshooting, support, and service for equipment and networks when necessary;
• manage IT configuration items and assets;
• support IT section leaders with IT projects;
• leverage continuous improvement initiatives to create additional value over and above the contract requirements;
• support and maintain cloud-based environment (Azure AAD, O365, Azure, AWS)
• support and maintain IT Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery procedures;
• 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.

• 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 of one of the languages of the participating Member States and a satisfactory knowledge 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 education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma or be a graduate of a national or international Defence College.

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.

A. Essential

(1) Professional

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

• proven knowledge of, and experience in, IT procurement, budget management and items management;
• extensive practical recent experience in resolving complex and everyday service requests relating to laptops, server, network hardware and software problems;
• excellent knowledge of project assistance in IT projects;
• strong ability to manage priorities in delivery, product demands, and procurement timelines through analytical capabilities;
• 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:

• excellent analytical and problem-solving skills and ability to think creatively;
• very good organisational skills and very good command of office equipment and applications (for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, electronic communication, internet, etc.);
• good communication skills;
• service oriented and problem solving approach with a high level of constructive and positive behaviour in trouble shooting process;
• ability to work in multi-cultural environment having well developed interpersonal skills. Genuine commitment to the Agency’s objectives.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• experience in management of IT ticketing systems, centralised printer environments, meeting-room setups and video-conferencing systems;
• previous experience in management of IT projects, including development of technical requirements, requests for quotation and tender evaluation, drafting procurement contracts, as well as equipment and license management and replacement planning;
• experience in administration and configuration of Microsoft Windows based environment (Active directory, Exchange, SharePoint, IIS, SQL, SCCM) and/or cloud-based environment (Azure AD, Office 365, Azure, AWS);
• excellent understanding of Networks technology (LAN, WAN, DNS, DHCP) and VoIP;
• understanding of secure communications (VPN); and Internet technology (Internet, Intranet, Extranet, Firewalls, Proxy, http, https, etc.);
• comprehensive knowledge of EU procurement policies and regulations;
• proven ability to build relationships with suppliers, and contractors who provide a broad spectrum of IT products and services;
• certification in project management.
• certification in cloud-based environment (O365, Azure, AWS)

The IT Contract and Project Manager 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 IT Contract and Project Manager will be appointed by the Chief Executive.

Recruitment will be as a member of the contractual 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 Contract Agent, Function Group IV.

The pay for this position consists of a basic salary of 3.531,26€ 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.