Head of Legal Unit

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).

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 successful candidate will lead a small but versatile legal team, covering legal matters ranging from drafting and interpretation of legal instruments to advising on administrative legal matters (i.e. staff related disputes, ethics & conduct, public access to documents, OLAF investigations and European Ombudsman complaints), offering the successful candidate opportunity for professional growth.

We are looking for a dynamic legal professional with an established track record in providing clear, accurate, and soundly reasoned legal advice. Combining legal expertise and service-oriented skills, the jobholder will be asked to react quickly on a wide-range of various legal issues impacting the Agency’s work. In the role of Legal Advisor, the jobholder will act as a central point to ensure the legal coherence of the Agency’s work while enabling mandate execution.

Under the supervision of the Corporate Services Director, the successful candidate will perform the following duties:

Legal advice and representation

• provide legal advice and services to EDA Management on matters pertaining to the Agency and its interaction with the external ecosystem (EU institutions, Member States, third parties, defence industry);
  
• provide legal support to the Agency’s operational Directorates in the implementation of their projects and programmes, as required;
  
• provide legal advice in respect of the interpretation of the EDA legal framework as it stands and as it may evolve;
  
• verify the legal soundness of the Agency’s decisions;
  
• draft or assist in the drafting of various legal documents within the Agency’s remit (such as Rules on public access to EDA documents, governance framework, legal templates etc.);
  
• contribute to and review decisions, internal guidance, policies, handbooks, manuals, etc., as required;
  
• provide legal advice on matters of procurement/contracting in close cooperation with the Procurement and Contract Unit.

Management and oversight

• manage the workload, human and budgetary resources allocated to the Legal Unit, including the development of competences and skills, and the evaluation of performance;
  
• lead and empower the team fostering team cohesion and sustained motivation;
  
• oversee the maintenance of the Agency’s repository of internal decisions, rules and non-contractual legal commitments.

Liaison and coordination

• liaise and ensure sound and fruitful working relations with the legal services of EDA’s institutional counterparts and stakeholders (participating Member States, Council of the European Union, EEAS, European Commission, EU Agencies, etc.);
  
• co-ordinate the Agency’s approach towards litigation and proceedings to which the Agency is/may be party.
  Duties may evolve according to the development of EDA’s structure and activities, and the decisions of EDA management.

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

A. Essential

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 Law and/or advanced studies in law;
  
• at least 10 years of relevant professional experience (acquired after the award of the minimum qualification required as a condition of eligibility) in positions relevant to the job description in progressively senior levels, involving the provision of dedicated legal advice in an EU or international public sector environment;
  
• proven track record in providing strategic and sound legal advice, both orally and in writing, on EU and public international law;
  
• excellent knowledge of the EU political and legal framework, including institutional legal processes and procedures;
  
• at least four (4) years of proven experience in successfully leading legal teams with the demonstrated capacity to motivate and engage colleagues (please specify duration, size of the team(s), and number of direct/indirect reports);
  
• proven experience in setting priorities, planning and utilising resources efficiently to deliver results;
  
• sound knowledge and understanding data protection in the EU and international organisations;
  
• very good ICT skills with proficient knowledge of MS Office applications, including Excel;
  
• 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:

• very good leadership and management 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;
  
• strong sense of ownership and accountability;
  
• ability to work in a multicultural team and to quickly adapt;
  
• excellent analytical skills;
  
• a strategic mindset to pitch legal issues in the broader context of the ever-evolving EU and international context as well as a practical and collegiate approach to problem solving;
  
• excellent communications skills, and the capacity to present orally and in writing in a compelling, accurate, and clear manner;
  
• resilience and experience managing and prioritising a significant workload and maintaining calmness under pressure;
  
• ability to deal with confidential matters professionally;
  
• flexibility and innovativeness within the rules;
  
• well organised, thorough and accurate.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• applied knowledge of ethics in the EU institutional environment;
• knowledge of the legal framework pertaining to defence and security matters;
• familiarity with the international and EU defence environment (incl. CSDP);
• clear understanding of the EDA’s mission, its main tasks and functions;
• a good level of French (reading comprehension B2).

EDA, whose staff are governed by its own Staff Regulations, offers specific conditions of employment with regards to contract duration and pension arrangements.

CONTRACT DURATION

The Head of Legal Unit will be appointed by the Chief Executive. Recruitment will be as a member of the contractual staff of the Agency for a 4-year period. Renewal is possible only once for an additional period of 4 years, within the limits set out in the EDA Staff Regulations. The successful candidate will be recruited as Temporary Agent, grade AD11. In line with EDA’s Staff Regulations, the Agency does not offer inter-Agency mobility.

FINANCIAL ENTITLEMENTS

The pay for this position consists of a basic salary of 12.531,47€ 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.

PENSION ARRANGEMENTS SPECIFIC TO EDA

Prospective staff members considering a career at the European Defence Agency (EDA) should be aware that EDA has its own pension provisions and is not part of the EU institutions’ pension scheme (PSEUI).

In addition, EDA staff have several flexible options regarding their pension contributions at the end of their contract, under certain conditions, such as:

• transfer to a public pension scheme;
• transfer to a private pension scheme;
• direct payment as a severance grant.

For further information on working conditions please refer to: https://eda.europa.eu/jobs/what-we-offer

Selected candidates 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 their independence.

EDA is an equal opportunities employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, sex or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or family situation.

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Head of Legal Unit at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2027, 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.

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. 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 recruitment@eda.europa.eu.

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.

EDA will not accept any phase of the selection & recruitment process prepared or assisted, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. EDA reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI tools may be rejected without further consideration at EDA’s sole discretion, and EDA reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.

If recruited, candidates will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements made in their application. They should not send any supporting or supplementary information until asked to do so by the Agency. Candidates are advised that part of the recruitment process includes medical analyses and physical check-up with the Agency’s Medical Adviser.

Staff members employed at EDA require a Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (PSCC). The process to obtain a PSCC can be initiated only by EDA on behalf of the staff member. Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance certificate before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the contract.

Please note that EDA will not return applications to candidates. The personal information EDA requests from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) N° 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) 45/2001 and Decision No. 1247/2002/EC.

The purpose of processing personal data which candidates submit is to manage applications in view of possible pre-selection and recruitment at EDA. More information on personal data protection in relation to selection and recruitment can be found on the EDA website: http://www.eda.europa.eu/jobs/dataprotection