Head of SES/SESAR Unit

The Head Single European Sky/SESAR Unit will support the Industry, Synergies and Enablers (ISE) Director in EDA’s roles in the Single European Sky (SES) Programme, acting as the military interface for SESAR, facilitating the coordination of military views from and in support of Member States and relevant military organisations, informing military planning mechanisms of the requirements stemming from SESAR deployment, as well as evaluating the operational risks and financial implications of the Single European Sky for military aviation.

Under the supervision of the ISE Director, the jobholder will be responsible for the following activities:

• keep a strategic overview within the jobholder's area of responsibility and proposing actions to ensure military interests in the context of SES and SESAR are safeguarded;
• assess and evaluate broader SES and SESAR implications for defence, identifying requirements and developing actions as appropriate;
• set objectives and continuously evaluating the progress of the different work strands of the Unit (i.e. SES Performance, SES Regulations, SESAR R&T, SESAR Deployment, Aviation cyber);
• planning and managing the use of budgetary and human resources allocated to projects and activities within the jobholder's areas of responsibility, including the development of human resources’ competences and skills and the evaluation of their performance;
• support other EDA work strands, projects and teams with relevant SES and SESAR experience;
• establish and develop the necessary relationships with other SES stakeholders (European Commission, SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, INEA, EUROCONTROL, NATO, EASA and participating Member States);
• chair the Management Committee meetings of the MIOS Programme;
• prepare and support the organization of the SES/SESAR Military Implementation Forum (SMIF) and the EDA SES Military Aviation Board (ESMAB);
• lead and manage the integrated teamwork of the Unit to reach the required output;
• ensure transversal cooperation and coordination with the other Units and Directorates of the Agency;
• 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:

• relevant professional experience involving a thorough understanding of the challenges related to SES and SESAR (R&T and Deployment) and their implications for defence;
• familiarity with the defence international environment (especially with CSDP);
• experience of collaborating within the EU institutional framework;
• a thorough understanding of EDA’s main tasks and functions and of relevant bodies in the EU military domain (EEAS, EUMC, EUMS);
• a track record of delivering successful business outcomes;
• a sound practical management experience;
• 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:

• a strong sense of duty and responsibility;
• leadership and management skills;
• ability to work in a multicultural team;
• ability to prioritise and organise tasks and resources;
• results-orientation and strong motivation;
• flexibility and innovativeness;
• genuine commitment to the EDA's objectives;
• excellent public speaking and presentation skills;
• interpersonal, communication and influencing skills;
• analytical, problem solving and negotiation skills.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• at least 15 years of relevant professional experience, acquired after the award of the academic qualification required as a condition of eligibility (see ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA section);
• extensive experience in the broader context of military aviation;
• relevant experience in UAS operations;
• experience in Military/Civilian Missions under an EU or UN authorised mandate.