Director of Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP)

EDA/2026/012d Director of Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) Contract type: Temporary agent Directorate: Capability, Armament and Planning Directorate (CAP) Group: N.A. Grade: AD14 Level of Security Clearance: SECRET UE/EU SECRET Management of staff: Yes Location: Brussels Indicative starting date: 2027-04-01 Applications open: 2026-10-26 Closing date for applications: 2026-11-26

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 CAPABILITY, ARMAMENT AND PLANNING DIRECTORATE (CAP)

The Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate (CAP) supports Member States in collaboratively planning, developing and acquiring defence capabilities that meet their needs as well as EU priorities. This implies supporting Member States in identifying, preparing and supporting the execution of possible cooperation projects and programmes ranging from long term military capability development to short term armament procurement. This includes obtaining agreement on shared needs and related priorities, harmonising capability requirements and conducting capability development preparatory activities across all dimensions of capabilities (concept & doctrine, organisation, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and interoperability). It also includes aggregating demand towards joint procurement of defence products and services.

The Directorate, together with Member States and with the support of other competent EU institutions and bodies, operates the intergovernmental EU Capability Development Planning System (EU-CDPS) comprising several EU tools. The Capability Development Plan (CDP), managed with the EU Military Committee (EUMC) and EU Military Staff (EUMS) contributions, leads to the identification of Capability Development Priorities agreed at EU level as a reference for all EU initiatives on Defence. The Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), conducted with the contribution of EUMS, enables the analysis of the “State of the Union on Defence” and to identify opportunities for cooperation. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), conducted together with the European External Action Service (EEAS), including EUMS, coordinates the analysis of the annual PESCO National Implementation Plans to assess the participating Member States’ fulfilment of the PESCO commitments, assesses Member States' PESCO project proposals and monitors their progress.

Within EU-CDPS, the Directorate engages with Member States’ capability planners and experts to implement the EU Capability Development Priorities based on agreed collaborative roadmaps. When preparatory activities enable the identification of a possible cooperation project, the Directorate supports Member States interested in the project by elaborating a business case with them.

The CAP Directorate comprises:

• Air & Space Domain Unit: Air Combat, Airborne Command and Inform Capabilities, Integrated Air and Missile Defence, Air Transport, Space Operations and Space Services; • Maritime Domain Unit: Naval Combat and Maritime Interdiction, Underwater and Seabed Warfare, Maritime Domain Awareness; • Land Domain Unit: Ground Combat Capabilities, Land-Based Precision Engagement, Future Soldier Systems; • Strategic Enablers & Cyber Unit: Cyber Warfare & Operations, Electro Magnetic Spectrum Operations & Electronic Warfare, Command / Control / Communications / Computers / Information Systems / Surveillance / Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance (C4ISTAR), Special Operation Forces; • Resilience & Support Unit: Military Mobility, Logistics, CBRN Defence, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Medical Support, Energy; • Capability Development Coordination and Strategic Analysis Unit; • Cooperation and Planning Unit: Management of EU-CDPS, including the conduct of the Capability Development Plan, CARD and PESCO.

Based on this organization, in coordination with other Directorates, CAP supports Member States with concrete proposals for cooperation at levels ranging from the technical to the political, while actively contributing to various capability-related initiatives launched by Member States at EU level, such as the EU Defence Readiness objective and associated Priority Capability Areas.

4. DUTIES

The Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) Director is accountable to the Chief Executive as Head of the CAP Directorate.

Supported by the Heads of Unit and Office, the jobholder will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to the Agency’s activities in capability development, defence planning, strategic analysis and armaments cooperation, supporting Member States in collaboratively planning, developing and acquiring defence capabilities that respond to their needs and to agreed EU defence priorities.

The CAP Directorate leads EDA’s work on the Capability Development Plan (CDP) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), supports capability development across the Air and Space, Land and Maritime domains and relevant strategic enabling and support areas. Together with Member States and with the contribution of relevant EU institutions and bodies, the Directorate operates the EU Capability Development Planning System (EU-CDPS) and supports the implementation of agreed capability priorities through collaborative activities, projects and programmes.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the CAP Director will have overall managerial responsibility for the Directorate and provide strategic advice on capability development, defence planning, strategic analysis and armaments cooperation. The jobholder will drive cooperation with Member States and engage with relevant EU institutions, bodies and international partners, ensuring that agreed priorities are translated into coherent and effective capability outcomes.

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

• translate the Agency’s mission, strategy, work programme and priorities into a coherent vision, objectives and deliverables for the Directorate; • provide strategic vision, direction and leadership for the Directorate, ensuring coherence across its capability development, defence planning, strategic analysis and armaments cooperation activities; • lead and oversee capability development activities across the Air and Space, Land and Maritime domains, as well as in the areas of resilience and support, strategic enablers and cyber, ensuring that they address Member States’ current and future capability needs and contribute to agreed EU defence priorities; • steer the development and implementation of the Capability Development Plan (CDP), including the identification and prioritisation of common capability needs and priorities at EU level; • lead EDA’s work on the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), supporting the analysis of Member States’ defence plans and the identification of recommendations and opportunities for European cooperation; • provide strategic direction and oversee EDA’s contribution to Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), in close cooperation with the European External Action Service (EEAS), including the EU Military Staff; • steer the implementation of agreed capability priorities through collaborative roadmaps and preparatory activities, including the harmonisation of capability requirements, the development of business cases and the identification and development of collaborative capability and armaments projects and programmes, as well as opportunities for aggregation of demand and joint procurement in close cooperation with the Procurement, Support, Industry and Interoperability Directorate (PSII); • provide strategic leadership for the Directorate’s contribution to the Annual Defence Readiness Report, ensuring together with the EDA Policy and Management Office (EPMO) robust capability analysis and actionable recommendations, and drive support for the development and implementation of initiatives within the Priority Capability Areas (PCAs), including EDPCIs, in close cooperation with Member States and relevant EU institutions and bodies; • promote coherence and synergies between national, EU and multinational defence planning and capability development activities, including relevant links with PESCO, the European Defence Fund (EDF), the EU Defence Readiness objective and other EU initiatives;

• build and sustain strong cooperation with Member States, the European Commission, the Council, the EEAS, OCCAR, NATO and other relevant European and international organisations and partners in the fields covered by the Directorate; • ensure the Directorate’s effective contribution to EDA’s transversal activities and close cooperation with EDA’s other Directorates; • lead, motivate and develop the competences and skills of the Directorate’s staff and evaluate or contribute to the evaluation of their performance; • plan and organise the work and the financial and human resources of the Directorate, ensuring the effective and efficient use of allocated resources; • manage the Directorate’s budget through sound planning and monitoring of allocated resources; • take on additional tasks as required in the interest of the service.

Duties may evolve depending on the development of the EDA’s structure and activities and 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:

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

• a minimum of fifteen (15) years of relevant professional experience, acquired after the award of the academic qualification required as a condition of eligibility; • substantial professional experience in multinational working environments, including in a managerial position, with a proven track record in leading multinational and multidisciplinary teams at senior and/or middle-management level and fostering cooperation across diverse national and organisational contexts; • very good knowledge of and substantial professional experience in defence planning and capability development, including the identification and prioritisation of capability needs and the development of collaborative opportunities;

• broad knowledge of capability development across multiple operational domains and/or strategic enabling areas, with a good understanding of cross-domain dependencies and requirements; • good knowledge of the European institutional and defence cooperation framework, including relevant EU defence policies, programmes and initiatives and the main EU capability-development planning processes; • sound knowledge of collaborative capability development and armaments cooperation in a European or multinational context, including the harmonisation of requirements and the development of cooperative projects or programmes; • proven experience in translating defence priorities, capability requirements or planning outcomes into strategic recommendations, collaborative initiatives or capability-development activities; • proven experience in providing strategic advice to senior management and representing defence planning, capability development and/or armaments matters at a high level, both internally and externally; • a good understanding of EDA’s role, main tasks and functions and of its interaction with Member States, EU institutions and relevant international partners; • 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:

• ability to inspire, motivate and develop multidisciplinary teams; • ability to develop strategic relations with internal and external stakeholders, using negotiation, influencing and diplomatic skills in a complex political and institutional environment; • result-orientation and strong intrinsic motivation, combined with proactivity and a “can-do” attitude; • integrity and a genuine commitment to ethical standards and principles in the public service; • flexibility and innovativeness, with the ability to adapt effectively to changing circumstances; • excellent analytical and strategic-thinking skills; • resilience and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively while maintaining calmness under pressure; • excellent communication skills, including strong public-speaking, presentation and chairing skills; • genuine commitment to the Agency’s mission and objectives.

7. APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR TEMPORARY AGENTS AT EDA

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 Director of Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) will be appointed by the Chief Executive. Recruitment will be as a member of the temporary staff of the Agency for a three-year period. Renewal is possible only once for an additional period of two years, within the limits set out in the EDA Staff Regulations. The successful candidate will be recruited as Temporary Agent, grade AD14. 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 18.695,13€ 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 is deducted at source.

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

8. INDEPENDENCE AND DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The selected candidate 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.

Please note that for this position restrictions (including prohibition) on post-employment activities may be applied.

For two (2) years after leaving the Agency, members of staff remain bound to seek clearance from EDA as soon as the post-employment activity is known and in due time to allow for authorisation before engaging in another activity. If that activity is related to the work carried out during the last three (3) years of service at EDA and it could lead to conflict with the legitimate interests of EDA, the Agency can give its approval subject to any conditions it deems fit, or forbid the activity.

In its assessment, EDA will in particular look at the nature of the future position, the quality of the future employer, the level of interaction with EDA staff on EDA activities, likelihood of involvement in decision taking of a financial/commercial nature and the level of conflict with the legitimate interests of the Agency.

For senior staff, an additional ban of 12 months will apply on lobbying or advocacy vis-à-vis Agency staff for their business, clients or employers on matters for which they were responsible during their last three (3) years of service.

Candidates are referred to the relevant section in EDA's Ethics Framework, available on EDA's website: https://eda.europa.eu/who-we-are/transparency/ethics-and-conduct

9. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

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.

10. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Director of Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2028, 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 [email protected].

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.

11. DATA PROTECTION

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