212a - Project Officer Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security (CIPES)

European Defence Agency; Brussel Hoofdstad; On-site; EUR 89,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

European Defence Agency in Brussels invites applications for a Project Officer focusing on Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security (CIPES). You will lead capability development, coordinate expert groups and advance the Priority Implementation Roadmap within CAP, collaborating with MS and EU institutions to strengthen defence resilience.

The role requires a university degree, 6+ years' relevant experience, and strong command of English; security clearance at SECRET UE/EU SECRET is

Qualifications

• University degree or equivalent in a relevant field such as engineering, energy management, infrastructure protection, security studies, defence studies, military sciences.
• At least six years of relevant professional experience after degree.
• Proven experience in defence-related or security-related governmental or international organisations.
• Very good knowledge of Critical Infrastructure Protection and/or Energy Security, especially in areas like preparedness, resilience and energy security.
• Proven experience in international defence or security cooperation and in collaborative procurement.

Responsibilities

• Support EU Member States in improving military capabilities in Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security.
• Harmonise military requirements and aggregate demand towards joint procurement.
• Establish and chair Capability Expert Groups CIPES and related Ad-Hoc Groups.
• Develop and update the Priority Implementation Roadmap to implement EDA priorities.
• Plan and manage ad-hoc projects and Category B projects as required.

Job description

212a - Project Officer Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security (CIPES) at the European Defence Agency (EDA), Brussels, Belgium. Contract type: Agency’s Temporary Staff. Grade: AD8. Directorate: Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate (CAP). Reference: EDA/2026/212a. Security clearance: SECRET UE/EU SECRET. Application deadline: 2026-11-26.

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: Capability, Armament & Planning (CAP); Procurement, Support, Industry & Interoperability (PSII); Research, Technology & Innovation (RTI).

THE AGENCY'S WAY OF WORKING

The Agency is an "outward-facing" organisation, constantly interacting with its shareholders, the 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 CAPABILITY, ARMAMENT & 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) and 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:

• Capability Development Coordination and Strategic Analysis Unit
• 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
• Cooperation 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.

DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of Resilience and Support Unit, the Project Officer Critical Infrastructure Protection and
Energy Security (CIPES) will be responsible for

• support EU Member States in improving their military capabilities in the area of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security, with particular focus on enhancing military preparedness, resilience, freedom of action and operational readiness;
• implement EDA Core Tasks 3 and 4, namely harmonisation of military requirements and aggregation of demand towards joint procurement, including to the of business cases with MS interested in launching specific collaborative development/acquisition projects;
• establish, manage and, when required, chair the Capability Expert Groups Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security (CEG CIPES), as well as related Ad-Hoc Working Groups;
• contribute to other related activities in the area of responsibility such as Priority Capability Areas (PCAs) Coordinating Groups, providing technical direction and subject‑matter expertise;
• develop and update the Priority Implementation Roadmap (PIR) to implement the EU Capability Development Priority Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security;
• support the establishment and implementation of ad‑hoc projects, and the launch of new and/or management of existing EDA Category B projects as required, as well as plan and manage activities funded by the EDA Operational Budget, as required;
• contribute to ensuring coherence across the 4 CEGs implementing Resilience and Support Priorities (Logistics, Military Mobility, CBRN Defence, Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security), and related work strands across the Agency, including in the framework of the Centre for European for Defence Innovation (CEDI) and the Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS);
• liaise, as appropriate, with other relevant stakeholders such as national authorities, the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU Military Staff (EUMS), European Commission (EC), NATO, EU Defence Technological and Industrial base (EDTIB), and any other relevant EU Institutions, bodies and agencies;
• contribute to EDA’s and the EU’s broader resilience, preparedness and support objectives through coherent and future‑oriented military capability development in the fields in Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security, including secure, resilient and sustainable energy solutions and power supply for defence capabilities across all operational domains;
• contribute to the further development and improvement of the Capability Development Plan (CDP), including identifying, promoting and proposing meaningful collaborative opportunities framed under the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) within the jobholder’s area of responsibility;
• contribute, as appropriate, to the assessment of the PESCO projects and European Defence Fund (EDF) topics, related to the jobholder’s area of responsibility, including other EU Commission‑led initiatives;
• provide technical advice within the jobholder’s area of responsibility to EU defence‑related policies and concepts;
• represent the Agency at conferences and seminars;
• 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.

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

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:

• a university degree (or equivalent academic degree) in a field relevant to the duties of the post, such as engineering, energy management, infrastructure protection, security studies, defence studies, military sciences, logistics or another relevant field;
• at least six (6) years of relevant professional experience, acquired after the award of the qualification required as a condition of eligibility;
• proven professional experience within a defence‑related or security‑related governmental organisation and/or an international organisation, including experience in military/security capability development;
• very good knowledge of and proven professional experience in Critical Infrastructure Protection and/or Energy Security, particularly in areas such as defence or security preparedness and resilience, operational energy, infrastructure protection, energy resilience or strategic sustainment;
• proven experience in international defence or security cooperation and a good understanding of defence acquisition and collaborative procurement processes;
• good knowledge of the EU defence environment and relevant defence initiatives, including EDA’s role, main tasks and functions, together with an understanding of NATO activities relevant to the area of responsibility;
• a very good command of written and oral 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 work both independently within his/her area of responsibility and to proactively collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders;
• ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;
• reliability and capacity to work under pressure with minimal supervision;
• good organisational and coordination skills;
• strong conceptual, analytical and problem‑solving skills;
• excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills;
• results‑orientation and strong motivation;
• flexibility and innovativeness;
• genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives.

B. Desirable

The following will be considered an advantage:

• experience in national or multinational military or security exercises, operations or deployments involving critical infrastructure protection, energy security or resilience;
• experience in civil‑military cooperation related to critical infrastructure protection, energy security, preparedness or resilience;
• experience in requirements harmonisation, collaborative acquisition and/or aggregation of demand in the CIPES area;
• a recognised project and/or programme management qualification.

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 Project Officer Critical Infrastructure Protection and Energy Security (CIPES) will be appointed by the Chief Executive. Recruitment will be as a member of the temporary 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 AD8. 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 8.911,48 € 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

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.

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.

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, agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) 45/2001 and Decision No. 1247/2002/EC.

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