Project Officer Fixed Wing - European Defence Agency (Brussels)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Defence Agency on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Initiate, manage and support education, training and exercise initiatives for air transport capability enhancement
• Initiate, manage and support education, training and exercise initiatives for UAS capability enhancement
• Chair Fixed Wing Operations & Training Working Group, Transport Pilot Training Capacity Ad Hoc Working Group, C-295 AHWG, and European Air Transport Symposium
• Manage and support European operational and training events in cooperation with EATC, ETAC and Member States
• Manage C27J Category B Program and potential future aircraft type working groups
• Support development and management of Category B UAS Training and Exercises Program
• Represent EDA at fixed wing training events
• Coordinate with Project Officers in Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate on fixed wing and UAS capability

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: University degree or equivalent academic degree in a field relevant to the post
• Experience: At least 10 years of relevant professional experience as fixed wing pilot or aircraft maintenance personnel; or at least 5 years of relevant professional experience as UAS operator (OF-4); thorough understanding and widest possible experience of airlift or UAS training, operations, challenges and future potential development; good understanding of capability development and familiarity with inter…
• Languages: Official language of participating Memb… (C1), Official language of participating Memb… (B2)
• Key skills: Understanding of airlift or UAS training, operations, challenges and future potential development, Understanding of capability development, Familiarity with international defence environment, Familiarity with European Institutions, Budgetary and contract definition in project management
• Eligibility: Nationals of a participating Member State or falling within provisions of Article 1 of Council Decision (EU) 2016/1352; must be sponsored by national authorities; must have worked for employer on permanent or contract basis for at least 12 months before secondment; must remain in service of employer throughout secondment period

Contract and working arrangements

Hiring unit: Operations, Training & Exercises (OTE) Unit, Industry, Synergies and Enablers (ISE) Directorate.

Position details

Reference

1091

Last Verified

23 July 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Project Officer Fixed Wing at EDA based in Brussels (Seconded National Expert). The vacancy reference is 1091.

## 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 INDUSTRY, SYNERGIES AND ENABLERS DIRECTORATE (ISE)

The Industry Synergies & Enablers (ISE) Directorate supports a range of activities critical to collaborative defence capability development in Europe.

On top of leading the work on identifying together with Member States' Key Strategic Activities (KSA) at EU level, the ISE Directorate is responsible for the effective engagement with industry across the Agency’s activities and in support of related priorities set by Member States.

The ISE Directorate facilitates work to address the implications of EU legislation and policies for the defence sector: REACH, procurement, funding instruments and the analysis of developments influencing governmental and industrial stakeholders. The Directorate is responsible for activities on critical enablers to support defence cooperation and enhance interoperability: military airworthiness, standardisation and certification, defence test & evaluation and education and training. The Directorate provides support to CSDP military and civilian operations and missions and EU Battlegroups.

The Directorate facilitates the coordination of military views from and in support of Member States and the relevant international military organisations in the framework of Single European Sky (SES) and acts as the interface with the EU institutions and related bodies. In the wider context of military aviation, the Directorate supports Member States in their efforts to enable RPAS integration in non-segregated airspace and in harmonising military aviation safety issues using the Total System Approach to Military Aviation.

The ISE Directorate comprises four Units:

* The Industry Strategy & EU Policies (ISP) Unit: engagement of industry in the activities of the Agency, determination of Key Strategic Activities at EU level, defence aspects of EU policies varying from legislation (REACH, procurement) to funding instruments

* The Critical Enablers (CRE) Unit: support defence cooperation and enhance interoperability through the identification, development and maintenance of harmonized safety, certification and standardisation requirements, references to the best practice standards and networking of Defence Test & Evaluation capabilities in all military domains

* The Single European Sky (SES) Unit: facilitation and coordination of military views in the framework of SES; interface with the EU institutions and related bodies to ensure that Military Aviation will continue to provide and further improve effective security and defence in Europe in the changing context of the civil aviation sector

* The Operations, Training & Exercises (OTE) Unit: promotion of the use in CSDP operations of all relevant EDA projects & programmes; development and management of contracted solutions to support CSDP operations and Member States; initiation, development and management of training and exercise activities for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including RPAS, with a view to transfer these activities to Member States when mature.

## 4. DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of Unit Operations, Training and Exercises the jobholder will be responsible or contribute to the following activities:

* initiate, manage and support education, training and exercise initiatives and activities that contribute to the enhanced availability and interoperability of strategical and tactical air transport in the broader context of participating Member States’ combat capabilities; * initiate, manage and support education, training and exercise initiatives and activities that contribute to the enhanced availability and interoperability of strategical and tactical combat capabilities related to Unmanned aerial system (UAS); * chair the following: Fixed Wing Operations & Training Working Group (FWO&TWG), Transport Pilot Training Capacity Ad Hoc Working Group (TPTC AHWG), C-295 AHWG, and the European Air Transport Symposium; * manage and support all European operational and training events in cooperation with existing European Air Transport organizations (EATC - European Air Transport Command,ETAC - European Training Airlift Centre, etc.) and participating Member States; * manage together with the lead Nation the C27J Category B Program and potential future new aircraft type working groups (C130J, A400M, KC 390 etc.); * support the development and management of the Category B UAS Training and Exercises Program; * represent EDA at fixed wing training events (European Spartan Exercise, Flag type exercise, REPMUS, etc.); * coordinate with relevant Project Officers in Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate on all fixed wing and UAS capability; * coordinate related projects with the Capability Experts Group Air Transport (CEG AT) and Capability Experts Group Air Superiority (CEG ASUP); * contribute to the development of business cases concerning new opportunities for cooperation in the field of education, training and exercise, demonstrating added value for participating Member States; * 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. CONDITIONS FOR SECONDMENT

In accordance with the Rules applicable to national experts and military staff on secondment to the European Defence Agency (Council Decision (EU) 2016/1352), Seconded National Experts are seconded to the Agency while remaining in the service of their national employer and continue being paid their national salary by that employer.

Therefore, to be considered in the selection process, candidates for SNE posts must be sponsored by their national authorities. Confirmation is required in the form of a letter of sponsorship addressed to the Agency as far as possible by the closing date for the receipt of applications and in any case before a decision is taken by EDA on the candidate to be selected for a secondment.

The Rules are available on the EDA website http://www.eda.europa.eu - vacancies.

To qualify for secondment to the Agency, experts shall:

* have worked for their employer on a permanent or contract basis for at least 12 months before their secondment; * remain in the service of their employer throughout the period of secondment and continue to be paid by that employer; * have at least three years' full-time experience in defence, administrative, scientific, technical, operational, advisory or supervisory functions relevant to the performance of the duties assigned to them. Before the secondment, the employer shall supply the Agency with a statement of the expert's employment covering the previous 12 months; * be nationals of a participating Member State or falling within the provisions of the second paragraph of Article 1 of Council Decision (EU) 2016/1352 of 4 August 2016; * have a thorough knowledge (minimum level C1 oral and written) of one official language of one of the participating Member States and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum level B2 oral and written) of another of these languages for the performance of their duties.

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

IMPORTANT:Confirmation of sponsorship is required at the latest by the deadline for applications and in any case before a decision on a candidate selected for secondment is taken by EDA.

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 post; * at least 10 years of relevant professional experience as fixed wing pilot, or aircraft maintenance personnel; or at least 5 years of relevant professional experience as UAS operator(OF-4); * a thorough understanding and widest possible experience of airlift or UAS training, operations, challenges and future potential development; * good understanding of capability development and familiarity with the international defence environment and with the European Institutions; * experience with budgetary and contract definition in the context of project management; * experience in organisation an

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 15 June 2026, 37 days ago.

The application deadline is 15 September 2026, 53 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 23 July 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at EDA see the EDA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Brussels see our Brussels location page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.