Human Factors Expert - European Union Aviation Safety Agency (AD6, Cologne)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Union Aviation Safety 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:

• Provide expert advice and contribution to complex certification for determination of applicable certification basis
• Verify compliance demonstrations provided by applicants in domain of expertise
• Develop and contribute to definition of interpretative material and special conditions
• Assess requests for deviations or equivalent level of safety to address new technologies
• Investigate in-service occurrences and defects and contribute to agreement of corrective actions
• Provide advice in development of new airworthiness and environmental protection requirements
• Provide inputs and support to Design Organisation Approval activities
• Provide technical inputs to support research projects or Innovation Partnership Contracts

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in Human Factors (e.g. social sciences, psychology, philosophy, sociology, linguistics, or cognitive/physical ergonomics, etc.), or in other relevant subjects in the scope of the profile (e.g. aeronautical engineering, aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, etc.)
• Experience: At least 3 years of relevant professional experience acquired in positions corresponding to the nature of the duties, obtained after the award of university diploma. Proven professional experience in the field of human factors applied to aviation or comparable domain (e.g. automotive industry) with a specific focus on usability studies, human centred design or evaluation of Human Machine Interfac…
• Languages: European Union language (C1), European Union language (B2), English (C1)
• Key skills: EASA Regulations & Aviation Safety Standards, Human Factors, Human Factors Usability Studies, Human Machine Interface & Cockpit Integration, Certification Processes, Methods, & Specifications, Learning Agility, Teamwork, Critical Thinking, Professional & Technical Expertise, Stakeholder Orientation
• Eligibility: Be a national of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. This vacancy is open as well to Temporary Agents (2f) employed at EASA, in the grade bracket AD5 - AD9.

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Temporary agent.

Working arrangements: Cologne, Germany.

Hiring unit: EASA.

Position details

Reference

EASA/AD/2026/1132

Vacancy Notice

Download PDF

Last Verified

21 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Human Factors Expert at EASA based in Cologne at the AD6 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is EASA/AD/2026/1132. The role falls under the All Domains domain.

Type of Selection:Internal and External

Contract Type:Temporary agent

Grade:AD06

Deadline for application:19/10/2026 at 23:59 CET

Experience Level:Professional

Approx. number of candidates on reserve list:10

Location:Cologne, Germany

Monthly gross compensation (€):6,961.29 - 7,253.84

Our employees are our most valuable asset. We therefore offer a wide range of benefits.

EASA is the leading aviation authority in Europe. A career at EASA means contributing to our vision for an ever safer and greener civil aviation. As an EASA employee, you will be making a difference to the lives of about 500 million fellow Europeans: this is our shared purpose and it could be yours, too. From our headquarters in Cologne, Germany, you will work with top experts in a multicultural work environment.Diversity and Inclusion are part of our DNA and innovation is at the heart of what we do. We ensure that aviation is safe in all phases: beginning with the certification of the aircraft to the rules for the air operation and crew. For more information about the Agency please consult ourwebsite and take a look at ourorganisation structure.Are you interested to contribute to our mission? Then see below what it takes to accomplish the role.

We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to diversity and non-discrimination. To further enhance the diversity of our workforce, we particularly encourage applications from female candidates.

Job overview

In the respective domain, ensure product safety and environmental compatibility by providing expert knowledge to influence decisions in certification and continued airworthiness, contributing to the safe integration of innovative and more sustainable technologies.

General accountabilities

In the respective domain:

- Provide expert advice and contribution to complex certification for the determination of the applicable certification basis, the definition of the level of involvement by selecting compliance demonstration items and the agreement of applicants’ certification programmes. - Verify the compliance demonstrations provided by applicants for the domain of expertise in cooperation with the certification teams and experts of other technical domains. - Develop and contribute to the definition of interpretative material and special conditions as well as assess requests for deviations or for equivalent level of safety to address new technologies, unconventional uses, and proposals for novel compliance demonstration. - Ensure investigation of in-service occurrences and defects in the domain of expertise and contribute to the agreement of adequate corrective actions to maintain acceptable safety standards as well as to ensure follow-up of those actions wherever necessary. - For the domain of expertise provide advice in the development of new airworthiness and environmental protection requirements, industrial standards, including relevant parts of EASA Certification Specifications and advisory- as well as guidance material. - Provide inputs and support to Design Organisation Approval activities as necessary. - Provide technical inputs to support the other Agency’s activities such as Research projects or Innovation Partnership Contracts - Represent the Agency externally in international working-groups or standardisation bodies when requested to do so.

Admission criteria

The following constitute eligibility and essential criteria for the role and for being admitted to the selection process. Candidates not fulfilling these criteria by the deadline for applications,will be excluded from the selection:

- Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the European Union (at least level C1) and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the EU to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties (at least level B2). One of the required languages shall be English[1]. - Be a national of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. - Completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma in Human Factors (e.g. social sciences, psychology, philosophy, sociology, linguistics, or cognitive/physical ergonomics, etc.), or in other relevant subjects in the scope of the profile (e.g. aeronautical engineering, aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, etc.), - At least 3 years of relevant professional experience acquired in positions corresponding to the nature of the duties (defined under the general accountabilities part), obtained after the award of university diploma*. - Proven professional experience in the field of human factors applied to aviation or comparable domain (e.g. automotive industry) with a specific focus on usability studies, human centred design or evaluation of Human Machine Interfaces.

- This vacancy is open as well to Temporary Agents (2f) employed at EASA, in the grade bracket AD5 - AD9

The following constitute advantageous criteria for the role. Candidates not fulfilling these criteria will not be excluded from the selection:

- Knowledge of the certification specifications and related material in the field of human factors applied to aviation. - Knowledge of the aviation organisations and industry operating within the scope of the job description.

[1] Mother tongue English speakers will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of a second EU language. English oral and written skills will be assessed throughout the assessment phase.

Selection criteria

The selection process is based on the assessment of the professional skills and behavioural competences listed below. While these are considered critical to perform the role effectively, candidates who do not meet all criteria may still be considered.

Professional skills

EASA Regulations & Aviation Safety Standards

Human Factors

Human Factors Usability Studies

Human Machine Interface & Cockpit Integration

Certification Processes, Methods, & Specifications

Behavioural competences

Learning Agility

Teamwork

Critical Thinking

Professional & Technical Expertise

Stakeholder Orientation

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AD6 runs from €6,961 (step 1) to €7,876 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €83,532 to €94,512 before tax and allowances. Steps increase automatically every two years; the figures here are taken from the salary grid in the EU Staff Regulations.

Eligible staff posted away from their country of nationality also receive an expatriation allowance worth 16% of basic salary (around €1,114 per month at step 1 of AD6) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for Cologne. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 21 September 2026, today.

The application deadline is 19 October 2026, 27 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 21 September 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AD6 see our AD6 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at EASA see the EASA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Cologne see our Cologne location page; for related vacancies in the All Domains field browse our All Domains domain 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.