206a - Head of Unit Air & Space CORRIGENDUM - 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:

• Support the CAP Director in elaborating strategic objectives and proposals regarding Air & Space capability planning and development challenges at EU level
• Lead and manage the Air & Space Unit, fostering an integrated and collaborative approach
• Maintain a strategic overview of the Air & Space portfolio and ensure coherence across different pillars of work
• Provide strategic direction, leadership and guidance to Unit staff for implementation of Air & Space EU Capability Development Priorities
• Ensure effective resource planning, prioritisation of activities, staff development and a high-performance working environment
• Ensure a transversal and cross-domain approach to planning and development of Air & Space capabilities
• Contribute to further development and implementation of the EU Capability Development Planning System (EU-CDPS)
• Supervise and coordinate management of Capability Planning Groups (CPGs), Capability Expert Groups (CEGs), and other collaborative frameworks

Contract and working arrangements

Hiring unit: Capability, Armament & Planning Directorate (CAP), Air & Space Domain Unit.

Position details

Reference

1141

Last Verified

18 October 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for 206a - Head of Unit Air & Space CORRIGENDUM at EDA based in Brussels (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is 1141.

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

2. 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.

3. THE 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), 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 six units and one Coordination and Strategic Analysis Office. Five units address capability development and armament procurement activities of operational domains associated to EU agreed priorities and one operates the EU-CDPS and related processes and tools:

- 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; - Maritime Unit: Naval Combat and Maritime Interdiction, Underwater and Seabed Warfare, Maritime Domain Awareness; - 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.

4. DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Capability, Armament and Planning Director, the Head of Unit Air & Space will be responsible for leading the Agency's capability planning and development and armament acquisition activities in the domains of Air and Space. Specifically, the jobholder will be responsible for managing with his unit and with Member States the collaborative implementation of the EU agreed Capability Development Priorities Air Combat, Airborne Command & Inform Capabilities, Integrated Air & Missile Defence, Air Transport, Space Operations and Space Services. In particular, the jobholder will be responsible for the following activities:

- support the CAP Director in the elaboration of strategic objectives and proposals regarding Air & Space capability planning and development challenges at EU level and regarding the optimisation of the EU related approaches; - lead and manage the Air & Space Unit, fostering an integrated and collaborative approach across the Unit's areas of responsibility and ensuring effective delivery of objectives, projects and activities; - maintain a strategic overview of the Air & Space portfolio and ensure coherence across the different pillars / strands of work of the unit, promoting synergies where appropriate; - provide strategic direction, leadership and guidance to the Unit staff for the implementation of Air & Space EU Capability Development Priorities, including the identification, harmonisation and consolidation of military requirements and collaborative opportunities for addressing these requirements; - ensure effective resource planning, prioritisation of activities, staff development and a high-performance working environment; - ensure a transversal and cross-domain approach to the planning and development of Air & Space capabilities, and coordination across all CAP Units, recognising that both Air and Space capabilities are intertwined with other operational domains and key enablers of operational readiness and freedom of action across all military domains; - contribute to the further development and implementation of the EU Capability Development Planning System (EU-CDPS), including notably the Capability Development Plan (CDP), Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and other defence initiatives within the Unit's areas of responsibility; - supervise and coordinate the management of Capability Planning Groups (CPGs), Capability Expert Groups (CEGs), project arrangements, ad hoc working groups and other collaborative frameworks (such as Priority Capability Areas) related to the Unit's portfolio; - oversee and coordinate the development of collaborative projects and programmes, including activities related to harmonisation of requirements, aggregation of demand, cooperative development and joint procurement initiatives; - ensure coordination with other Directorates, in particular for articulating capability development planning with R&T and Innovation activities and for articulating the preparation of acquisition with the EDA Joint Procurement Center; - interact with Member States, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission, the EU Military Staff (EUMS), NATO, and other relevant EU institutions, bodies and agencies, industry and research organisations; - represent the Agency at senior-level meetings, steering boards, conferences, seminars and other relevant fora; - 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.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 9 October 2026, 9 days ago.

The application deadline is 17 November 2026, 28 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 18 October 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.

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