BraveTech EU | Project Officer Electronic Warfare - 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:

• Challenge definition & technical steering for C2 and EW innovation challenges
• Co-validate challenge statements with Member States and stakeholders
• Develop and maintain evaluation criteria and weightings
• Translate C2/EW operational needs into test plans and criteria
• Ensure traceability from challenge to experimentation to evidence to readiness recommendation
• Review and pre-approve contractor test plans
• Lead technical debriefs with test sites, ranges and end-users
• Formulate recommendations for pass/fail/hold decisions

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Completed university studies attested by a diploma (four years or more), or completed university studies attested by a diploma with appropriate professional experience of at least one year (three years or more), or graduate of a national or international Defence College, or professional training of equivalent level
• Experience: Appropriate professional experience of at least one year (when university studies are three years or more)
• Languages: one of the languages of the participati… (C1), another of the languages of the partici… (B2)
• Eligibility: National of a Member State participating in the Agency; entitled to full rights as citizen; fulfilled obligations concerning military service; suitable character references; physically fit; no personal interest in conflict with duties; hold or be in position to obtain valid Personnel Security Clearance Certificate at SECRET UE/EU SECRET level

Contract and working arrangements

Hiring unit: Research, Technology and Innovation Directorate (RTI), Hub for European defence Innovation (HEDI).

Position details

Reference

1021

Last Verified

15 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for BraveTech EU | Project Officer Electronic Warfare at EDA based in Brussels (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is 1021.

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 RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION DIRECTORATE (RTI)

The Research, Technology & Innovation Directorate (RTI) promotes and supports defence research at EU level. Based on the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA), developed together with the Member States, the Directorate coordinates and plans joint research activities and the study of technical solutions to meet future operational needs.

The RTI Directorate provides support to Member States and to the European Commission for the Preparatory Action for defence research, including its implementation, and the research dimension of the European Defence Fund. The RTI directorate also ensures the promotion of innovation in defence and the exploitation of synergies at EU level with civil research in dual-use technology fields.

At present, the RTI Directorate comprises two Units, the EU-funded Defence Research Unit and the Technology & Innovation Unit, as well as the Hub for European defence Innovation (HEDI) and the RTI Coordination Team, with the following key tasks:

- The EU-funded Defence Research Unit: upstream, implementation and downstream support linked to defence research activities funded by the EU budget under delegation by the European Commission. - The Technology & Innovation Unit: facilitation of the work of the Capability Technology Groups (CapTechs) and the Energy & Environment Working Group as well as development and management of ad hoc research activities based on sectoral Strategic Research Agendas. - HEDI: focal point for defence innovation, driving the development of military capabilities while strengthening cooperation between EU Member States and associated countries. HEDI’s mission is to turn promising ideas into usable defence capabilities faster, while supporting EU defence priorities and strengthening Europe’s technological edge. HEDI is expected to become a dedicated Defence Innovation Centre (designation subject to approval of forthcoming organisational structure). - The RTI Coordination Team: coordination of the RTI Directorate’s contributions to EDA’s transversal activities (such as capability development priorities (CDP), Capability Annual Review on Defence (CARD), Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and Key Strategic Activities (KSA); overview of the Agency’s research portfolio.

4. DUTIES

BraveTech EU is a European Defence Fund (EDF) Coordination & Support Action (CSA) designed to accelerate the uptake of battlefield-relevant innovation for defence. The initiative is planned to be launched in early 2026 after the Contribution Agreement with the European Commission will be signed. The initiative, is structured in two phases:

- Phase I - managed by the European Commission/DG DEFIS with support from EDA, to identify the initial teams providing promising solutions to battlefield challenges;

- Phase II –managed by EDA with support from the European Commission, for participation in Testing–Evaluation–Experimentation Campaigns (TE²C).

The implementation of Phase II by EDA will be supported by a contractor taking, at high level, the following tasks: planning, site booking, logistics, on-range operations, outcomes of the tests and experiments, and draft rankings to award prizes to the most promising solutions.

Under the supervision of the line-manager responsible for Defence Innovation,the jobholder will contribute to the Agency’s innovation and experimentation activities under the Hub for EU Defence Innovation. The job holder will lead the technical content and evaluation logic for Command & Control (C2) and Electronic Warfare (EW) related innovation challenges and campaigns, ensuring that experimentation outputs are in support of Member States decision making.

In particular, the jobholder will:

- Challenge definition & technical steering - co-validate challenge statements with Member States and relevant stakeholders; ensure alignment with operational demand, constraints (e.g., safety, security, export controls) and realistic test environments; - develop and maintain evaluation criteria (and where applicable weightings) to ensure comparability and methodological consistency across tracks.

- Evaluation design and methodological integrity - translate C2/EW operational needs into test plans, relevant criteria, and instrumentation/data needs; - ensure traceability from challenge to experimentation to evidence to readiness recommendation.

- Quality assurance of testing and acceptance - review and pre-approve contractor test plans (test design, metrics, data collection, safety/cyber measures) and verify coherence with the challenge and decision gates; - lead technical debriefs with test sites, ranges and end-users; review evidence packs; formulate recommendations for pass/fail/hold decisions and readiness pathways;

- End-user engagement & adoption pull - engage military end-users, ranges and test centres to ensure operational realism, credible vignettes, and adoption-oriented outputs; - identify integration pathways early (interfaces, CONOPS fit, training/sustainment implications, cyber/safety constraints) and flag blockers to uptake.

- Knowledge capture - Contribute to lessons learned, standardised evaluation templates, and continuous improvement of the experimentation methodology relevant to C2/EW.

- 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. 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.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 9 September 2026, 6 days ago.

The application deadline is 13 October 2026, 26 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 15 September 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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