Director of Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) - 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:

• Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Agency's activities in capability development, defence planning, strategic analysis and armaments cooperation
• Support Member States in collaboratively planning, developing and acquiring defence capabilities
• Lead EDA's work on the Capability Development Plan (CDP) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD)
• Support capability development across the Air and Space, Land and Maritime domains and relevant strategic enabling and support areas
• Operate the EU Capability Development Planning System (EU-CDPS) together with Member States and relevant EU institutions and bodies
• Support the implementation of agreed capability priorities through collaborative activities, projects and programmes
• Have overall managerial responsibility for the Directorate
• Provide strategic advice on capability development, defence planning, strategic analysis and armaments cooperation

Contract and working arrangements

Hiring unit: Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) Directorate.

Position details

Reference

1045

Last Verified

26 October 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Director of Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) at EDA based in Brussels (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is 1045.

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 CAPABILITY, ARMAMENT AND 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:

- 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; - Capability Development Coordination and Strategic Analysis Unit; - Cooperation and 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

The Capability, Armament and Planning (CAP) Director is accountable to the Chief Executive as Head of the CAP Directorate.

Supported by the Heads of Unit and Office, the jobholder will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to the Agency’s activities in capability development, defence planning, strategic analysis and armaments cooperation, supporting Member States in collaboratively planning, developing and acquiring defence capabilities that respond to their needs and to agreed EU defence priorities.

The CAP Directorate leads EDA’s work on the Capability Development Plan (CDP) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), supports capability development across the Air and Space, Land and Maritime domains and relevant strategic enabling and support areas. Together with Member States and with the contribution of relevant EU institutions and bodies, the Directorate operates the EU Capability Development Planning System (EU-CDPS) and supports the implementation of agreed capability priorities through collaborative activities, projects and programmes.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the CAP Director will have overall managerial responsibility for the Directorate and provide strategic advice on capability development, defence planning, strategic analysis and armaments cooperation. The jobholder will drive cooperation with Member States and engage with relevant EU institutions, bodies and international partners, ensuring that agreed priorities are translated into coherent and effective capability outcomes.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 26 October 2026, today.

The application deadline is 26 November 2026, 29 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 26 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.

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.