Director Research, Technology and Innovation - European Defence Agency (AD14, 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:

• Translate the Agency's mission, strategy, work programme and priorities into a coherent vision, objectives and deliverables for the Directorate
• Provide strategic vision, direction and leadership for the Directorate, ensuring coherence across its research, technology and innovation activities and programmes
• Lead and oversee the Agency's activities in defence research, technology and innovation, ensuring they address Member States' current and future defence capability needs
• Steer the development and implementation of collaborative R&T activities, including those deriving from the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) and the work of the Capability Technology Groups (CapTechs)
• Provide strategic direction for EDA's role in EU-funded defence research, including support to Member States and the European Commission
• Provide strategic direction for defence innovation activities, including through HEDI
• Promote synergies between defence and civil research in relevant dual-use technology fields
• Build and sustain strong cooperation with Member States, the European Commission, the Council, the EEAS and other relevant European and international stakeholders

Are you eligible?

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

• Languages: one of the languages of the participati… (C1), another of the languages of the partici… (B2)
• Eligibility: Be a national of a Member State participating in the Agency; be entitled to full rights as citizens; have fulfilled any obligations imposed by laws concerning military service; produce appropriate character references; be physically fit to perform duties; hold or be in a position to obtain a valid Personnel Security Clearance Certificate (national or EU PSC at SECRET UE/EU SECRET level); have no…

Contract and working arrangements

Hiring unit: Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Directorate.

Position details

Reference

EDA/2026/029g

Vacancy Notice

Download PDF

Last Verified

16 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Director Research, Technology and Innovation at EDA based in Brussels at the AD14 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is EDA/2026/029g. The role falls under the Defence domain.

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.

- 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

The Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Director is accountable to the Chief Executive as Head of the RTI Directorate.

Supported by the Heads of Units and Teams, the jobholder will be responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to the Agency’s activities in defence research, technology and innovation, supporting Member States in identifying, developing and maturing technologies that respond to current and future defence capability needs.

The RTI Directorate promotes and supports collaborative defence research and innovation at EU level, including through the coordination and management of cooperative R&T activities, the Capability Technology Groups (CapTechs), EU-funded defence research activities and the Hub for EU Defence Innovation. It also ensures the Directorate’s contribution to EDA’s wider capability development and defence initiatives and promotes coherence and synergies with relevant EU and international activities

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the RTI Director will have overall managerial responsibility for the Directorate and provide strategic advice on defence research, technology and innovation. The jobholder will drive cooperation with Member States and engage with EU institutions, industry, research and technology organisations, academia and other relevant stakeholders, ensuring that research and innovation activities contribute effectively to European defence priorities and the development of future military capabilities.

More specifically, the jobholder will be responsible for the following activities:

- translate the Agency’s mission, strategy, work programme and priorities into a coherent vision, objectives and deliverables for the Directorate; - provide strategic vision, direction and leadership for the Directorate, ensuring, with the support of the Heads of Unit and relevant team leads, coherence across its research, technology and innovation activities and programmes; - lead and oversee the Agency’s activities in defence research, technology and innovation, ensuring that they address Member States’ current and future defence capability needs and contribute to relevant EU defence priorities; - steer the development and implementation of collaborative R&T activities, including those deriving from the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) and the work of the Capability Technology Groups (CapTechs); - provide strategic direction for EDA’s role in EU-funded defence research, including support to Member States and the European Commission in relation to the research dimension of the European Defence Fund and other relevant EU initiatives; - provide strategic direction for defence innovation activities, including through HEDI, promoting the maturation of innovative solutions and their contribution to the development of military capabilities; - promote synergies between defence and civil research in relevant dual-use technology fields and facilitate the exploitation of technological and innovation opportunities for defence; - build and sustain strong cooperation with Member States, the European Commission, the Council, the EEAS and other relevant European and international stakeholders in the fields covered by the Directorate; - develop and maintain appropriate engagement with industry, research and technology organisations, academia and other relevant stakeholders across the defence research, technology and innovation ecosystem; - ensure the Directorate’s effective contribution to EDA’s transversal activities and close cooperation with the other Agency Directorates, promoting coherence between research, technology, innovation and capability development activities; - lead, motivate and develop the competences and skills of the Directorate’s staff and evaluate or contribute to the evaluation of their performance; - plan and organise the work and the financial and human resources of the Directorate, ensuring the effective and efficient use of allocated resources; - manage the Directorate’s budget through sound planning and monitoring of allocated resources; - 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.

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AD14 runs from €18,695 (step 1) to €21,152 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €224,340 to €253,824 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 €2,991 per month at step 1 of AD14) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for Brussels. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 16 September 2026, today.

The application deadline is 20 October 2026, 33 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 16 September 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AD14 see our AD14 grade page; 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; for related vacancies in the Defence field browse our Defence 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.