Senior Specialist – Head of Office - Unmanned System Office, ECTC Expertise & Stakeholder Management Unit (AD7) - European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (AD7, The Hague)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation 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:

• Lead the establishment and development of the Unmanned Systems Office within ECTC
• Act as Europol's focal point on the criminal and terrorist use of drones and wider unmanned systems
• Coordinate the collection and analysis of information on hostile unmanned systems activity
• Support MS investigations through operational analysis, technical input and forensic expertise
• Monitor emerging threats, modi operandi, propaganda, procurement and weaponisation linked to unmanned systems
• Contribute and produce threat assessments, intelligence notifications and strategic reporting
• Coordinate relevant expertise across different Europol Departments
• Support information exchange with MS

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: 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 prof…
• Experience: At least 6 years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma
• Languages: one of the languages of the Union (thoroug…), another language of the Union (satisfa…), English (excelle…)
• Key skills: Experience in law-enforcement activities in the field of CT, serious and organised crime or emerging technologies, Experience in supporting investigations through operational analysis, information exchange and coordination with national or international partners, Experience in drafting intelligence products and conducting threat assessments, Experience in coordinating multidisciplinary expertise, including operational, analytical, technical, forensic or OSINT capabilities, Experience working in the field of UAS, counter-UAS, unmanned systems or autonomous technologies, Experience in setting up a team, network, task force, knowledge base or structured information-sharing capability, Sound knowledge of the EU terrorism and serious organised crime threat landscape, including emerging technologies and hybrid threats, Sound knowledge of the criminal and terrorist use of drones and wider unmanned systems, Knowledge of operational analysis, information exchange, early warning, technical indicators, forensic exploitation and electronic evidence, Sound knowledge of the EU and Europol legal framework and Europol's role in supporting MS investigations
• Eligibility: Be a member of a competent authority within the meaning of Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation and enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State; have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service; produce appropriate character references as to suitability for the performance of the duties; be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as spec…

Contract and working arrangements

Working arrangements: This post might require participation in a shift system including weekends and nights as well as on-call duty.

Hiring unit: ECTC Expertise & Stakeholder Management Unit, European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) Department, Operations Directora….

Position details

Reference

Europol/2026/TA/AD7/759

Directorate-General

O4 European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC)

Last Verified

29 October 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Senior Specialist – Head of Office - Unmanned System Office, ECTC Expertise & Stakeholder Management Unit (AD7) at Europol based in The Hague at the AD7 grade level (Temporary Agent). The vacancy reference is Europol/2026/TA/AD7/759. It is hosted by O4 European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC), the Directorate-General responsible for this policy area.

This selection procedure is intended to establish a reserve list of successful candidates. It is envisaged to start using the reserve list in Q4 of 2026/Q1 of 2027. _Europol retains the right to make use of the reserve list to select candidates for similar posts within the organisation, should business needs require so._1. Organisational context

Organisational setting: The post of Senior Specialist – Head of Office - Unmanned System Office is located in ECTC Expertise & Stakeholder Management Unit, European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) Department, Operations Directorate.

The Operations Directoratedeals with the core business of Europol, improving the effectiveness and cooperation of the competent authorities in the Member States in preventing and combating serious and organised crime, as well as terrorism affecting the Member States. This requires close cooperation with the Liaison Bureaux at Europol and via them with the Operational Teams in the Member States (MS).

Europoldelivers a number of products and services to national law enforcement agencies to support them in their fight against international serious and organised crime, as well as terrorism.

The Operations Directorate hosts six distinct Departments: Operational and Analysis Centre (OAC), European Serious Organised Crime Centre (ESOCC), European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3), European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC), European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) and European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling (ECAMS).

The European Counter Terrorism Centre(ECTC) is responsible for facilitating CT cooperation and information exchange among the lCT authorities as well as providing operational analysis. It was established in 2016 with the aim of maximising operational, technical and overall information exchange capabilities in the area of counterterrorism. ECTC strives to ensure added value for EU MS and Third Party (TP) CT cooperation by providing:

- An information hub for CT with strong analysis and information sharing capabilities, effective operational support and expertise for MS and TPs CT investigations. - A proactive mitigation of the use of social media for radicalisation purposes through terrorist/violent (right-wing) extremist online propaganda, also promoting private-public partnerships. - A central strategic support capability to identify Europe-wide CT implications and outreach with relevant international partners. A support office for the ATLAS network (Special Interventions Units) is also set up within ECTC Expertise & Stakeholder Management Unit.

The Expertise and Stakeholder Management Unit is responsible for the coordination and delivery of strategic products, stakeholder management and for the provision of strategic advice and thematic expertise in the field of CT. The CBRN & Explosives Team is horizontally assisting and operationally supporting all Europol Centres and crime areas in terms of expertise in CBRN and/or explosives. In addition, a support office for the ATLAS network (Special Interventions Units) is set up within the Unit.

Purpose of the post: The Senior Specialist – Head of Office will lead the establishment and development of a dedicated Europol capability on the criminal and terrorist use of unmanned systems. The incumbent will ensure that Europol can collect, connect, analyse and operationalise information on hostile Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) activity.

Reporting lines:The incumbent reports to the Head of Unit ECTC Stakeholder Management & Expertise.Job environment:This post might require participation in a shift system including weekends and nights as well as on-call duty.

2. Functions and dutiesThe incumbent carries out the following main functions and duties:

- Lead the establishment and development of the Unmanned Systems Office within ECTC; - Act as Europol’s focal point on the criminal and terrorist use of drones and wider unmanned systems; - Coordinate the collection and analysis of information on hostile unmanned systems activity; - Support MS investigations through operational analysis, technical input and forensic expertise; - Monitor emerging threats, modi operandi, propaganda, procurement and weaponisation linked to unmanned systems; - Contribute and produce threat assessments, intelligence notifications and strategic reporting; - Coordinate relevant expertise across different Europol Departments; - Support information exchange with MS; - Engage with relevant EU bodies, international partners, law-enforcement networks and private-sector actors; - Represent Europol in relevant expert groups, meetings and initiatives on drones and counter-drone security; - Prepare briefings, reports and recommendations for line management; - Perform any other task in the area of competence requested by line management.

Head of Office general people management responsibilities:

- Organise the work of a group of individuals by assigning tasks and responsibilities; - Monitor task completion and quality of work; - Establish and enhance effective processes, working methodologies and communication channels while ensuring strict adherence to data protection regulation and upholding fundamental rights at all times; - Provide constructive feedback and guidance, give input on objectives and assessments and provide learning opportunities; - Embrace diversity, foster an environment of collaboration, inclusion and fairness.

3. Requirements - Eligibility criteria

a. Candidates must

- Be a member of a competent authority within the meaning of the Article 2(a) of the Europol Regulation and enjoy full rights as a citizen of a Member State; - Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service; - Produce appropriate character references as to his or her suitability for the performance of the duties; - Be physically fit to perform the duties pertaining to the post as further specified in Article 13 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (CEOS);

- Produce evidence of a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the Union to the extent necessary for the performance of the duties.

b. Candidates must 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;

- Professional training of an equivalent level in a relevant area (e.g. Police Officer’s School) and after having completed the training, at least the number of years of relevant professional experience as indicated below:

Duration of professional training - Additional professional experience required for equivalency

More than 6 months and up to 1 year - 4 yearsMore than 1 year and up to 2 years - 3 yearsMore than 2 years and up to 3 years - 2 yearsMore than 3 years - 1 year

- In additionto the above at least 6years of total professional work experience gained after the award of the diploma.

4. Requirements - Selection criteria

a. Professional experience Essential:

- Experience in law-enforcement activities in the field of CT, serious and organised crime or emerging technologies; - Experience in supporting investigations through operational analysis, information exchange and coordination with national or international partners; - Experience in drafting intelligence products and conducting threat assessments; - Experience in coordinating multidisciplinary expertise, including operational, analytical, technical, forensic or OSINT capabilities; - Experience working in the field of UAS, counter-UAS, unmanned systems or autonomous technologies; - Experience in setting up a team, network, task force, knowledge base or structured information-sharing capability.

Desirable:

- Experience in technical/forensic exploitation, OSINT, digital evidence or online investigations; - Experience in stakeholder engagement with MS, EU bodies, third countries, international organisations or private-sector partners.

b. Professional knowledge Essential:

- Sound knowledge of the EU terrorism and serious organised crime threat landscape, including emerging technologies and hybrid threats; - Sound knowledge of the criminal and terrorist use of drones and wider unmanned systems; - Knowledge of operational analysis, information exchange, early warning, technical indicators, forensic exploitation and electronic evidence; - Sound knowledge of the EU and Europol legal framework and Europol’s role in supporting MS investigations.

c. General competencies Essential

Communicating:

- Excellent communication skills in English, both orally and in writing; - Excellent presentation skills; - Ability to draft clear and concise documents on complex matters for various Audiences.

Analysing & problem solving:

- Structured approach to work aimed at getting results; - Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills; - Competent user of Microsoft Office applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the internet.

Delivering quality and results:

- High degree of commitment and flexibility. - High level of customer and service-orientation.

Prioritising & organising:

- Excellent organizational skills including the ability to plan own workload, establish clear priorities and exercise initiative; - Ability to manage projects and familiarity with project management terminology and methodology.

Resilience:

- Strong ability to work well both independently and in a team; - Very good interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively liaise with other departments, groups and teams as well as with external partners; - Ability to remain effective under a heavy workload and demonstrate resistance to stress.

Salary at this grade

Basic monthly salary at AD7 runs from €7,876 (step 1) to €8,911 (top step), giving an annual range of roughly €94,512 to €106,932 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 €1,260 per month at step 1 of AD7) together with household, dependent-child, and education allowances where applicable. Take-home pay is then adjusted by the country correction coefficient for The Hague. For a worked example see our correction coefficients guide and the EU salaries overview.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 29 October 2026, today.

The application deadline is 26 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 29 October 2026.

Where to learn more

For full responsibilities, requirements, and career progression at AD7 see our AD7 grade page; for headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at Europol see the Europol institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in The Hague see our The Hague 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.