AIRCRAFT RETROFIT AND EMBODIMENT ASSISTNANT - Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (Madrid)

About this position

The summary below is published by Organisation for Joint Armament 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:

• Provide assistance to the Retrofit Manager on all Retrofit and embodiment Programme matters
• Provide analytics out of the collected data related to acceptance, Retrofit and embodiment events
• Build awareness status of the 6 Nations' A400M fleet by gathering technical information from In-Service Support experts
• Liaise with the A400M In-Service support section to coordinate scheduled maintenance activities with delivery Retrofit and Embodiment
• Assess the contractual commitments in vigour and manage their implementation in interface with industry
• Coordinate the follow up of contractual commitments from individual aircraft acceptance to ensure Seller's compliance and delivery before release of final payment
• Provide assistance with management of the commercial implications resulting from the Retrofit campaigns, including analysis of causes for delays during retrofit events
• Provide support to the commercial activity associated with the Retrofit Programme to ensure SOC3 Retrofit obligations fulfilment

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: A higher secondary education or equivalent in the activities directly related to the tasks described is highly desirable
• Experience: Experience in aircraft retrofit and/or MRO activities; Experience in managing interdependencies between technical activities, CAMO requirements and contractual commitments; Experience of aircraft acceptance and/or embodiment processes; Experience in balancing technical issues and contractual performance; Knowledge of international military aviation programmes and organisations
• Languages: English (Advanced)
• Key skills: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact and communicate at all levels within OCCAR as well as with Nations, The ability to work in a changing, developing and demanding environment, The ability to work independently based on objectives set by the line manager, The ability to use Computer and Information Technology (ICT) facilities, and able to demonstrate a good working knowledge of MS Office software, Good team-working skills with ability to establish good working relations at all levels in a multicultural context and with respect for diversity
• Eligibility: Security clearance at OCCAR Secret level is required for this post, or needs to be obtained within the first six months of employment

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

• Interview week commencing on 12 October 2026

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 3 years.

Hiring unit: A400M Programme Division, Programme Management Section.

Position details

Reference

B705

Last Verified

7 August 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for AIRCRAFT RETROFIT AND EMBODIMENT ASSISTNANT at OCCAR based in Madrid. The vacancy reference is B705.

VACANCY NOTICE

Post B705– AIRCRAFT RETROFIT & EMBODIMENT ASSISTANT

Grade B6

Division A400M Programme Division

Section PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT SECTION

Management of Staff 0

Location Madrid, ES

Initial Contract Duration 3 years

Closing Date for Applications 18 September 2026

Start Date 01 January 2027

Interview Date Week commencing on 12 October 2026

1. Background

The A400M is a multinational collaborative programme for the development, production and in-service support of a subsonic medium range transport aircraft. The in-service phase started in 2013 with the first A400M delivery and since 2020 six Nations are operating the aircraft. The Retrofit campaign has been established to upgrade the in-service fleet to the final contractual capability standard, and to integrate additional 2026 VN B705 AIRCRAFT ACCEPTANCE & RETROFIT SUPPORT COMMERCIAL ASSISTANT – Page 2 of 4

capabilities required by Participating Nations. The Retrofit campaign is also the opportunity to implement commitments from the time of AC acceptance. A consistent follow-up of such commitments is prerequisite and a strong coordination between the A400M Programme Division, Nations and Industry is required to assure the fulfilment of the A400M DPP contract.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The Aircraft Retrofit & Embodiment Assistant will report formally to the Programme Management Section Leader through the Retrofit Manager.

The duties of the Aircraft Retrofit & Embodiment Assistant are linked with Aircraft Acceptance and Delivery activities, for new aircraft and in-service aircraft upgraded by Industry. They will notably deal with the commercial implications related to contractual commitments, for retrofit events combined or not with maintenance activities. Therefore, they daily interact with the experts of technical and commercial domains.

In particular, they will:

> 

Provide assistance to the Retrofit Manager on all Retrofit and embodiment Programme matters;

> 

Provide analytics out of the collected data related to acceptance, Retrofit and embodiment events;

> 

Build awareness status of the 6 Nations’ A400M fleet by gathering technical information from In-Service Support experts;

> 

Liaise with the A400M In-Service support section to coordinate scheduled maintenance activities with delivery Retrofit and Embodiment;

> 

Assess the contractual commitments in vigour and manage their implementation in interface with industry;

> 

Coordinate the follow up of contractual commitments from individual aircraft acceptance in commitment or side letters to ensure Seller’s compliance and delivery before release of the final payment, in close cooperation with Nations and IAADR Section;

> 

Provide assistance with management of the commercial implications resulting from the Retrofit campaigns. In particular, analyse causes for delays during retrofit events. This task will support the respective Contract Officer in relation to the application of liquidated damages in accordance with the contractual provisions, including consideration of potential factors such as Buyer’s delay and Force Majeure, if applicable;

> 

Provide support to the commercial activity associated with the Retrofit Programme, liaising with Technical, Commercial and IAADR Section (esp. with Acceptance & Delivery Contract Officer) to ensure SOC3 Retrofit obligations fulfilment (including Aircraft and engine retrofit); 2026 VN B705 AIRCRAFT ACCEPTANCE & RETROFIT SUPPORT COMMERCIAL ASSISTANT – Page 3 of 4

> 

Provide assistance in the communications with Nations and Retrofit & Embodiment specialists on the potential solutions and options on contractual issues;

> 

Participate on contractual commitment and side letter discussions for individual Aircraft if deemed necessary

> 

After aircraft acceptance, provide support for recovery of AC non-conformities and missing parts, including commercial management of missing elements via Certificate of Acceptance, Letter of Acceptance and retrofit templates;

3. Key competences and skills required for the grade

(You must provide evidence of meeting these key competences and skills in your Application, Section 12).

CS 1 Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact and communicate at all levels within OCCAR as well as with Nations;

CS 2 The ability to work in a changing, developing and demanding environment;

CS 3 The ability to work independently based on objectives set by the line manager;

CS 4 The ability to use Computer and Information Technology (ICT) facilities, and able to demonstrate a good working knowledge of MS Office software;

CS 5 Good team-working skills with ability to establish good working relations at all levels in a multicultural context and with respect for diversity.

4. Specialist knowledge and experience required for the post

(You must provide evidence of meeting these specialist requirements in your Application, Sections 10 and 11).

4.1 Essential:

ES 1 Experience in aircraft retrofit and/or MRO activities;

ES 2 Experience in managing interdependencies between

technical activities, CAMO requirements and contractual commitments;

ES 3 Experience of aircraft acceptance and/or embodiment processes;

ES 4 Experience in balancing technical issues and contractual performance;

ES 5 Knowledge of international military aviation programmes and organisations.

4.2 Desirable:

DS 1 Awareness of commercial and legal matters and environments;

DS 2 Experience in supporting or managing contractual matters for development, 2026 VN B705 AIRCRAFT ACCEPTANCE & RETROFIT SUPPORT COMMERCIAL ASSISTANT – Page 4 of 4

production or In-Service life stages, for military programmes, with special focus

on the follow up of contractual commitments ;

DS 3 Expertise of Through Life Management cycle;

DS 4 Knowledge of contracting for rectification, retrofit or quality activities.

5. Language Requirements

> 

ADVANCED level 1 of ENGLISH both oral and written.

> 

Additional knowledge of another OCCAR Member or Participating State's language will be considered as an asset.

6. Qualifications

A higher secondary education or equivalent in the activities directly related to the tasks described is highly desirable.

7. Security Clearance

Security clearance at OCCAR Secret level is required for this post, or needs to be obtained within the first six months of employment

8. Applications and Points of Contact

Applicants wishing to apply for this Post should email the completed application and supporting documentation to: [email protected]

For further information regarding this post please send your inquiry to the same email address.

OCCAR Privacy Statement:

When applying for an OCCAR vacancy, it is necessary for OCCAR to collect and process personal data about you in order to assess and evaluate your suitability for the vacancy, and (if successful) to coordinate with relevant service providers in preparation of your appointment. For further information please visit our web-site: OCCAR Privacy Statement -

http://www.occar.int/privacy-data-protection .

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 7 August 2026, today.

The application deadline is 18 September 2026, 40 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 7 August 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at OCCAR see the OCCAR institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Madrid see our Madrid 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.