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 CORPORATE SERVICES DIRECTORATE
The Corporate Services Directorate (CSD) provides critical business support to EDA operations by delivering high-quality corporate services under 6 dedicated units, namely: Human Resources; Procurement and Contract Management; Legal; Finance; IT and Information Management together with Security and Infrastructure Management. Additionally, the EDA Programme Manager and Corporate Projects Officer provides a leadership role in, and a focal point for, good practice in Project, Programme and Risk Management. Finally, the Record Manager is responsible for the effective and appropriate management of information produced and/or received by the organisation.
CSD processes are geared towards efficient and optimal use of resources, leveraging good practice and technological solutions while ensuring sound financial management, transparency and accountability; outward focus and commitment to continuous improvement are the hallmarks of CSD.
4. DUTIES
Under the direction of the Head of the IT Unit, the Senior IT Administrator will contribute to the operations of the IT systems and carry out tasks necessary to keep the systems functioning in a cloud based environment.
The main duties of the Senior IT Administrator will include, but not be limited to:
1. coordinate the work of the IT Operations team, consisting of a system administrator and service desk staff and their contribution to the objectives assigned;
2. organise regular reporting to the Head of IT and senior management;
3. ensure effective and timely end-user support, minimising the adverse impact of IT incidents and problems by preventing the reoccurrence of any such incidents;
4. follow-up of the tickets assigned to 3rd parties and contractors;
5. maintain and troubleshoot the EDA systems (system platforms and infrastructure) and prepare/implement new technical solutions;
6. ensure the technical administration of the EDA network infrastructure, Microsoft Windows-based, both in a local environment and on cloud
7. manage several environments (Clusters, Hyper-V, Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, IIS, SQL, Azure, AWS);
8. ensure the technical administration of the EDA network (switches, routers) and security devices (firewalls, intrusion prevention systems);
9. ensure the technical administration of the VoIP infrastructure;
10. implement IT security and auditing policies;
11. carry out technical analyses and participate in the definition and execution of tests;
12. review and maintain technical documentation and contribute to the Knowledge Base;
13. update the configuration management database (CMDB);
14. manage risks and issues independently, escalating them when necessary to the Head of IT while proposing potential solutions;
15. support the procurement and contract management activities, including periodic renewals of maintenance contracts for hardware and software and replacements of obsolete or broken equipment (in collaboration with procurement officers and the various suppliers);
16. develop positive relationships within the organisation, including close cooperation with adjacent functions like IT Development and IT Security;
17. carry out any other tasks requested by line management in the interest of the service.
The above work will be executed on unclassified and EU-classified IT systems and networks.
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:
18. be a national of a Member State participating in the Agency;
19. be entitled to his/her full rights as a citizen;
20. have fulfilled any obligations imposed on him/her by the laws concerning military service;
21. produce the appropriate character references as to his/her suitability for the performance of his/her duties (extract from the “judicial record” or certificate of good conduct will be requested prior to recruitment);
22. be physically fit to perform his/her duties;
23. 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 his/her duties;
24. have no personal interest (financial, family relationship, or other) which could be in conflict with disinterested discharge of his/her duties within the Agency;
25. 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;
26. have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three years attested by a diploma; 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.
For native English speakers, your ability to communicate in another EU language will be tested during the selection process. To assess your foreign language levels, see: https://europa.eu/europass/en/common-european-framework-reference-language-skills
6. SELECTION CRITERIA
A. Essential
Only applications meeting all essential selection criteria will be assessed.
(1) Professional
The candidate will be required to demonstrate that he/she has:
27. professional experience in coordinating teams and coaching groups of experts or leading work streams;
28. previous experience of at least 3 (three) years in the role of a Network Administrator in a large scale enterprise networking environment;
29. knowledge and professional experience in operating and maintaining secure Local & Wide Area Networks, switches, routers, firewalls and load balancers;
30. professional experience in Software Defined Local Area/Wide Area/Data Centre Networking technologies (SDN) or equivalent;
31. professional experience in the daily operation of IT systems with security requirements;
32. knowledge and professional experience in IT operation processes and best practices;
33. proven experience in administering servers primarily in a Microsoft Windows-based environment;
34. proven experience in administering servers and managing resources in a cloud environment (Azure or AWS);
35. proven experience in backup management;
36. experience in datacentre management;
37. experience in IT security monitoring and incident management;
38. experience in administrating unified communication solutions;
39. experience of working in multicultural organisations;
40. a very good knowledge of written and spoken English.
(2) Personal
All staff must be able to fit into the Agency's way of working (see para. 2). Other attributes important for this post include:
41. ability to communicate clearly and effectively with non-IT internal stakeholders;
42. excellent customer-relation skills;
43. ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with others to ensure effective and successful completion of tasks;
44. ability to think creatively, a strong sense of integrity, initiative and responsibility and willingness to propose new innovative solutions;
45. excellent analytical and organisational skills, maintaining a clear overview of multiple tasks, including the ability to prioritise towards deadlines and focus on key objectives as well as pay attention to details;
46. ability to take decisions under pressure;
47. commitment to the 'Agency's objectives.
B. Desirable
The following will be considered an advantage:
48. Microsoft Active Directory;
49. Microsoft Exchange;
50. Azure Active Directory;
51. Office 365;
52. Amazon Web Services;
53. Microsoft SharePoint;
54. Microsoft SQL server;
55. Microsoft Hyper-V and Cluster environments;
56. Microsoft IIS;
57. System Center Operation Manager;
58. System Center Service Manager;
59. in-depth knowledge and experience with Firewalls and other border protection devices;
60. knowledge of security policies and guides on handling EU classified information or equivalent high-security environments;
61. experience in administering Polycom VoIP infrastructure;
62. experience in deploying and managing two-factor authentication systems;
63. experience in administering Microsoft Forefront Identity Manager or other Identity Management solutions;
64. experience in service management validated by holding a certification such as ITIL V3;
65. experience in Project Management attested by a relevant certification in PM² or/and PMP.
7. INDEPENDENCE AND DECLARATION OF INTEREST
The Senior IT Administrator will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the Agency’s interest and to make a declaration in relation to interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence.
8. APPOINTMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
The Senior IT Administrator will be appointed by the Chief Executive.
Recruitment will be as a member of the temporary staff of the Agency for a four-year period. Renewal is possible within the limits set out in the EDA Staff Regulations. The successful candidate will be recruited as Temporary Agent, grade AD6.
The pay for this position consists of a basic salary of 6.169,72 € supplemented with various allowances, including as applicable expatriation or family allowances. The successful candidate will be graded on entry into service according to the length of his/her professional experience. Salaries are exempted from national tax, instead an Agency tax at source is paid. For further information on working conditions please refer to:
Failure to obtain the requisite security clearance certificate before the expiration of the probationary period may be cause for termination of the contract.
Candidates are advised that part of the recruitment process includes medical analyses and physical check-up with the Agency’s Medical Adviser.
Applications are invited with a view to establish a reserve list for the post of Senior IT Administrator at EDA. This list will be valid until 31/12/2025, and may be extended by decision of the Chief Executive. During the validity of the reserve list, successful candidates may be offered a post in EDA according to their competences in relation to the specific requirements of the vacant post. Inclusion on the reserve list does not imply any entitlement of employment in the Agency.
9. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
EDA is an equal opportunities employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, sex or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or family situation.
10. APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Candidates must submit their application electronically solely via the EDA website. Applications by any other means (hard copy or ordinary e-mail) will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted no later than midnight. Candidates are reminded that the on-line application system will not accept applications after midnight (Brussels time, GMT+1) on the date of the deadline.
When applying, candidates from Ministries of Defence or other governmental entities are encouraged to inform their national administration.
A selection panel will be appointed. Please note that the selection panel's internal proceedings are strictly confidential and that any contact with its members is forbidden.
Each application will be screened based on the requirements of the job profile stated in the vacancy notice. The most suitable applicants will be called for an interview and a written test. Candidates may also be requested to take part in an assessment centre, participating in a number of individual and group activities related to the competences required for the post.
If recruited, you will be requested to supply documentary evidence in support of the statements that you make for this application. Do not send any supporting or supplementary information until you have been asked to do so by the Agency.
Please note that once you have created your EDA profile, any correspondence regarding your application must be sent or received via your EDA profile. For any prior enquiry, please refer to the FAQ (Frequently asked questions) section, or send an e-mail to .
11. DATA PROTECTION
Please note that EDA will not return applications to candidates. The personal information EDA requests from candidates will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) N° 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) 45/2001 and Decision No. 1247/2002/EC.
The purpose of processing personal data which candidates submit is to manage applications in view of possible pre-selection and recruitment at EDA. More information on personal data protection in relation to selection and recruitment can be found on the EDA website:
The selection of candidates will follow the EDA Staff Recruitment Procedure. Candidates must apply for this post via the EDA website - vacancies. Please note that to make an EDA on-line application you will need to create your EDA profile using a valid e-mail address and a password.