Job notes

€ 10.082,77 per month gross

DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Head of the Legal Unit, the Senior Legal Officer may also act as Data Protection Officer, deputise for the Head of Unit when needed, and will be responsible for/contribute to the following activities:

provide authoritative, strategic and risk-based legal advice on collaborative procurement, including the design and implementation of complex and high-value procurement files;

provide legal and procedural support to the ex-ante controller within the Legal Unit, including on the assessment of procurement and financial files, the identification of legal and compliance risks, and the consistent application of the relevant regulatory and internal control framework;

support all activity of the Legal Unit related to the preparation and negotiation of third-party agreements, including administrative arrangements, MoU, SLA, etc, by providing comprehensive legal assessments, risk analysis, procedural guidelines and legal review of any relevant working document;

advise on innovation-related projects, security arrangements and wider European Union defence initiatives, ensuring that their legal, governance, industrial and intergovernmental dimensions are addressed coherently and at an early stage;

identify and mitigate legal and governance risks, clarify the allocation of responsibilities, and develop robust contractual arrangements in close cooperation with operational teams, Member States and partners;

support the Head of Unit in the management and coordination of the Unit, act on the Head of Unit’s behalf when required, and contribute to the planning, prioritisation and quality assurance of its work;

perform the functions of Data Protection Officer, independently advising the Agency on its data protection obligations, monitoring compliance, promoting awareness and cooperation, and acting as the contact point for the European Data Protection Supervisor and data subjects.

Duties may evolve according to the development of EDA’s structure and activities, and the decisions of EDA management.

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. Note that the necessary procedure for obtaining a PSCC can be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate;

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 or be a graduate of a national or international Defence College; 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.

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.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential:

Only applications meeting all essential selection criteria will be assessed.

Professional:

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the following qualifications:

a university degree (or equivalent academic qualification) in Law;

at least seven (7) years of relevant professional experience, acquired after the award of the minimum qualification required as a condition of eligibility;

substantial professional experience in providing legal advice on public and/or collaborative procurement, including complex or high-value procurement procedures and contractual arrangements;

proven experience in identifying and addressing legal and governance risks and in providing legal advice on complex institutional, contractual matters;

sound knowledge of the European Union data protection framework and proven professional experience in advising on data protection and compliance matters;

proven experience in coordinating the work and priorities of a legal team, including quality assurance and the provision of legal and procedural advice in a multidisciplinary environment;

good knowledge of EDA’s role, legal framework and main functions;

a very good command of written and spoken English.

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:

ability to work independently and collaboratively in a complex and multidisciplinary environment;

ability to work effectively in a multinational environment;

reliability and ability to work under pressure with minimal supervision;

strong analytical and problem-solving skills, sound legal judgement, and the ability to identify proportionate, practical and defensible solutions;

excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly and influence stakeholders constructively;

good leadership skills and ability to coordinate and support colleagues effectively;

results-orientation and strong sense of responsibility;

flexibility and innovativeness;

genuine commitment to the Agency's objectives;

Desirable:

The following will be considered an advantage:

experience in litigation, pre-litigation or dispute management, for example before national courts, the Court of Justice of the European Union or in administrative complaint procedures;

knowledge of, or experience in addressing, the interaction between the Agency’s legal framework and other European Union legal or funding frameworks, including the European Defence Fund, the European Defence Industry Programme and other current or future initiatives relevant to defence and security;

familiarity with the defence international environment (especially with CSDP);

experience of contributing or leading organisational and process change.

Share this Job