CAJU 04-2026 Legal Officer

The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CAJU), based in Brussels, Belgium, is looking for candidates to establish a reserve list for a Legal Officer (Temporary Agent grade AD6).

Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking is Europe’s largest aeronautics research programme, established under Council Regulation (EU) 2021/20851 to develop innovative, cutting-edge technology aimed at increasing commercial aircraft efficiency.

The main objective of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking is to contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of aviation by accelerating the development of climate neutral aviation technologies for their earliest possible deployment, therefore significantly contributing to the ambitious environment impact mitigation goals of the European Green Deal and Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council, that is to say a 55% emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 1990.

The lifetime of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking and the implementation of its budget and activities financed under the ongoing Horizon Europe programme are expected to run until 31/12/31 the latest.

General profile of the post

The CAJU is seeking an experienced, dynamic, and committed professional to join its Governance Unit as a Legal Officer. The successful candidate will support the Head of Unit in delivering the Unit’s mission and ensuring the sound governance of the Joint Undertaking (JU).

The Governance Unit is one of the JU’s four units and plays a central role in supporting the organisation’s institutional, legal and operational framework. It is responsible for the CAJU regulatory framework and governance, legal advice and support to calls and projects, public procurement, coordination of the Governing Board and its procedures, institutional relations, coordination of the Work Programme (planning and reporting) as well as internal control and audit coordination, support synergies and other CAJU horizontal and transversal activities.

Specific duties and responsibilities

In particular, the Legal Officer will oversee the following tasks:

Legal advise - horizontal

• Support the preparation and possible evolutions of the JU legal framework, programme architecture, design and implementation from a legal and compliance prespective.
• Provide legal advise to the management and expertise in the preparation and steering of high-level institutional meetings and at the level of the governance bodies, including the drafting of Governing Board and Executive Director notes and decisions.
• Support and monitor legality and regularity of activities by ensuring compliance of the Joint Undertaking with the JU's Single Basic Act, Financial Regulation, Staff Rules, agreements in place, internal rules, financing decisions and any other specific rules of the JU.
• Develop, implement and document new measures for simplification of relevant CAJU processes and procedures. Contribute to the production of legal guidelines, manuals, vade-mecum, internal procedures.

Legal advise and support – programme operations and grant agreements

• Provide legal advice and support in the management of complex R&I projects and grant agreements from call design to grant preparation and legal overseeing of proper grant implementation and amendments.
• Participate to internal liaison meetings with other units and elaborate legal guidance to support the programme implementation.
• Draft legal texts and agreements and provide support on administrative procedures, contractual and procurement-related matters ensuring back-up on initiation of contracts and amendments.
• Archive all documents in an organized manner in line with internal instructions.

Support the preparation of CAJU programme and PPP framework evolution under the next MFF 2028-2034 and stakeholders management

• Support the Head of Unit on any relevant tasks related to the evolution and preparation of the possible future Partnership in Aviation under the next MFF 2028-2034 including elaborating in depth analysis and proposals on framework, governance funding model memberships agreements).
• Support stakeholders’ management and the coordination of working groups with the CAJU private Members, the European Commission, other EU bodies and other stakeholders as appropriate.
• Provide legal input to administrative agreements with the JU’s Members, National Funding Authorities, Member States, Regions and other EU or non-EU bodies and partners.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered eligible for selection, an applicant must have met by the closing date of this call (16 March 2026), the following formal requirements:

• Be national of one of the Member States of the EU and enjoy full rights as citizens.
• Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies.
• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge (at least B2 level) of another of these languages to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties.
• Produce the appropriate character references as to their suitability for the performance of duties of the post.
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by applicable laws concerning military service.
• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post. Before being engaged, a member of the temporary staff shall be medically examined by one of the institution's medical officers in line with the requirement of Art. 12(2)(d) of the CEOS.

Selection criteria

Candidates selected on the above eligibility criteria will be evaluated according to the following selection criteria.

Essential qualifications and experience

• Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least four (4) years attested by a diploma and, after having obtained the diploma, at least six (6) years full-time of appropriate professional experience; OR have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least three (3) years attested by a diploma and, after having obtained the diploma, at least seven (7) years full-time of appropriate professional experience.
• Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies in one of the following fields relevant to the post: Law, Public Administration, Political Science.
• After having obtained the diploma described above, the applicant shall have significant professional experience in a legal position with tasks closely related to the ones described in the duties and responsibilities.
• Experience in providing legal advice to management within the context of EU law, European Institutions/Agencies or bodies, or the public sector.
• Have a thorough knowledge of English (at least C2 level) and excellent legal drafting and writing skills.

Advantageous qualifications and experience

• Extensive experience in a similar legal officer or legal adviser role in other EU Institution/Agency/body or equivalent level in the private sector.
• Sound knowledge and experience on EU legislation and functioning of the EU Institutions, EU Financial Regulation, Staff Regulations.
• Proven experience in the legal management and oversight of large and complex industrial R&I projects and multi-stakeholders grant agreements.
• Proven experience in stakeholders’ management and in supporting the works of a Governing Board or similar governance bodies.
• Knowledge of the aviation/aerospace sector and experience in coordinating and steering Working Groups with large groups of stakeholders.

Proven capability to perform the specific duties and responsibilities

• Legal analysis and drafting ability to analyze complex legal texts and documents. Drafting legal opinions, decisions, contracts, guidelines and/or recommendations.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills supported by an understanding of business process management and the principles of efficiency enhancement.
• Communication and negotiation skills: excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact and communicate at all levels inside and outside the organization and to represent and advance agreed positions.

Conditions of employment

The successful candidate will be appointed by the Executive Director of the CAJU as a Temporary Agent, pursuant to Article 2(f) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, for a period of 3 years. The successful candidate will be recruited as Temporary Agent Grade AD 6. Subject to budget availability, after an evaluation of the post holder's performance and the needs of the service, the contract may be renewed not more than once for a fixed period. Any further renewal will be for an indefinite period (in line with provisions of art. 8 of the CEOS). The period of engagement will not in any case exceed the lifetime of the CAJU. Candidates should note the requirement under the Staff Regulations/CEOS for all new staff to successfully complete a probationary period of 9 months. Remuneration will be based on the Union scale of salaries. Pay is subject to Union tax and other deductions laid down in the Staff Regulations. The pay of staff members consists of a basic salary supplemented with specific allowances, including expatriation or family allowances.