Innovation Advisor - SGRS (Defence)

Job Content

Passionate about innovation and emerging technologies? Join the SGRS and contribute to envisioning, developing, and driving the intelligence capabilities of tomorrow.

Within the SGRS Innovation section, you play a key role in identifying, developing, and implementing innovative solutions to address current and future military intelligence challenges. You will work in a multidisciplinary environment combining innovation, cutting-edge technologies, and national and international cooperation.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Identifying gaps, areas for improvement, and avenues for change within the General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) and translating them into research, development, and innovation (RDI) projects in thematic and technological fields such as: drones, robotization, information and knowledge management, AI, biotechnology, human enhancement, conflict dynamics, scenario design, augmented and virtual reality…
• Identifying and leveraging funding opportunities for the realization of RDI projects.
• Managing RDI projects.
• Chairing, participating in, and contributing to assigned meetings.
• Representing the SGRS at assigned meetings, working groups, conferences, or symposiums.
• Contributing to the planning of the service's short, medium, and long-term capabilities and resources.
• Preparing and presenting documents and presentations on RDI activities to the command and various SGRS directorates.
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with SGRS entities and the Ministry of Defence.
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with government institutions, the EU, and NATO.
• Establishing and maintaining contacts with researchers, companies, and other external actors in the innovation ecosystem.
• Reporting to the head of the SGRS Innovation section and ensuring interim coverage in their absence.

The duty of neutrality being an essential element for the exercise of the function (cf. articles 7 and 8 of the Royal Decree of October 2, 1937), this aspect will be discussed during the interview.

Staff (military and civilian) are required to comply with the principle of neutrality and therefore not to wear or display ostentatious religious symbols.

Attention: If you are applying for a position within the General Intelligence and Security Service, you will be asked to exercise a certain discretion and limit your communication on this subject in your direct and indirect environment, respect privacy legislation and classified information.

Important: For positions within the SGRS, to be hired, you must be in possession of a 'top secret' security clearance required for the position or be willing to undergo a 'top secret' security investigation before starting service, with the obligation to obtain a positive result, failing which it would be a ground for exclusion from service (in accordance with the Law of December 11, 1998, on classification, security clearances, security advice, and regulated public service).

This function involves direct and visual contact with the public. In this case, the regulation (articles 7 and 8 of Royal Decree of October 2, 1937) requires that the staff member does not wear any visible signs of religious, philosophical, political, or trade union beliefs in order to represent the public service neutrally during these contacts.

More information about the job?

Find useful contact details in the 'Additional Information - Contact Persons' tab.

Employer

There is 1 vacancy at the General Intelligence and Security Service - SGRS within the Directorate Plans & Policy of the Ministry of Defence located at Rue d'Evere 1 in 1140 Evere.

The Directorate Plans & Policy provides advice and support to the head and all SGRS directorates to ensure its short and long-term strategy and ambitions.

Innovation is part of the Directorate Plans & Policy, but also encompasses research and development. It covers a wide range of topics and activities, such as data collection and visualization, information and knowledge management, cognitive psychology, research methodology, analysis, scenario development, conflict dynamics, complexity management, modeling, artificial intelligence, organizational behavior, simplification and optimization of processes, testing of hardware and software, identification and consolidation of functional and technical requirements, rapid prototyping, and monitoring of specific thematic areas and emerging and disruptive technologies.

The General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS) has the mission to search, analyze, and process intelligence relating to any activity that could threaten the integrity of the national territory, military defence plans, defence-related scientific and economic potential, the missions of the Armed Forces, or the security of Belgian nationals abroad.

The SGRS also has the mission to search, analyze, and process intelligence concerning the activities of foreign intelligence services on Belgian territory.

It ensures the maintenance of military security for defence personnel and military installations, weapons, ammunition, documents, computer systems, including in the context of cyber-attacks, and protects the confidentiality/secrecy attached thereto.

It also conducts security investigations prior to the granting of clearances, attestations, and security advice.

The SGRS also takes care of foreign defence attachés accredited in Belgium and Belgian defence attachés to Belgian embassies.

The Ministry of Defence carries out the following missions: territorial defence, the organization of missions abroad in an international context, and assistance to the population in case of disasters.

The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the defence of the national territory, the organization of missions abroad in an international context, and in the framework of assistance to the population during disasters both in Belgium and abroad.

Defence has a particular structure and culture and, with more than 30,000 employees, is one of the largest employers in our country.

The Ministry of Defence constitutes a mixed work environment, employing civilian and military personnel, both male and female, from one of the three official Belgian language regimes.

Skills

Behavioral Skills

• Thinking Creatively: seeking inspiration, generating original ideas, and proposing innovations:
  
  • Following trends and experimenting with new working methods
• Communicating: exchanging and conveying ideas, opinions, information, and choosing the communication style and channels appropriate to the context and target audience:
  
  • Sharing opinions and adapting communication
• Being Solution-Oriented: approaching problems positively, proposing and implementing solutions:
  
  • Implementing solutions in a continuous improvement process (level 2)
• Demonstrating Agility: showing openness and flexibility and adapting to a rapidly evolving professional context:
  
  • Participating in change

This vacant position is part of the Analyst job family and falls under level A1.

You can find more details on job families, assessed competencies, and their mastery levels on the Competencies page.

Technical Skills

• Analyzing and Integrating Emerging Technologies in a Defence Context: Identifying, analyzing, and evaluating emerging and disruptive technologies to anticipate their impacts and operational potential for defence, intelligence, and security missions.

  • Having broad knowledge of the subject matter and being autonomous on complex cases.

Good motivation is also important.

Attention! If your motivation does not meet the requirements of this position, you will not be able to succeed in this selection.

Assets

• You have proven experience in change management.
• You have experience with RDI projects within the framework of the EU or NATO and/or with intelligence analysis within (inter)national government agencies.
• You possess a 'Top Secret' security clearance.
• You have a good command of the second national language and English.
• You hold a Category B driving license due to the significant travel required for this position.

Eligibility Criteria

Your Profile:

• You hold a Master's degree.
• You have at least one year of experience covering at least three activities related to research, development, and innovation (RDI) project management.
• You are proficient in analyzing and integrating emerging technologies.
• A good knowledge of Dutch and English is an asset.
• Previous experience with RDI projects and/or intelligence analysis within (inter)national government agencies is also an asset.

You can find the complete description of the eligibility criteria and job profile in the detailed job description.

Required Diploma by the application deadline:

• Diploma of Licentiate, Doctor, Pharmacist, Agrégé, Engineer, Industrial Engineer, Architect, Master (basic 2nd cycle diploma) recognized and awarded by Belgian universities and higher education institutions of the long-cycle type, after at least 4 years of study, or by a state or community jury.
• Master's diploma concluding 2nd cycle studies, worth at least 60 credits, awarded by a university or a University College.
• Certificates awarded to laureates of the Royal Military Academy who may hold the title of civil engineer or licentiate/master.

You may also apply if you hold a previously obtained diploma that is equivalent to one of the aforementioned diplomas.

If you obtained your diploma in a country other than Belgium or in a language other than French, please read the information regarding applications on our dedicated page.

Would you like to apply for a job opening in a language other than that of your diploma? Be aware that in some cases, you will need to demonstrate your proficiency in that language by passing a language test! Register for the required test as soon as possible, as obtaining the language certificate is a prerequisite for selection. Check if this applies to you by consulting the information relating to 'foreign diploma or diploma in another language'.

Upload your diploma in the CV section of your online account when registering. Otherwise, your application will not be considered.

Required Experience by the application deadline:

At least 1 year of useful professional experience in at least 3 of the following tasks:

• Management of research, development, and innovation (RDI) projects
• Participation in innovation projects in the fields of security, defence, or intelligence
• Development of partnerships in the field of innovation
• Design and/or implementation of innovation and transformation approaches
• Identification, evaluation, and integration of innovative technologies
• Presentation of research projects in innovation to decision-making bodies

Complete your online CV, in French, under the 'Professional Experience' section, before the application deadline.

If, by the application deadline at the latest, you do not meet all the above formal eligibility criteria, your application cannot be considered.

Offer

Status and Grade

You will be hired as an Attaché A1 with the corresponding salary scale NA11.

Remuneration

Minimum starting salary: € 48,311.04 (gross annual salary, already adjusted to the current index, excluding statutory allowances).

The salary simulator allows you to calculate your gross and net salary by answering a series of questions.

Professional Experience Valuation

• Regarding service and pecuniary seniority, the administration automatically takes into account your years of service in the public sector.

• For pecuniary seniority, it is possible to take into account services rendered in the private sector or as a self-employed person if the acquired experience is relevant to the function to be performed in the administration.

• The request for valuation of professional experience acquired in the private sector (or as a self-employed person) must be submitted within the first 3 months following your start of service. This will only be analyzed by the competent department after you have started service.

Benefits

We offer you an interesting job that has a societal impact, with numerous benefits:

• A good work-life balance

  • flexible schedule for working the 38 hours per week

  • possibility of recovering overtime hours worked

  • limited possibility of teleworking

  • minimum of 26 days of leave, plus 3 days of departmental dispensation, and closure between Christmas and New Year

  • 2 additional days of leave: November 15 (King's Day), and April 15 (King's Birthday)

  • subsidized daycare within the military district

  • easy accessibility via public transport

  • possibility of using sports facilities during working hours

• Several self-development opportunities

  • numerous training and education opportunities (to be followed during working hours)

  • numerous career opportunities

• Financial benefits

  • meal vouchers worth €6

  • telephone allowance (€15/month)

  • possibility to receive a bilingualism allowance

  • advantageous hospitalization insurance and reimbursement of the co-payment for consultations with doctors, dentists, and physiotherapists accredited by Defence

  • free public transport for the commute to work

  • 50% discount for private travel via the SNCB, and 20 to 30% for the TEC

  • possibility of receiving a bonus for cycling to work

  • possibility to receive a teleworking allowance

  • attractive benefits and offers thanks to the Benefits@Work card

• Various social benefits

  • entitlement to services offered by Def+, which provides various services and organizes benefits that make the lives of Defence staff easier or cheaper, such as reduced-price holidays, discounts through their online shop, accommodation near the workplace, and social services.

  • provision of a laptop

  • company restaurant with affordable prices

Find all information (bonuses and additional allowances,...) and benefits related to a job in the administration on the FPS BOSA website.

Assignment Conditions

If you are successful in this selection, you will need to meet the following conditions by the date of assignment to be appointed:

• be Belgian
• enjoy civil and political rights
• have conduct that meets the requirements of the position
• not be personally in a conflict of interest situation
• not have been dismissed for serious cause or removed from office or dismissed as a result of a disciplinary procedure in the recruiting federal service within three years following the dismissal decision or the final pronouncement of the disciplinary penalty
• Important: For positions within the SGRS, to be hired, you must be in possession of a 'top secret' security clearance required for the position or be willing to undergo a 'top secret' security investigation before starting service, with the obligation to obtain a positive result, failing which it would be a ground for exclusion from service (in accordance with the Law of December 11, 1998, on classification, security clearances, security advice, and regulated public service).

Not yet a civil servant? You will be appointed after successfully completing the required probationary period.

Already appointed and meeting the conditions for entering service based on federal mobility (internal market)? Then you can choose the method of your assignment:

• Either a 3-month trial period begins. During this period, you and the recruiting organization can decide on your suitability for the role. If a mismatch is identified by you or your new employer, you will return to your previous employer. If everything goes well from the start, you can jointly decide to make the transfer permanent earlier.
• Or a one-year traineeship begins. You will be appointed to the recruiting organization after successfully completing the required traineeship period.

Procedure

In brief:

1. We examine your diploma
2. We verify your professional experience
3. You will take several computerized tests at SPF BOSA in Brussels.
   Attention! If there are few candidates, this step will not be organized.
4. You will take an interview with a case study at SPF Bosa, Boulevard Simon Bolivar 30, 1000 Brussels.

A complete description of the procedure can be found in the detailed job description.

The duty of neutrality being an essential element for the exercise of the function, this aspect will be addressed during the interview (cf. articles 7 and 8 of the Royal Decree of October 2, 1937).

Important:

• Regularly check the 'My Screening Procedures' tab of your online account to see if test registrations are open.
• Tests may be organized in person or remotely by videoconference. This information is indicated next to each step.
• You will only be able to register for tests during the registration period mentioned in the 'My Screening Procedures' tab. After this deadline, if you are not registered, your application will no longer be considered for this selection.
• If you cannot attend the session you registered for, you must cancel at least 1 hour before the test begins. However, for organizational reasons, we advise you to cancel at least the day before the test. To do this, in your online account, click on the cancellation link next to the date you chose. You can then choose another session, provided other sessions are still available.
• In case of problems during your registration for a test, please contact the person mentioned in the 'Contact Persons' section as soon as possible and no later than 2 working days before the test date.
• If you do not register or attend a test, we will not consider your application for further processing.
• If you do not pass a specific stage, the procedure ends, and you will not be invited to any subsequent tests in the same selection.

Equal Opportunities and Reasonable Adjustments:

The federal administration actively pursues a diversity policy.

Are you a person with a disability, a learning disorder, or an illness? You can request to benefit from an adjustment to the selection procedure. Consult our dedicated page on reasonable adjustments for more information.

Facilities for pregnant or breastfeeding individuals:

Are you pregnant or breastfeeding? In this case too, you can request facilities. You will find more information on this dedicated page on equal opportunities.

Step 1: Diploma Verification

You will be admitted to the selection provided you hold the required diploma. This will be verified based on the documents to be uploaded (see 'Eligibility Criteria' section) to your online account by the application deadline.

Step 2: Verification of Required Experience

You will be admitted to the selection provided you possess the appropriate professional experience. Your experience will be verified based on the CV as completed in your online account by the application deadline. We do not consider documents uploaded in the 'My Assets' section of your account.

What should you pay attention to?

Complete your CV in French. CVs written in another language will not be accepted.
We advise you to pay particular attention to the description of your professional experience in your CV. This data is used by our selection managers for the qualitative screening of CVs.

Have you also applied for a Dutch-language selection?

Also complete in Dutch the field 'Describe precisely the tasks and responsibilities of your role' in the 'Professional Experience -> Edit' section of your online CV.
Running out of space in the 'tasks and responsibilities' field? Add the supplementary information in the fields 'Describe what you learned in this role' and 'Why change jobs?' with the title: 'Continuation of tasks and responsibilities'. Mention the name of the field where you entered the supplementary information at the bottom of the 'tasks and responsibilities' field.

Step 3: Specific Screening - Computerized Test (+/- 1 hour)

This test will be organized depending on the number of candidates who have passed the previous step.

The following competencies will be measured using a situational judgment test:

• Solution-Oriented
• Agility

This test will take place around Early September 2026 (subject to change). Via the 'My Messages and Tasks' tab of your online account, you can register for this test. You will only be invited to register if you have passed the previous step. Choose your test date and time online from the available options. Do not wait until the last moment to register for the test, otherwise you may not find a place available in the final days.

To pass this test, you must obtain at least 50 points out of 100 (total for both tests). Considering the number of positions to be filled, only the top 15 laureates will be invited to the next test. In case of a tie, this number may be extended in favor of the candidate.

Attention: These tests are mandatory. You must therefore take all computerized tests within the allotted time, otherwise you will not be able to participate in the rest of the screening procedure.

Step 4: Specific Screening - Interview (+/- 1 hour + 1 hour prior preparation)

The interview will assess whether your behavioral and technical competencies (see 'Skills' section) meet the requirements of the position. You will also be questioned on your motivation, interest, and affinity with the field.

The oral test will be preceded by a case study. You will be given the necessary time to prepare this case. It will be discussed during the interview.

Your CV in your online account will be used as supplementary information during the interview.

To pass, you must obtain at least 50 points out of 100.

This test will take place around Late September - Early October 2026 (subject to change).

Via the 'My Messages and Tasks' tab of your online account, you can register for this test. You will only be invited to register if you have passed the previous step. Choose your test date and time online from the available options. Do not wait until the last moment to register for the test, otherwise you may not find a place available in the final days.

Final Result

If you are successful?

The ranking of laureates will be established based on the results obtained in Stage 4: Specific Screening - Interview. If, for this part, individuals have equal points, their ranking will be determined randomly.

If you are among those who cannot take up immediate employment, your name will be placed on a list from which we can draw as soon as a position becomes available for this role. Depending on your ranking, a contract position may also be offered to you.

How long is this list valid?

A list of all laureates, valid for 1 year, will be established.

Additional Test

If this organization or others are looking for a similar profile, this list can also be consulted. Depending on your result, you may be invited for an additional test (often an interview). For some of these, specific diplomas or experience may be required.

Priority for People with Disabilities

In addition to this list of laureates, a specific list of laureates (which remains valid for 4 years) with a disability is established. They only appear on this list at their request and provided they have submitted proof conferring them the status of a person with a disability. You will find more information on our 'Priority for Employment' page.

Any federal administration service that has not yet reached the quota of at least 3% of people with disabilities among its staff is required to consult the specific lists mentioned first.

Workplace Adjustments

If you have a disability and wish for workplace adjustments, you can inform your future employer upon starting your employment. You will find more information on our 'Workplace Adjustments' page.

Apply

Would you like to apply? Complete your online CV and consult the full job description to familiarize yourself with all essential information and to prepare yourself as best as possible.

You can submit your application until August 14, 2026, inclusive.

You must submit your application via your online account. We screen the CV as it appears in 'My Account' on the application deadline. We also screen the diploma that you must upload at the time of registration.

You cannot apply by fax or email.

How to download your diploma?
You can download your diploma to your online CV (before the application deadline) in one of the following formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, JPG, or TIF. The file size must not exceed 8 MB. If you are unable to upload your diploma, you can also send a copy to the contact person for the selection procedure (see 'Contact' section) mentioning your national register number, your last name, your first name, and the selection number.

Additional Information

Tests and Results

You will find all information regarding the concrete progress of the procedure, your results, and the next steps in the procedure in your online account.

Your online account is the only place that reliably centralizes all this information. Therefore, regularly check your online account where you will find all information related to your selections.

A report of your results?

After each screening stage, you can obtain a justification of your results. For some tests, this justification appears automatically in your online account.

For others, you can request it via the contact person for the procedure.

Tests and evaluation?

On our website, you will find more information on how the tests are conducted and how to prepare for them.

You will also find more information there regarding our evaluation methods.

Not satisfied with the selection procedure?

Send a complaint via this link.