Head of the Clean Space and ADRIOS Office

Vacancy in the Directorate of Operations.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

This post is classified A5 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Under the direct authority of the Head of the Space Safety Programme Office, the Head of the Clean Space and ADRIOS Office is responsible for the strategic and technical management of all Clean Space activities.

You, as Head of the Clean Space and ADRIOS Office, will therefore be responsible for the management and implementation of the ADRIOS missions within the S2P programme:

• the ADRIOS Clearspace-1 mission;
• the ADRIOS “RISE” in-orbit servicing mission;
• the ADRIOS “Encore” in-orbit servicing mission.

These responsibilities entail the management of the three associated project teams, with senior-level expertise, and critical negotiations with industry and Member State delegations.

As Head of the Clean Space and ADRIOS Office, you will also be responsible for the strategic and technical management of all branches of the initiative (eco-design, end-of-life management, active debris removal and in-orbit servicing). You will therefore be the focal point for key Agency initiatives such as the zero debris approach.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• reporting to and interfacing with Member State Boards and the Space Safety Programme Manager on all activities of the Clean Space and ADRIOS Office;
• handling the senior project management and coordination of a team of Project Managers for the ADRIOS missions (currently Clearspace-1, RISE and Encore) and Clean Space projects;
• taking end-to-end responsibility for the procurement and management of the ADRIOS and Clean Space projects towards the stakeholder Boards;
• handling the senior management of all related industrial contracts, ensuring that they remain within the agreed costs, schedule and industrial return;
• managing the support for the Clean Space team provided by the Directorates of Technology, Engineering and Quality, Operations, and Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness, ensuring that all appropriate information is available to all project participants so that they can carry out their responsibilities effectively within the agreed framework;
• leading key Agency initiatives such as the zero debris approach and lifecycle assessment, in coordination with the ESA Directorate, ESA Boards (as well as the ESA Council) and DG Services;
• coordinating project and milestone reviews and audits;
• serving as programmatic lead for the evolution of future Clean Space and ADRIOS activities and their planning and coordination with the ESA S2P and technology programmes as well as the organisation of Industry Day events;
• reporting to the Space Safety Programme Office.

You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.

Technical competencies

Knowledge of ESA Boards and their areas of responsibility

Delivery of complex projects within the agreed cost and schedule

Complex project risk management processes

Space system development and product assurance standards

Knowledge of ESA and industrial development, verification and procurement processes

Knowledge of space projects, including instrumentation and operations

Background in space engineering with a systems orientation

Knowledge of industrial costs and schedule aspects

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency Fostering Cooperation Relationship Management Continuous Improvement Forward Thinking

Education

A Master's degree in aerospace engineering or an equivalent discipline is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should also have:

• proven experience in managing space projects in Phases C and D up to and including flight;
• proven experience in people management, and managing a team of teams;
• proven experience in leading, motivating and developing a team in a complex project environment;
• senior-level negotiation skills in large and complex industrial contracts;
• leadership in driving programmatic and key initiatives and coordination of internal and external stakeholders;
• excellent delegation, planning and organisational skills;
• the ability to provide strategic direction to the individuals and teams within the project and to relate team objectives to the overall, evolving organisational goals and context;
• the ability to drive performance and foster cooperation within and across teams throughout the organisation;
• demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills, both oral and written;
• the ability to anticipate problems, resolve complex issues and relate situations to their context;
• international experience is an asset, i.e. outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.

Other Information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

For further information please visit: Professionals, What we offerand FAQ

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required.
Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Applicants must be eligible to access technology and hardware which is subject to European and US export controlregulations.

The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.

At the Agency we value diversity and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us at contact.human.resources@esa.int.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented Member States*.

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment conducted by an external background screening service.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.