ADRIOS Servicing Performance Manager

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to pioneering space sustainability technologies within the Space Safety Programme, enabling the future of satellite servicing, debris mitigation, and sustainable orbital operations.

Description

With its Space Safety Programme, ESA is committed to leading the way in the circular economy in space. This is achieved, among other things, through the ADRIOS (Active Debris Removal (ADR) and In-Orbit Servicing (IOS)) missions, which aim to establish viable ADR and IOS capabilities and services in Europe, such as rendezvous, inspection, capture, life extension, relocation, de-orbiting or repair of satellites. Such innovative approaches contribute to guaranteeing the safe use of Earth orbits for future generations, reducing space debris and promoting the reuse and recycling of space assets.

The Space Safety Missions Office of the Space Safety Programme Office is responsible for the implementation, i.e. Phase B2/C/D/E, of the ADRIOS missions, for example RISE.

The RISE mission is an ambitious project with a lifetime of several years, designed to push the boundaries of in-orbit servicing. RISE will demonstrate Attitude and Orbital Control System (AOCS) takeover of an active geostationary satellite after performing rendezvous and capturing it in a fully autonomous manner. Once this initial demonstration is completed, RISE will go on to service its first paying customer, highlighting the practical and commercial application of the capability in space.

The ADRIOS missions often involve companies that are relatively new in the space field and have ambitions for the private market, requiring that the ESA project teams provide specific expertise and follow a pragmatic approach.

Duties

The ADRIOS Servicing Performance Manager will be responsible for the system performance definition, monitoring, verification and validation of one or more missions providing active debris removal and in-orbit services.

You will fulfil a cross-cutting role in the project, coordinating the various elements of the space and ground segments to ensure that the services the mission(s) offer are viable and that their detailed performance requirements of interest to present and future clients are met.

You will report to the Project Manager(s) and will work in close collaboration with the System Technical Lead(s).

Technical Execution

• Maintain the service, mission and system-level requirements;
• Responsibility for the requirement allocation, its flow-down to the relevant contributors, the associated margins, their evolution and their verification;
• Analyse the status of compliance with the service performance requirements led by industry and propose corrective actions in the event of deviation;
• Support the Project Manager and the System Technical Lead in overseeing trade-offs that have a major impact on the final performance of the services offered by the mission;
• Review design and interfaces at system and architecture/functional level;
• Monitor development by industry, including assembly and integration;
• Ensure proper verification/validation and acceptance methods are proposed and implemented;
• Interact with industry to understand its vision concerning the future evolution of the services it wishes to offer and the related performance requirements;
• Interface with potential clients if needed;
• Lead additional development and competitiveness activities in view of future services as needed;
• Understand the needs of industry concerning time to market and the recurring price of its services and ensure they are considered in the technical approach taken by the ESA project team, including experts from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality in order to achieve effective execution.

Particular focus will be placed on rendezvous and proximity operations and the systems and functions they involve, such as GNC, the robotic capture system, dedicated simulators and testing facilities.

Management

• Support the Project Manager(s) and the Technical System Lead(s) in relation to risk identification and mitigation;
• Support the Project Manager(s) in relation to schedule management; contribute to the control of the schedule and propose schedule risk mitigation recovery actions when needed;
• Support the Project Manager(s) in relation to cost control;
• Identify and prioritise points for attention together with the Technical System Lead(s) and report regularly to the Project Manager(s);
• Apply pragmatic decision-making processes to balance ideal solutions with project constraints;
• Support non-conformance management, as well as change management and put in place early recovery actions when necessary;
• Participate actively in reviews;
• Share experience and knowledge with industry in a constructive and result-oriented manner;
• Capture and share the lessons learned with other missions of the Division, and with the Cleanspace and Circular Economy Office.

Technical competencies

• More than 10 years of hands-on experience in system engineering/spacecraft Phase B2/C/D/E
• Experience in coordinating multidisciplinary engineering disciplines
• Experience in requirements management and verification, including various methodologies for the type of mission described above
• Experience in technical management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews
• Experience in risk management of complex projects
• Experience in control of schedule and price under stringent conditions
• Knowledge of ESA and industrial procurement processes and standards for space systems development, verification and PA

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master's degree in engineering or a related field is required for this post together with 4 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

Experience with implementing missions with tight schedules and low price constraints and taking a pragmatic approach to applying the ECSS would be an asset.

You should also:

• have an interest in working with companies that are relatively new in the space field;
• be capable of working autonomously, using initiative and taking a hands-on approach;
• show strong leadership capabilities, with proven relationship management and communication skills;
• be able to anticipate problems and demonstrate flexibility to seek solutions and make pragmatic and timely decisions;
• be result-oriented with the ability to set priorities.

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.

Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.

Nationality and Languages

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

According to the ESA Convention, staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, taking into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the Member States.

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.