Senior Agency Reviews Lead

Description

Under the direct authority of the Chief Agency Programme Advisor, who is deputy to the Inspector General, you will be responsible for organising, conducting and post-processing Agency-level project reviews as Senior Agency Reviews Lead within the Programme Advisory and Corporate Project Reviews Office, Inspector General’s Office, Director General’s Services.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• Planning and organising corporate technical project reviews in close collaboration with all directorates in line with the applicable policy for ESA project reviews, as stated in ESA/ADMIN/IPOL(2008)3 or any update thereof.
• Ensuring ESA projects align with the Agency review process, including review planning, execution and follow-up, and agreeing on review categories and objectives with the project team.
• Ensuring ESA projects are properly reviewed by defining a review plan with project teams, taking into account the specific characteristics of the projects, including the creation of the project plan, category and objectives, integration in baseline project documents and review at the IPRev stage.
• Acting as the contact point for directorate-level organisation, interfacing with department and programme managers, planning and collaborating on technical project reviews, including the maintenance of reviewer profiles in support of all panel and board members.
• Supporting the Chief Agency Programme Advisor in defining an agile and efficient review policy, handbook and related processes.
• Preparing review procedures, in coordination with the project concerned, setting the correct objectives, verifying the composition of the review panel and board, planning the major meetings and ensuring meeting invites and documents are sent on time in order to secure attendance.
• Overseeing timely documentation finalisation, signature and distribution of procedures, board inputs, board reports and review closeout reports where applicable.
• Overseeing the preparation and maintenance of all review information, including the main documentation and coordinated project review schedules, project review statistics, and the administration and maintenance of IT review tools.
• Following up on review outcomes, including delta review and closure reporting, with project teams to ensure reviews are closed on time and with the appropriate level of quality.
• Liaising with supporting directorates to coordinate independent support for reviews and the involvement of various parties, such as technical authorities, lead engineers or domain experts.
• Overseeing the maintenance and continuous improvement of processes, methods and tools in order to ensure that the technical project reviews are effective, efficient and in line with the latest Agency policies, including the processing of lessons learned and the maintenance of all review objectives per review type and mission classification.
• Defining and maintaining key metrics/KPIs to monitor process efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ensuring, with the tool provider, that the specific review tools, such as the DG-I Review Management Portal and Intranet pages, RID Management and Action Management, are in line with and support the review process and continue to evolve to support updated processes.
• Driving the development and integration of novel tools into the review process, for example using AI for operational efficiency and effectiveness and leveraging AI to provide assistance and automate processes and routine tasks.
• Overseeing the content of training on the review process and ensuring the quality of delivery to project and technical staff, as well as promoting the DG-I corporate review policy and processes.
• Actively monitoring and liaising with actors in the review domain, such as other agencies or industry.
• Supporting the Chief Agency Programme Advisor Office and Inspector General in ad hoc IPMA tasks, such as independent appraisals, peer reviews and investigations.
• Participating, on an ad hoc basis, in major reviews as deputy chair, chair of panel or co-secretary, as well as in review meetings including mandatory review readiness checks, kick-offs, key panels, pre-board and board meetings, ensuring the review procedure and processes are followed.
• Advising and deputising for the Chief Agency Programme Advisor as required.

Technical competencies

• Knowledge of spacecraft system engineering, platforms, payloads and operations
• Knowledge of mission risks, costs and schedule aspects
• Knowledge of project management and procurement processes
• Knowledge of ESA standards and policies
• Knowledge of programme reviews
• Knowledge of risk management

Behavioural competencies

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

Education and professional experience

A master's degree in engineering, physics and/or management is required for this post together with 10 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

Your overarching aim will be to improve project delivery outcomes significantly, contributing to the Agency's broader objectives of advancing space exploration and utilisation. To achieve this, you will devise streamlined processes, tools and governance mechanisms.

You must have a senior profile with at least eight years of proven experience of working in, or in support of, ESA projects in the space systems or payload domains. Ideally, you will have one or more of the following:

• Proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team of experts
• The ability to provide strategic direction to individuals and teams and to relate team objectives to the overall, evolving organisational goals and context
• Demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills, both oral and written
• A proven track record of representing the Agency’s interests to external interfaces
• Excellent cognitive, analytical, delegation, planning and organisational skills
• The ability to anticipate problems, solve complex issues and relate situations to their context
• The ability to reach solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity, as well as to support others in this process
• Effective communication and facilitation skills to lead diverse review panels, boards and committees, fostering collaboration and consensus among stakeholders that include senior management

People management experience is required and international experience would be an asset, including outside your home country, as would experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.

Mobility is inherent to management functions and this position may be subject to rotation. Therefore, mobility opportunities may be offered to you as part of your career evolution at ESA, starting after approximately five years in this role.

Important information

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology and hardware subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations and eligible to acquire security clearance through their national security administrations.

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

Applications are only considered from nationals 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, 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.