Programme and Strategy Coordinator

Join the Strategy and Coordination Office in the Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity as a Programme and Strategy Coordinator.

The Strategy and Coordination Office is a cross-cutting office supporting the Director of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, as well as its departments and offices. The Office’s responsibilities include strategy, stakeholder relations, communications and outreach, and overall coordination of activities falling under the responsibility of the Directorate.

The Directorate’s portfolio of activities is growing, covering ESA programmes and European Commission-delegated tasks in the domains of Navigation, Connectivity and Resilience. The Directorate contributes to the seamless management of the Agency’s resilience-, security- and defence-related programmes.

You will join a dynamic team and provide expertise in strategy, policy and coordination, in particular resilience and defence matters. You will play a critical role in the planning and coordination of the Directorate’s activities.

Description

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• drafting comprehensive documents and presentations relating to the preparation and implementation of the RNC programmes for internal and external stakeholders;
• preparing analytical assessments and summarising background and contextual information from a wide variety of sources;
• supporting effective stakeholder management and identifying and developing new stakeholder relations with relevant resilience and defence entities;
• supporting the formulation and coordination of the Directorate’s strategy and translating these into coherent and implementable plans;
• supporting the preparation of ESA Council meetings at ministerial level and programmatic agreements with other stakeholders, ensuring Directorate-wide strategic alignment;
• organising and preparing director/directorate briefings for stakeholder meetings;
• supporting process improvements and related digitalisation within the team, ensuring efficient data collection, analysis and reporting;
• preparing and improving the Directorate’s strategic management processes;
• facilitating effective communication and collaboration within the team and with partners;
• any other activities, as needed, in support of the programmes and Head of Office.

Technical competencies

• Thorough understanding of the European and international defence, security and resilience landscape, including key institutional, governmental and industrial stakeholders relevant to ESA’s mission.
• Thorough understanding of the functioning of the European Union and its institutions.
• Understanding of ESA Resilience, Connectivity and Navigation programmes.
• Knowledge of and preferably experience in strategy development, formulation and implementation, ensuring alignment with Directorate level priorities and organisational objectives.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication capabilities, enabling clear articulation of complex policy, technical and programme matters.
• Strong awareness of market, industry and technology trends in applicable domains, including disruptive technologies and changes in the industrial landscape.
• Proven capability in change management, with experience driving improvements in digital workflows, process optimisation and the adoption of AI enabled tools and methodologies.

Behavioural competencies

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

Education and professional experience

A master’s degree in engineering, space policy, law or economics or another relevant subject is required for this post, together with four years of relevant professional experience. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor’s degree and an additional four years of relevant professional experience may be considered.

Additional requirements

• Ability to serve as a reliable and recognised point of reference in a non-hierarchical relationship environment;
• Very strong team player;
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and to prioritise effectively across the diverse range of tasks associated with the role, including interactions with delegations and industry;
• Ability to network in various environments, for example with ESA staff, delegations and industry;
• The ability to make solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity in close coordination with other team member.
• International experience is an asset.

Important information

In principle, recruitment will be within the advertised grade band (A2-A4). However, if the selected candidate has less than four years of relevant professional experience following the completion of the master’s degree, the position may be filled at A1 level.

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.

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.