Head of Applications Technical Capabilities Section

Head of Applications Technical Capabilities Section, ‘Application Services’ Division, IT Department.

You will report to the Head of the Application Services Division, ESA Information Technology Department, Directorate of Internal Services, and be responsible for management of the Applications Technical Capabilities Section and its resources and activities. In addition, you will be required to contribute to various Section activities and to represent it in various boards and reviews, as necessary.

Your tasks include:

- managing a team of ESA staff, contractors and partners in accordance with the objectives of the Division and the IT department;
- ensuring availability of the technical capabilities required to support Application Services;
- coordinating the resources required to achieve the goals of the Application Services Division;
- being responsible for analysing and developing the processes to enable the MS Office 365 Power platform;
- organising a turnkey service offering for web development and hosting capabilities;
- developing a mobile application competence centre for ESA-wide and corporate business applications;
- monitoring technology trends and identifying key skills necessary to build up appropriate delivery teams;
- providing regular and comprehensive status and progress reports, covering scope, cost, schedule and quality, to the Head of Division and Department management, as required;
- providing expert support to business counterparts and operations, as required;
- ensuring quality compliance, as per QMS procedures, and managing projects according to the methodology adopted.

You should have a Master’s degree in computer science and/or management.

- Highly methodical approaches to work and strong planning abilities, as well as excellent written and spoken communication skills are required.
- Keeping a keen eye on technology (technology watch) and technical experimentation.

In addition, candidates should have:

• the potential to manage individuals or a team [of experts] [in a project or R&D setting]

• the ability to organise their activities and ensure a motivating work environment

• strong leadership capabilities, with proven relationship management and communication skills

• the ability to drive their team’s performance, developing their people by encouraging learning, delegating responsibility and giving regular and constructive feedback

• strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills

• a strong results orientation with the ability to set priorities and present practical solutions both orally and in writing

• the ability to manage challenging situations proactively and constructively and to be customer focused.

Previous people management experience is an asset for the position, as is international experience, i.e. outside the candidate’s home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to the activities of ESA.