Earth Observation Services Coordinator

Description

Earth Observation Services Coordinator in the Common Services Section (EOP-GES), ESA Ground Segment and Data Management Division, Earth Observation Mission Management and Ground Segment Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

The Common Services Section is responsible for the following common services for ESA Earth Observation, Copernicus and Third Party Missions:

•    User Services (Help and Order Desk) and Customer Management
•    Data and information Management, Discovery and Access services
•    Data Archiving, Consolidation and (Re-)Processing services

As a member of the team, you will be responsible for managing these services to support the Payload Data Ground Segment (PDGS) operations for each Earth observation mission.

You will report to the Head of the Common Services Section and will take full ownership of the service offering to the service customers and stakeholders, and of the complete service lifecycle including ideation, procurement, operations and evolution.

Duties

You will be responsible for the operation and evolution of the Data Discovery and Access Services in support of the Ground Segment operations of the ESA Earth Observation Missions, the Copernicus Contributing Missions and the Third Party Missions.

Your initial task will be to assess the existing services and EO data offering in terms of user, customer and stakeholder expectations (particularly regarding ease of use and flexibility) and of current and future technology trends in scientific and operational data applications, based on knowledge and inputs gathered from internal and external ESA and European Commission stakeholders and from relevant key actors in the scientific and industrial community. Following that assessment, you will be responsible for ensuring continuous monitoring of users’ behaviour and evolving technological solutions for EO data access.

 Within the service coordination scope, the main duties are:

•    defining service requirements by collecting user requirements from different internal stakeholders and customers (Mission Managers / Ground Segment Managers / other Services Managers) and the Scientific user community;
•    seeking innovation opportunities in your area of responsibility with a view to integrating new missions, functionalities, services and technologies, while securing the operational robustness of the services provided;
•    preparing, in a timely manner, all the contractual documentation required and ensuring coherence, standardisation and cost-effectiveness with respect to the necessary procurements;
•    managing service implementation, transfer to operations and operational provision in line with the applicable Service Level Agreement, defining and implementing risk mitigation actions whenever necessary;
•    providing regular operational, financial and industrial reporting on these services, including statistics reflecting service metrics and user behaviour;
•    contributing to the overall Common Services Portfolio by including:

-    the risk management process specific to the services managed;
-    compliance of the service with ESA Security and Data Protection policies;
-    compliance and execution of configuration and change management control processes;

•    monitoring and reporting on performance of the end-to-end processes of the entire data request life cycle and proposing any areas for improvement.

You are also expected to provide metrics, user surveys and recommendations from international forums, to support management in decision-making regarding the implementation of an appropriate functions portfolio through the deployment of appropriate means (e.g. platforms) for data visualisation, analysis, processing and sharing.

Note: Your tasks may evolve to include management of any other service provided by the Section if the need arises, and you will also assist the Head of the Common Services Section with other tasks, as required.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree in a related science or engineering domain is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should also have:

• A minimum of three years’ experience of technical service deployment and project coordination
• A proactive approach to solving problems and ensuring continuity of operations, together with the ability to adopt a system view, anticipate problems and propose solutions with a broad, strategic perspective
• A strong interest in innovation, focusing on the identification, validation and operational implementation of new technologies for an improved user experience of EO data access and exploitation
• Flexibility in dealing with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills.
• A high level of motivation and dedication, taking ownership and acting proactively
• The ability to successfully interact with internal and external interfaces and stakeholders