Head of the Strategy, Programme and Coordination Office

Frascati | Paris

Organization: ESA - European Space Agency
Location: Frascati | Paris
Grade: Junior level - A2 - Grade band
Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

Vacancy in the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

This post is classified A5 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.

Location
ESRIN, Frascati, Italy, or ESA Headquarters, Paris, France.

Description

The Head of the Strategy, Programme and Coordination Office reports to the Director of Earth Observation Programmes (EOP) and takes the lead in terms of the strategic and coordination activities related to the Directorate, in close cooperation with the EOP Departments and with the EOP Business Unit Controlling Office and the EOP Copernicus Space Office.

Duties

Your responsibilities will cover the following main areas in particular and will include:

formulating the Earth Observation strategy and policy based on high-level goals provided by the Departments;
coordinating the identification and the planning of future Earth Observation activities and programmes, including the preparation of programme proposals for the Council meeting at ministerial level;
reviewing and reporting, as needed, on on-going activities within the Directorate;
acting as Secretariat for ESA’s Programme Board for Earth Observation (PB-EO) and DOSTAG;
supporting the Director of Earth Observation Programmes in the preparation of Council meetings and its delegate bodies and Council meetings at ministerial level;
coordinating the Directorate’s relations with Member States, industry, European partners (e.g. ECMWF, EUMETSAT) and EU institutions, setting up, where appropriate, international partnership schemes for Earth Observation (e.g. with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD);
coordinating and overseeing cooperation activities for EOP with international partners and spacefaring nations;
interfacing with the Agency’s legal service regarding the preparation of legal instruments and agreements;
interfacing as the Directorate focal point for the relevant Agency services for the formulation of corporate documents;
coordinating EOP communication activities in close cooperation with corporate communication at ESA;
managing EOP internal communication activities;
supporting the Director in the daily management of the Directorate and Executive Board meetings;
providing neutral programmatic expertise on on-going and future activities;
coordinating with other ESA Directorates on activities of common interest;
reinforcing collaboration among ESA Directorates, and preparing specific coordinated programme proposals as appropriate;
managing the secondment of EOP staff to external organisations.

Technical competencies

Knowledge and understanding of the ESA business and programmes, in particular Earth Observation

Knowledge of the European and international space sector (institutional, commercial and/or industrial)

Experience of working with institutional and business actors

Basic knowledge of the EO market and policies at European level

Knowledge of the European Union institutions

Experience in or in-depth understanding of strategy development, formulation and implementation in the European Space Sector

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master's degree in an engineering, scientific, business administration or other relevant discipline is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should have at least 10 to 15 years of expertise in Earth observation and the Earth observation landscape in Europe and abroad. You should have excellent analytical, communication and coordination skills and be able to provide quality output against tight deadlines.
You should be highly motivated and dedicated, take ownership and act proactively. As a leader, you should also have:

the potential to manage individuals or a team;
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 your team's performance, developing team members by encouraging learning, delegating responsibility and giving regular, constructive feedback;
strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills;
strong result 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.

People management experience is an asset, as is international experience, i.e. outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.

Other Information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

For further information please visit: Professionals, What we offerand FAQ

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.

The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.

At the Agency we value diversity and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us at contact.human.resources@esa.int.

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

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented or balanced Member States*.
(https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/NationalityTargets.pdf)

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment conducted by an external background screening service.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.

This vacancy is now closed.
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