Description

If selected for this position, reporting to the Head of the Strategy, Programme and Coordination Office in the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes, you will contribute to the maintenance and further development of bilateral and multilateral relationships on matters relevant to the Directorate. Your primary responsibility will be to coordinate interactions with these organisations by working with the relevant colleagues to prepare meetings on technical or programmatic topics. You will also contribute to strategic reflections on current partnerships and potential relationships with new partners.

Duties

Your responsibilities will include:

• coordination of ESA participation in multilateral cooperation bodies such as CEOS and GEO and United Nations (UN) bodies such as WMO and, when appropriate, representing ESA in those entities:
  • Organising and preparing for ESA attendance of the applicable meetings of such entities, coordinating ESA’s contributions and ensuring, as necessary, coordination with ESA Member States;
• following the Directorate’s interactions with international partners:
  • Preparing formal bilateral meetings at Director level;
  • Monitoring space-related policies, programmes and strategies and assessing their implications for ESA and the Earth observation sector;
• following the development of space affairs in international bodies such as the United Nations and its agencies with regard to policies and strategies relevant for or impacting Earth Observation programmes;
• ensuring that adequate information is available to support the attendance of the Directorate whenever necessary at the above meetings and to support the Director’s communication (email, letters, etc.) with the relevant international bodies and partners;
• serving as the point of contact with ELI staff for both legal and external relations matters related to international activities;
• serving as the Directorate’s point of contact for WMO and CGMS;
• acting as a focal point for the Directorate in efforts to build relationships with other intergovernmental, international or supranational organisations.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree in engineering, physics, economics, political/social sciences, international relations, international law or similar is required for this post.

Additional requirements

As this is an outward-facing position, additional competencies include:

• experience in/with the Earth observation space sector;
• excellent oral communication skills, including public-speaking capabilities;
• experience in interfacing with international partners;
• several years of international experience, i.e. outside your home country.