Description

Contracts Officers work in the Procurement Department in the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Procurement. This opportunity is for a Contract Officer position in one of Procurement Services responsible for the implementation Space Transportation activities in Paris.

As an ESA Contracts Officer, you would have the crucial role of supporting the Project and/or Programme Managers in conducting all procurement and contractual aspects of ESA projects in the domain of space transportation and General Procurement. You would also have the responsibility of ensuring that procurement activities are executed in compliance with the legal and industrial policy requirements as set out in ESA’s Procurement Regulations. 

You are considered as part of the team of your assigned projects, but with an independent hierarchical reporting line to the relevant Head of the Procurement Service. This secures the appropriate level of independence to ensure impartiality, transparency, and compliance within the procurement process.
 

Duties

Your duties will include the following:

• Preparing the various elements of the relevant procurement and contract documentation in close cooperation with responsible Technical Services;
• Providing guidelines to apply the relevant, up-to-date legal and industrial policy measures throughout the tendering and contractual implementation process;
• Organising and coordinating with all relevant ESA internal stakeholders all stages of procurement, including the issuing of the Invitation to Tender, ensuring that the proposals are duly evaluated and the contract is negotiated with the selected economic operators; 
• Monitoring the implementation of the contracts under your responsibility in accordance with the applicable contractual and industrial policy rules including the negotiation of all amendments to the contract;
• Building a trustful and value-added relationship with the Project Managers/Technical Officers and their respective teams, advising them on all procurement-related matters. 
   

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A Master’s degree in law, economics or from a business school is required. 
Good academic knowledge in contract law, procurement law and/or international business law is also considered important. 
 

Additional requirements

•    Excellent communication skills, in verbal and written form;
•    Customer focus with sound judgement in solving problems;
•    Discretion and integrity;
•    Ability to interact with multiple international actors and to work collaboratively in a team to achieve organisational goals;
•    Operational efficiency including excellent planning and organisation skills and the ability to manage several tasks efficiently in parallel;
•    Openness to change and flexibility in a fast-paced environment; ability to reflect on experience and adapt your approach accordingly;
•    Ability to grasp new and large/complex concepts quickly;
•    Ability to understand and formulate contractual/legal texts in both French and English;
•    Ability to understand issues of a technical and management nature;
•    Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Word & PowerPoint).