Description

ERO Project Team Leader in the Mars Exploration Group, Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration.

Reporting directly to the Group Leader, you will be responsible for the implementation of the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) project up to in-orbit commissioning. ERO is one of three flight elements within the Mars Sample Return (MSR) programme, a NASA/ESA collaboration.

Duties

You will be responsible for:

• implementing the ERO project within budget and to schedule;
• managing and executing industrial contracts for the development, verification, launch and operation of the ERO mission;
• ensuring that the spacecraft and mission design meets agreed technical requirements;
• ensuring that all project elements are correctly implemented with their technical and programmatic interfaces, including the spacecraft, launcher and ground system;
• ensuring consistency and timely availability of contributing CFI elements from NASA, specifically the Capture, Containment and Return System (CCRS) and UHF Transceiver payloads and associated AIT models, GSE and software, within overall mission and project constraints;
• ensuring at all times that appropriate definitions and information are available to all project participants so that they can discharge their responsibilities efficiently within the agreed framework;
• supporting activities at MSR level by contributing to the cooperation framework with NASA for all relevant campaign elements, including the CFI payloads;
• providing, when necessary, management and technical support, directing all tasks pertaining to the collaboration with NASA, ensuring that contributing elements meet technical and schedule requirements;
• chairing the project engineering and contract change boards or their equivalents; on request, participating in other project or Department tasks where your experience can be brought to bear.

You will manage a team of engineers and administrative staff and will plan and coordinate the required resources from the Directorates of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC) and Operations (D/OPS). You will promote efficient communication and collaboration between all involved parties, industry, NASA, JPL, TEC and OPS experts and the project team.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master's degree in space engineering is required.

Additional requirements

Proven experience in project management and system engineering is required. You should also:

• have proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team in a project environment;
• have the ability to provide strategic direction to individuals and teams and relate team objectives to the overall and evolving organisational goals and context;
• be capable of driving performance and fostering cooperation within and across teams throughout the organisation;
• have demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills, both oral and written;
• have a proven track record of representing the Agency’s interests to external interfaces;
• have excellent cognitive, analytical, delegation, planning and organisational skills;
• have the ability to anticipate problems, resolve complex issues and relate situations to their context;
• be capable of making solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity and of supporting others (team members, upper management, other stakeholders) in this process.

Previous experience of managing managers and multiple teams is an asset, as is international experience, i.e. outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA’s activities.