About this job

ESA is looking for a Head of the Galileo Space Segment Product Assurance Unit.

Responsibilities

You will be assigned as integrated support from the Product Assurance & Safety Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering & Quality to the Directorate of Navigation and will report to the Head of the Navigation Product Assurance and Safety Office regarding project-specific responsibilities and duties. With respect to maintenance of professional standards, implementation of the overall ESA Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) policy, and contributions to corporate tasks (e.g. reviews, standardisation, alerts, lessons learned, etc.), you will report to the Head of the Product Assurance and Safety Department, via, and with the coordination of, the Head of the Navigation PA & Safety Office. Specific responsibilities and duties include:

• ensuring a positive, motivating work environment for the Unit;
• managing the Unit workforce with accountability for all resources and activities delegated to the Unit;
• maintaining and developing the expertise and technical competence of the Unit’s members to meet current and future strategic needs, taking due account of their motivation, aspirations and professional development;
• distributing and assigning Unit tasks to its members, monitoring and managing their performance and providing timely, regular feedback;
• anticipating and resolving sensitive or difficult situations, and liaising with HR as required;
• preparing resource requirements based on needs originating from both inside and outside the Unit and resolving conflicting demands on the use of the resources available in the Unit;
• contributing to the continuous improvement of working procedures and to reflection on how the Unit’s role and activities can evolve.

You will be responsible, within your competence domain, for:

• managing the integrated and functional support staff assigned to the Unit from the Product Assurance and Safety Department, coordinating the work of the Unit members and monitoring their performance;
• establishing and maintaining the particular project PA&S requirements baseline for the Galileo First and Second Generation Space Segment in compliance with the overall ESA Product Assurance and Safety policy;
• reviewing contractor’s proposed plans, specifications and effort for execution of the project PA&S programme;
• guiding and monitoring the implementation of PA&S requirements by contractors in order to assess performance/effectiveness, participating in design reviews and directing the necessary preventive or corrective actions;
• guiding and monitoring the application and procurement of EEE parts, materials and processes and controlling implementation of applicable requirements;
• representing ESA on the Boards established within the project for dealing with Non-conformances / Failure Reviews, Test Reviews, etc.;
• ensuring implementation of the Software PA and Software Configuration Management Requirements baseline across the Galileo Space Segment;
• monitoring integration and test activities by means of quality assurance audits, mandatory and key inspection points, test witnessing and configuration inspections;
• supporting the definition of formal acceptance requirements and conduct of Acceptance Reviews of all assigned contractual deliverable items;
• ensuring the preparation of design trade-offs, analyses and reports using RAMS data to support project decisions;
• supporting security activities for the Galileo space segment as appropriate.

In the execution of these tasks, you will be supported by experts from the Galileo project team and the ESA Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality. In addition to the Project responsibilities, you will support NAV PA&S Office activities as necessary, including improvement initiatives and coordination meetings.

Profile

Technical competencies
General background and specific experience in the technical domains covered by the position
Experience in the management of PA for a large project
Experience with the application of RAMS tools and methods
Experience in supporting ESA programmes/projects and knowledge of their technical and programmatic requirements in relevant technical domains
Experience in ESA procurement processes and contract management as well as applied negotiation skills
Experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews
Resource management experience
Experience with Space Quality Standards and their preparation and implementation
Leadership competencies
Developing & motivating people
Strategic vision & business context
Driving performance
Fostering cooperation & effective team-working

Education
Master’s degree in engineering or technical sciences is required.

Additional requirements
Security clearance from the relevant national security administration is required. In addition, you should have:

• the ability to manage individuals or a team of experts in a project or R&D setting and organise their activities;
• strong leadership capabilities, with proven relationship management and communication skills;
• the ability to drive your team’s performance, developing your people 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;
• a strong results 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 be customer-focused;
• the ability to represent the Agency in interfaces with industry and government agencies.

Previous people management experience is an asset.

For a complete job description and to apply, click on “apply”.

The closing date for applications is 1 March 2021.

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. —————————————————————————————————————————————————– 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 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 Member States. (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/NationalityTargets.pdf)

We offer
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an equal opportunities employer that offers competitive salaries exempt from national income tax and excellent employment conditions, such as allowances for expatriates and relocation support. For more information: http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA

About us
We are the European Space Agency. Our mission is the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone. We watch over the Earth, develop and launch inspiring and unique space projects, train astronauts and push the boundaries of science and technology, seeking answers to the big questions about the Universe. We are a family of scientists, engineers and business professionals from all over Europe working together in a diverse and multinational environment. We are dedicated to united space in Europe and united Europe in space. Learn more: http://www.esa.int/