User terminals, Spectrum and Signals Officer in IRIS² Integrated Programme Team in Secure Connectivity Programme Department in the Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications.
On 15 March 2023, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted Regulation (EU) 2023/588 establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme for the period 2023–2027. The objective of the EU Secure Connectivity Programme is to deploy an EU satellite constellation, IRIS² (Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite). The Programme will provide an EU satellite-based, multiorbital communication infrastructure for governmental use while integrating and complementing existing and future national and European capacities in the framework of the GOVSATCOM component of the EU Space Programme.
The ESA Programme related to EU Secure Connectivity is intended to support the effective development and validation of the EU Secure Connectivity (IRIS²) governmental infrastructure, which is to be developed, deployed and operated under a concession contract signed by the EU with a private consortium, and the services provided by it, as well as the validation and demonstration of services based on the commercial infrastructure developed by the contractors delivering the EU Secure Connectivity governmental infrastructure. The European Commission and ESA will set up an Integrated Programme Team (IPT) to manage the EU IRIS² Programme and, in particular, the related concession contract, and to ensure close coordination between all activities relating to IRIS².
Reporting functionally to the Engineering/R&D Manager of the Integrated Programme Management Team and hierarchically to the Deployment Manager, for the management of ESA administrative and regulatory matters, you will be responsible for the timely delivery of user terminals required to provide governmental service, for all aspects relating to access to spectrum for the IRIS² governmental infrastructure, and for signal definition and the implementation of the 5G standardisation roadmap. You will conduct and oversee activities aimed at building up the EU’s industrial capability in this domain. You will liaise with ESA for joint efforts in the domain and will rely on the Agency for the supervision of industrial activities relating to the development and validation of user terminals, aiming to ensure coordination in accordance with the agreements between ESA and the Commission.

Initial assignment to Brussels is until Q1 2028 with a possible extension, within the framework of the 12 year Contribution Agreement between ESA and EC. At the end of the assignment, you will be reassigned to a position within CSC Directorate.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

Under the authority of the IPT Engineering/R&D Manager, you will:

Strong technical background in the area of Ground Segment and/or User terminals design, development and validation, including signal definition

Strong expertise on spectrum regulatory issues and processes

Experience with the implementation of large space programmes or projects, ideally in the telecommunications domain

Demonstrated experience with the set-up and management of a team of technical specialists working towards a common goal

Experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including technical and contractual negotiations, and management of technical reviews.

Multi-disciplinary and comprehensive knowledge of Ground Segment architecture and the definition of related technical requirements, as well as on-ground and in-orbit validation activities

Experience in managing industrial activities from a cost and schedule point of view.

Experience with product assurance and safety standards and their application in a project environment.

Experience with complex project risk management processes

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

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

A master's degree in engineering or a related technical or scientific discipline is required for this post.