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European Space Agency

Head of the Structures Section

Noordwijk

September 3, 2024

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Head of the Structures Section

Job Requisition ID: 18871

Date Posted: 3 September 2024

Closing Date: 24 September 2024 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication: Internal & External

Type of Contract: Permanent

Directorate: Technology, Engineering and Quality

Workplace:Noordwijk, NL

Grade Band: A2 - A4

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Head of the Structures Section in the Structures, Mechanisms and Materials Division, Mechanical Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

Reporting to the Head of the Structures, Mechanisms and Materials Division, you, as Head of the Structures Section, will be responsible for the management of the Section, its resources and its activities. In addition, you will be accountable within the Agency for the outcome of operational activities conducted within the Section’s technical domain.

The Section covers the following technical domain: design, development and verification of the structural function on spacecraft systems, subsystems and equipment.

Duties

Within the technical domain defined above, your tasks and responsibilities will include the following:

Workload assessment and assignment:

Establishing the (multi-year) plan of activities for the Section, covering required competences and assignment of resources;
Establishing annual objectives and managing/coordinating on a day-to-day basis specialised technical support in the Section’s fields of expertise, in full collaboration with the functional managers;
Actively contributing to increasing the agility/flexibility required to meet the short-notice and peak-period resource needs of projects;
Being accountable for all activities and resources delegated to the Section, and for resolving possible conflicting demands on the use of the Section’s resources.

Talent management:

Maintaining state-of-the-art expertise in the Section – identifying, developing, maintaining and tracking the technical competences needed to meet current and future strategic needs;
Establishing individual talent management (competence and development) plans for the Section's members, covering technical and behavioural aspects;
Collaborating with functional managers whenever needed;
Driving the development of people within your area of responsibility, facilitating the development of people beyond your area of responsibility, and encouraging mobility when it serves the organisation's interests;
Encouraging the integration of newcomers and contributing to their initial development plans, in particular in the first three years of their contract;
Managing staff functional mobility and changes (arrivals, departures, reassignments, probation and contract extensions) with minimum disruption to the activities of the Section.

Support management:

Monitoring, measuring and reporting on performance at individual and team level, in particular regarding the Section’s objectives;
Being accountable to the hierarchy for all the daily matters within the Section and for the achievement of the Section’s objectives;
Being accountable for the Section members' career management, as well as for performing individual performance assessments and merit recognition exercises, and for providing regular feedback.

Expertise offering: management of tools/processes/working methods:

Ensuring regular interaction between the Section members, supporting teamwork, the exchange of experience and lessons learned, and the gathering of feedback;
Contributing to the continuous improvement of working procedures, tools, processes, expert working methods and delivery methods (lessons learned, knowledge management) and to the reflection on the evolution of the Section's role and activities;
Contributing to the (independent) technical assessment capability and supporting project reviews;
Representing the Agency in your area(s) of expertise within ESA and with external entities (industry, delegations, etc.);
Coordinating the dissemination of the Section’s results within and beyond ESA, in particular via conferences, workshops and R&D presentation days.

R&D/technology management:

In line with anticipated technology trends and project needs, defining, promoting and implementing the Section’s contributions to ESA technology programmes and R&D activities;
Coordinating, where applicable, the requirements of technology elements in your domain of expertise with the overall requirements of systems being developed under the responsibility of other areas in the Directorate;
Liaising with relevant technology expert groups and coordination mechanisms.

Laboratories:

Acting as Technical Responsible for the ESTEC Structures and Mechanisms Design and Analysis Facility.

General and leadership:

Ensuring a positive and motivating working environment for the Section;
Communicating ESA values and ensuring compliance with all ESA policies;
Representing the Section when brokering agreements with other parties and actively encouraging cross-unit cooperation;
Anticipating and resolving sensitive or difficult situations, detecting and managing health and safety issues, and liaising with HR as required;
Establishing good working relationships and technical networks with users, project groups and other organisations both inside and outside the Agency;
Reporting to high-level management and flowing down communication from management.

Interface management:

Supporting the Mechanical, Thermal and Propulsion Architects and the System Engineers in the design, development and verification of the mechanical, thermal and propulsion subsystems;
Coordinating the evolution of the standards in the context of the ECSS system that is related to the technical domains of the Section.

You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.

Technical competencies

Strong experience in the domain of structural engineering, preferably covering aerospace hardware and R&D

A good knowledge of spacecraft, payload, equipment and mechanical systems, in particular applied to space vehicle structures

A good knowledge of advanced methods of structural design, development and verification (analysis and mechanical testing) of spacecraft, payloads, equipment and launchers

Experience in supporting ESA programmes and/or projects and knowledge of their technical and programmatic requirements in relevant technical domains

Knowledge of the industrial landscape and ability to define technology development roadmaps identifying future trends in technology requirements

Experience in driving R&D activities, as well as knowledge of ESA technology programmes

Experience in ESA procurement processes and contract management as well as applied negotiation skills

Experience with Space Engineering Standards and their preparation and implementation

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master's degree in aeronautical or mechanical engineering is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should have:

the potential to manage individuals or a team of experts in a project or R&D setting;
the ability to organise their activities and ensure a motivating work environment;
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 and constructive feedback;
strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills;
strong result 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 to be customer focused;
the ability to represent the Agency in interfaces with industry and government agencies.

Previous people management experience would be an asset, as would international experience, i.e. outside your home country, and experience in diverse functional areas relevant to the activities of ESA.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

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 via email at contact.human.resources@esa.int.

Important Information and Disclaimer
In principle, recruitment will be within the advertised grade band (A2-A4). However, if the selected candidate has less than four years of relevant professional experience following the completion of the master’s degree, the position may be filled at A1 level.

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures.

Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.

The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.

Nationality and Languages
Please note that applications can only be 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, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia 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*.

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.

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