International Science Officer

Vacancy in the Directorate of Science.

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.

This is a non-renewable post for a limited duration of 4 years and is classified A2-A4 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.

Location
ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain or ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Description

The European Space Agency maintains a world-leading Science Programme, encompassing missions in heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, and fundamental physics. Its overarching mission is to "empower Europe to lead space science." A crucial aspect of this mission involves establishing and sustaining relationships and cooperation with international stakeholders, including various agencies and institutions.

Within ESA's Directorate of Science (SCI), the Director and Programme Strategy Support Office (SCI-D) has the responsibility, among other duties, of providing support to the Director of Science (D/SCI) in maintaining and strengthening relations and cooperation with established international space partners, such as the USA and Japan, and promoting initiatives with ‘emerging’ countries to foster cooperation through the Science Programme, which align with the Agency's priorities and strategic plans.

The primary objective is to maintain and further develop science and technology collaboration with international partners and organisations. The aim being to contribute to the growth of the ESA Science Programme and ESA as a whole and to stimulate innovation capabilities by drawing on international experience and addressing emerging opportunities and challenges. Additionally, the goal is to support international development objectives and to help align the expertise of ESA Member States with international needs.

If selected for this position, you will report to the Head of the SCI-D office. Your responsibilities will include the day-to-day management of relations with international partners, including the preparation of documents and reports, and close coordination with other departments and offices within the Directorate of Science. Collaboration with Agency entities responsible for international matters is essential, including the Directorate of European, Legal and International Matters (ELI) and the Director General’s Cabinet, as required.

You will be expected to strive for innovation and excellence in interfacing and engaging directly with various entities in the international domain. You may also be called upon to advise ESA management within your domain and offer support to the Science Programme’s future plans concerning relations with international stakeholders.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

supporting the Directorate of Science in maintaining and reinforcing relations and cooperation with established international space partners (e.g., USA and Japan) and promoting initiatives with other, ‘emerging’ countries to establish cooperation, in the framework of the Agency’s priorities and strategic plans;
supporting the Directorate of Science in maintaining and enhancing strong science, innovation and technology relationships with international partners and organisations;
supporting the Directorate of Science in identifying and facilitating opportunities for building collaborations with international partners and organisations in the domains of research and innovation;
providing overall support to D/SCI concerning relations with international partners and organisations, including managing correspondence, organisational aspects and preparing content and material (reports, briefing notes, presentations, etc.), as needed;
supporting the entire Directorate of Science and particularly the management team in the planning and execution of activities and meetings with international partners and organisations, including on-site support during meetings;
monitoring and analysing the status, evolution and perspectives of the Agency’s international partners, and the international space sector more broadly, in fields relevant to the Directorate of Science, producing reports and advising/proposing relevant actions, as appropriate;
collaborating with the Agency’s legal services and the Director General’s Cabinet, as needed, for all relations with international partners and organisations, requiring engagement from the Directorate of Science;
supporting negotiations on agreements with international partners and organisations (e.g., agreements and memoranda of understanding) in coordination with the Legal Services Department;
serving as the main interface with the International Relations Committee on behalf of the Directorate of Science;
establishing and maintaining a network of correspondence and relations with key operators in international organisations, for matters relevant to the Directorate of Science and maintaining up-to-date dossiers for each.

Technical competencies

Experience in coordinating and managing multiple interfaces at international level

Knowledge of the latest developments in the international landscape, in relation to space activities and science

Ambassadorship to develop and maintain a network of contacts

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

Ability to produce concise, timely and thorough reporting

Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint)

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s or PhD in space sciences / engineering disciplines and/or in political science is required.

Additional requirements

Ideal qualifications include a solid understanding of both the European and global space science landscape.

Other information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

For further information please visit: Professionals, What we offer and FAQ

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.

The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.

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.

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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, 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*.

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment conducted by an external background screening service.

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.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.