Head of the Flight Software Section

Description

Head of the Flight Software Section in the Avionics and EEE Division, Electrical Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC).

Reporting to the Head of the Avionics and EEE Division, as Head of the Flight Software Section, you 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 Flight Software Section is responsible for providing support to all ESA projects in the area of flight software and functional engineering, in particular covering:

• engineering of on-board software in all phases, including independent verification and validation of critical software and its verification and validation means, including SVFs and OBC simulators;
• support for software system-related activities, such as FDIR and hardware-software co-engineering, and functional engineering, for example system functional design, verification and validation activities, AIT/AIV activities, launch preparations and operations in collaboration with other groups in D/TEC and D/OPS (Directorate of Operations);
• the development and assessment of technologies, methods and tools for on-board software, such as software design, verification and validation methodologies, software ecosystems and reference software implementations; 
• the development of software-related engineering standards in the framework of ECSS and other standardisation bodies;
• the establishment and maintenance of a flight software laboratory in support of Section and industrial activities.

Duties

Within the technical domains 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 and flexibility required to meet the short-notice and peak-period resource needs of projects;
• Accountability 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 required to meet current and future strategic needs;
• 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 contracts.

 
Support management:

• Monitoring, measuring and reporting on performance at individual and team level, in particular regarding the Section’s objectives;
• Accountability to the hierarchy for all daily matters within the Section and for the achievement of the Section’s objectives.

 
Expertise: 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, such as lessons learned and knowledge management, and to reflections on the evolution of the Section’s role and activities;
• Representing the Agency in your area(s) of expertise within ESA and with external entities, including industry and delegations;
• 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.

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Laboratories:

• Technical responsibility for the flight software laboratory.

 
General and leadership:

• Ensuring a positive and motivating working environment for the Section;
• Communicating ESA values and ensuring compliance with all ESA policies;
• Reporting to high-level management and flowing down communication from management.

 
Interface management:

• Supporting the Avionics and Electrical Architects and the System Engineers in the design, development and verification of the platform and payload subsystems;
• Coordinating the evolution of the standards in the context of the ECSS system that is related to the technical domains of the Section.

 
Programme support:

• Providing expert support and consultancy to ESA projects, programmes and technology development.

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

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree in computer science is required for this post.

Additional requirements

Solid experience relating to the technical domains of the Section, as well as in the definition and specification of technology R&D activities, is required. You should also have substantial experience in relevant fields of design and technology development.

In addition, you should have:

• the potential to manage individuals or a team [of experts] [in a project or R&D setting]; 
• the ability to organise individual and team 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;
• a 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.

People management experience is an asset, as is international experience, i.e. outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.