Mission & Performance Manager

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

EnVision was selected by ESA’s Science Programme Committee as the fifth Medium-class mission in the Agency’s Cosmic Vision plan, with a launch in the early 2030s from ESA’s Spaceport in Kourou. EnVision will be the first mission to investigate Venus from its inner core to its upper atmosphere, characterising the interaction between its different envelopes: its atmosphere, surface/subsurface and interior. It aims to provide a holistic view of Venus, studying the planet’s history, activity, and climate. EnVision is an ESA-led mission in partnership with NASA, with NASA providing the Synthetic Aperture Radar (VenSAR) and Deep Space Network support for critical mission phases.

EnVision’s science payload consists of VenSAR, a dual polarisation S-band radar also operating as microwave radiometer and altimeter, which will map the surface of Venus; three optical spectrometers (VenSpec-M, VenSpec-U and VenSpec-H) designed to observe the surface and atmosphere of Venus; and the Subsurface Radar Sounder (SRS), a High Frequency (HF) sounding radar to probe the top kilometres of subsurface. These are complemented by a Radio Science investigation exploiting the spacecraft Telemetry Tracking and Command (TT&C) system to map the planet’s gravity field and constrain its internal structure, and to measure the composition and structure of Venus’ atmosphere.

You will report directly to the EnVision Project Manager in the Projects Department, within the Directorate of Science.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

supporting the Project Manager in establishing the Mission Requirement Document (MRD) and in designing the mission to meet agreed scientific and technical requirements;
ensuring MRD requirements flow-down to each mission segment is properly defined, justified, implemented and verified; flow-down and verification, down to each segment (spacecraft, instruments, launcher, ground segment);
ensuring all project segments with their technical and programmatic interfaces are correctly defined, implemented and verified;
developing and maintaining the EnVision mission performance simulator;
interfacing with ESOC regarding the mission trajectory analyses and their impacts on overall mission performance;
defining, supervising and implementing the interface between the space segment and the Science Operations Centre (SOC) based at ESAC;
planning and implementing the mission-level reviews;
coordinating transverse engineering activities (e.g. Aerobraking studies, EMC…) in close cooperation with the Spacecraft Engineering Manager and Payload Manager;
supporting the Project Manager in the technical assessment of project risks;
ensuring that lessons learnt from previous projects are taken into account, and collecting new lessons learnt along the course of the Project;
identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility;
leading the Mission and Performance team, consisting of at least one engineer from the SCI Directorate and coordinating specialists from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering & Quality;
participating in other Project and Department tasks where your experience is relevant.

Technical competencies

Broad background in the various technical disciplines involved in space systems

System thinking with solid knowledge and understanding of interrelations, requirements engineering, maintenance and verification

Management and review of complex system performance budgets

Risk management

Behavioural competencies

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

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

Education

A master's degree in engineering or applied physics is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should be:

self-motivated, system-oriented and able to effectively interact with ESA stakeholders, scientific institutions and industry by building positive relationships;
solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of high standard and integrity;
preferably have knowledge and experience of verification practices tools, notably DOORS.

As this is a managerial post, you should further have:

the potential to manage individuals in a project setting; with the ability to organise their activities and ensure a motivating work environment;
strong leadership capabilities, with proven relationship management and communication skills, both orally and in writing;
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 results orientation with the ability to set priorities and present practical solutions;
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.

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.

Applicants must be eligible to access technology and hardware which is subject to European and US export control regulations & security clearance by their national security administrations.

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.