ESEC Partnership and Development Officer – Security and Resilience, European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC), Directorate of Strategy, Legal and External Matters.
This post is a key element of the strategic development of ESEC, reporting to the Head of ESEC. The role is designed to promote and structure partnerships, optimise the use of ESEC infrastructure, and enhance ESA’s institutional footprint in the fields of resilience, security and strategic communication. You will act as a catalyst for inter-institutional cooperation and as a promoter of the sovereign and effective use of ESA capabilities in these domains, in close coordination with internal ESA stakeholders, as well as national, European and international institutions.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• providing support to the Head of ESEC, including interactions with federal, regional and local authorities;
• promoting the use of the ESA Cyber Security Operations Centre (C-SOC) and the Security Cyber Centre of Excellence (SCCOE) across ESA directorates, acting as an ambassador to directorates and departments;
• promoting ESEC’s capabilities in the areas of security, operational cyber security, secure communications, information protection and business continuity;
• identifying and developing institutional cooperation with national partners, such as the Cyber Force, NCCN, ANSSI, CCB and CISPA, European partners, for example ENISA, Europol, ECSD and DG DEFIS, and international partners, such as NATO and the UN;
• supporting ESEC’s external communication in sensitive domains, ensuring coherent representation in institutional, technical and diplomatic contexts, in close coordination with D/SLE entities;
• contributing to the definition and implementation of resilience principles and protocols, including support for audits, simulation exercises and after-action reviews;
• providing strategic foresight and analysis on evolving threat scenarios and public policies in the fields of space, cyber and institutional security in alignment with the Senior Security Coordinator within the Director General’s Services;
• acting as a trusted interface between ESA technical teams, external stakeholders and decision-makers at various institutional levels.

Technical competencies

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 and professional experience

A master’s degree in a relevant domain is required for this post, together with two years of relevant professional experience. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor’s degree, complemented by an additional four years of relevant professional experience, may be considered.

Additional requirements

• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to represent ESA to external stakeholders.
• Experience working under pressure and in politically sensitive environments.
• Ability to operate across technical, institutional and political levels.
• Strong credibility in networking and negotiation with high-level institutional actors.
• Eligibility for personal security clearance by a national security authority.

Certification in crisis management, institutional communication or data protection will be considered an asset.

International experience and prior engagement with EU, ESA or NATO security structures would be a strong asset.