Job Description

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Under the direct authority of the Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement (CFO), the Head of the Controlling Hub Department is responsible for leading and managing the Agency’s Controlling Hub in support of all directorates. As Head of Department, you will be a member of the CFO Directorate’s management team.

You will be responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the matrix setup, including efficient deployment of Controlling resources, and will be hierarchically responsible for the Heads of the Business Unit Control and Programme Management Support Offices (BUC/PMSO), in close coordination with the relevant directors to whom they report functionally. In addition, you will be hierarchically responsible for the Head of the Controlling Centre of Expertise.

You will ensure the coordinated delivery of high-quality, efficient and harmonised Controlling and programme management support to the directorates, including:

• ensuring coherent resource planning, controlling, reporting, georeturn, schedule and risk management across all programmes and activities;
• supporting financial planning, workforce management, corporate interfaces and compliance with Agency policies;
• ensuring consistency, internal control and operational efficiency in alignment with strategic objectives, while actively supporting programme execution and decision-making processes;
• providing management support in the areas of configuration and documentation management and logistics.

You will work in close coordination with the Inspector General in overseeing the implementation of programmes and the definition of risk mitigation measures as necessary.

You will be accountable for the performance of the matrix for controls and its contribution to ESA’s strategic and operational objectives. In addition, you will ensure operational excellence and drive continuous improvement.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• serving as a member of the Directorate Management Team and holding joint responsibility for ensuring the effective and coordinated preparation, planning, implementation, resource management and review of all activities within the CFO Directorate;
• managing a team of controllers deployed to all ESA directorates and providing a best-in-class Controlling function to the directorates;
• through the BUC/PMSO offices, ensuring the availability and coordination of adequately skilled and trained workforce across directorates;
• implementing the Agency’s Controlling policies and programme management support, methods, procedures and processes, including cost, schedule, workforce, project risk, configuration and data management, documentation control and logistics, in a coherent manner;
• establishing a close working relationship with and between the Heads of the BUC/PMSO Offices, the project controllers and the assigned directors by liaising with the directors in relation to key control processes, as well as through physical collocation of the BUC/PMSO Offices with their assigned directorates and the functional reporting of the office heads to the assigned directors;
• preparing and maintaining the directorates’ resource plans (workload, cost and commitment) in accordance with ESA policies and rules;
• fostering project management support and controlling process digitalisation and implementation of harmonised data models to increase controlling efficiency;
• providing and maintaining operational readiness, processes and tools coherence, and staff development of the Controlling Hub;
• providing and managing shared outsourced Controlling services;
• supporting the directorates in the definition of long-term programme strategy by ensuring alignment with the long-term financial and resource plan;
• ensuring close coordination with the Inspector General for programme implementation and risk mitigation;
• providing advice and supporting the implementation of the industrial policy, including georeturn, in close coordination with the Industrial Policy and Auditing Department.

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

Technical competencies

Knowledge of or experience in budgeting, cost control and resource and activity planning

Knowledge of or experience in business analysis, digital tools and reporting

Knowledge of or experience in schedule management

Knowledge of or experience in risk management

Knowledge of or experience in SAP-based ERP systems

Knowledge of or experience in financial regulatory framework, including accounting standards and auditing techniques

Knowledge of or experience in ESA/EU procurement regulations

Knowledge of or experience in ESA industrial policy

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation

Operational Efficiency

Fostering Cooperation

Relationship Management

Continuous Improvement

Forward Thinking

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

Education and professional experience

A master's degree in a relevant domain is required for this post, together with 10 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

• Proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team;
• The ability to provide strategic direction to the individuals and teams within the Department and to relate team objectives to the overall, evolving organisational goals and context;
• The ability to drive performance and foster cooperation within and across teams throughout the organisation;
• Demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills, both oral and written;
• A proven track record of representing the Agency’s interests to external interfaces;
• Excellent cognitive, analytical, delegation, planning and organisational skills;
• The ability to anticipate problems, resolve complex issues and relate situations to their context;
• The ability to make solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity as well as to support others, such as team members, upper management and other stakeholders, in this process.

People management experience is required. International experience is an asset, including outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.

Mobility is inherent to management functions and this position may be subject to rotation.

Therefore, mobility opportunities may be offered to you as part of your career evolution at ESA, beginning after approximately five years in this role.

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, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

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

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.

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 are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

According to the ESA Convention, staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, taking into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the 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.