Overview
Head of the Real Estate and Facilities Management Division C, Real Estate and Facilities Management Department, Directorate of Resources and Services.
Location options: ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany, or EAC, Cologne, Germany, or ESEC, Redu, Belgium.
The Real Estate and Facilities Management Department (REFM) is responsible for eight sites across Europe, with a total of approximately 250,000 square metres of working space and technical facilities, and a population of over 7,000 employees. Each site has an REFM Site Manager who is financially and operationally responsible for that site. The Site Managers report directly to a Head of Division and support the local Head of Establishment or Centre. Accountability for site management rotates among the Heads of Division.
The REFM Department has adopted a hybrid organisation that combines hierarchical leadership with matrix-oriented collaboration. This matrix is anchored by three Heads of Division, each accountable for two to four cross-cutting services or activities, with responsibilities that may evolve over time to optimise service delivery across all sites. The Heads of Divisions hold accountability (project ownership) for infrastructure capital projects.
As the Head of REFM Division C, you will be a member of the REFM Senior Leadership Team (SLT), alongside the Head of Department, your two Head of Division peers, and the Head of the REFM Development and Coordination Office. Together, the SLT drives the strategic planning and development of the department, with each Head of Division holding distinct cross-cutting accountabilities. Alongside your SLT colleagues, you will also be a member of the REFM Leadership Team (LT) composed of the SLT and the eight Site Managers.
Key Duties
As Head of REFM Division C, you will initially be accountable for the cross-cutting development and quality assurance of ESA-wide Hard Facilities Management Services and ESA site Business Continuity Management for core infrastructure. You will have managerial responsibility for the Site Managers of ESOC, EAC and ESEC, as well as for the Safety and Security Officer, who provides expert support to those three sites and is part of the overall, cross-cutting safety and security setup of the Department.
Further information on your responsibilities:
* You will be responsible for the management, operation and development of ESA corporate and site-specific administrative and technical infrastructure, including the provision of specialist support to the Heads of Establishment/Centre of ESOC, EAC, and ESEC, the Director of Resources and Services, the REFM Head of Department, and other key stakeholders on the strategic and tactical development management of relevant areas of contracted Facilities Management services across all ESA sites in Europe.
* You will assume overall accountability and ownership of the capital infrastructure projects affiliated to ESOC: the Accelerated Investment Programme for ESOC and potential future capital projects. Each project will be managed by the Site Manager or a designated Project Manager supported by a Project Management Office. Accountability for projects is subject to rotation among the Heads of Division.
* As line manager for the Site Managers of ESOC, EAC and ESEC and the Safety and Security Officer for the three sites, you will have a fluid advisory role, constantly assessing and adapting the depth of the advice provided, with the end goal of ensuring maximum operational outcomes at site level, while preserving and respecting cross-departmental objectives as well as Agency and REFM-specific rules and procedures.
For the cross-cutting roles assigned to the Head of REFM Division C:
* You will initiate and coordinate all relevant activities to ensure that the tactical and operational delivery of services in these areas is executed with maximum efficiency and minimum cost to the Agency.
* You will act as the Technical Officer (manager) of outsourced service contracts where required.
* You will report to the REFM SLT for all strategic questions, and to the REFM LT for tactical and operational implementation within your areas of responsibility.
Full ownership and accountability alongside all SLT members for the:
* financial management of the REFM Department.
* yearly planning and overall running of the operating expenses budget, across three-year cycles.
* multi-year planning of the capital expenses budget, across three-year cycles.
* multi-year planning of the relevant work package of the ESA Green Agenda budget, across three-year cycles.
* customer- and/or Member State-dedicated investment budgets allocated via the REFM Department.
* yearly planning and execution of the third-party income budget.
Manpower Management
* Overall planning and running of the manpower management of the REFM Department, as well as the related costs in connection with the relevant contacts, such as the RES Finance and Resource Controller, ESA HR Business Partner, Workforce Management or the Contracts Department.
* Active participation in the organisation model and the preparation and selection of key staff positions within the Department and/or Division.
Governance and quality
* Efficient implementation of the procedural framework established by the Agency as well as the relevant procedures defined within the REFM quality management system.
* Special attention to observing all relevant rules, procedures and best practices when executing capital projects.
REFM strategic agendas and policies
* Development and implementation of the REFM Digital Agenda, bringing a strategic, cross-functional perspective and driving digital transformation across REFM services and sites.
* Active participation in the revision and implementation of relevant Agency-wide policies with significant impact on ESA site operations, such as the ESA Policy on Health and Safety and the ESA Security Directives.
* Regular engagement with leaders of cross-cutting roles (if applicable) for the safety and security domains to ensure full coordination when supporting the delivery of expert advice to the Site Managers by the divisional Safety and Security Officer.
You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.
Proven experience in the REFM domain, with demonstrated people management experience and the leadership qualities required to manage a multi-disciplinary team and a variety of contracted FM services in a multi-site, complex organisation with a strong customer focus
Synthesis skills: ability to take in a variety of complex information and then effectively simplify, organise, and translate it into action
Analytical skills: proficiency in data analysis tools to conduct evaluations and make recommendations for improvement
Proven experience in activity and project management: efficient activity and project management skills, including planning, preparing, executing and evaluating projects
Knowledge and experience of planning and scheduling, allocation and execution monitoring of resources and maintaining a balanced workload
Change management skills: ability to effectively lead and support organisational transitions, communicate clearly with stakeholders and adapt to evolving business environments
Technical knowledge in the REFM domain: up-to-date knowledge of facilities management services, systems and standards
Knowledge and experience in process adherence: compliance with procedures relating to quality, safety and security
Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking
A master's degree in a relevant domain is required for this post.
Additional requirements
* Proven experience of leading, motivating and developing teams in the real estate and facilities management domain;
* The ability to provide strategic direction to the individuals and teams within the Real Estate and Facilities Management 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 in representing the Agency\'s interests to external interfaces;
* Excellent cognitive, analytical, delegation, planning and organisational skills;
* The ability to anticipate problems, solve complex issues and relate situations to their context;
* The ability to reach solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity as well as to support others (team members, upper management and/or other stakeholders) in this process;
* Skills in setting clear performance expectations, providing regular feedback and conducting performance reviews. The ability to drive your team\'s performance, developing your people by encouraging learning, delegating responsibility and giving regular and constructive feedback;
* Proficiency in resolving conflicts within the team in a constructive manner.
People management experience is required and international experience would be an asset, including outside your home country, as would experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.
Mobility is inherent to management functions and this position may be subject to rotation.
Mobility opportunities may therefore be offered to you as part of your career evolution at ESA, starting 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 acquire the 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 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, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
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.
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