Director of space operations (darmstadt, de)

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<p><span style="color:#350dd3"><a title="" href="https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/JR_20681_Director_of_Space_Operations_FR.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French version</a></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:16.0px"><strong>Location</strong></span><br>ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany. Regular travel to other ESA sites is required.</p><div><div style="padding:10.0px 0.0px;border:1.0px solid transparent"><div style="font-size:16.0px;word-wrap:break-word"><H2 style="font-size:1.0em;margin:0.0px"><b>Description</b></H2>
</div><div><p>The European Space Agency (ESA) is recruiting a strategic leader to oversee the Directorate of Space Operations ensuring the delivery of world-class operational capabilities across ESA programmes while driving technology development, innovation, and standardisation in space operations.</p>
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<p>European space operations are strategic assets that require leadership extending beyond technical management and operational expertise. A Director with a strong strategic vision, coupled with the ability to foster cross-institutional coordination and effective outreach, is essential to align space operations with ESA’s Member States’ needs and EU priorities. This role must also navigate a complex stakeholder landscape and ensure long-term coherence across ESA’s space programmes.</p>
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<p>In this role, you will play a central part in positioning ESA and its industrial ecosystem at the forefront of space operations, both within Europe and globally.</p>
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<p>The Directorate of Space Operations comprises approximately 600 staff and contractors across multiple sites in Europe, with an annual budget of around €400 million.</p>
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<p>The European Space Agency is Europe's gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA’s annual budget in 2026 is 8.26 billion Euro.</p></div></div><div style="padding:10.0px 0.0px;border:1.0px solid transparent"><div style="font-size:16.0px;word-wrap:break-word"><H2 style="font-size:1.0em;margin:0.0px"><b>Duties</b></H2>
</div><div><p>Reporting directly to the Director General, you will be a member of the ESA Executive Board, contributing to Agency-wide strategic leadership and decision-making. Under delegation from the Director General, your main responsibilities will include:</p>
<p><br><strong>Defining an ESA-wide strategy for space operations</strong><br>You will shape and implement a coherent ESA-wide strategy for space operations, ensuring alignment across programmes, stakeholders and industrial partners.</p>
<p><br><strong>Driving efficiency and innovation </strong><br>You will steer the future of space operations in Europe, with a strong focus on cost-efficiency and the effective adoption of cutting-edge technologies as key enablers of performance, competitiveness and long-term sustainability.</p>
<p><br><strong>Programme and support responsibilities</strong><br>Within ESA’s matrix organisation, comprising programme and support directorates, you will be responsible for both a programme component and a support component.</p>
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<p>The support component covers the preparation and execution of flight operations for ESA missions and other missions assigned to the Directorate, as well as the engineering, management and operation of the associated ground segment throughout the entire mission life cycle.</p>
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<p>The programme component encompasses activities related to space safety and associated operational services. In this capacity, you will be ESA’s representative in the Space Situational Awareness Programme Board. You will also be responsible for the ESA-wide radio frequency management and coordination.<br> </p>
<p><strong>Acting as Head of Establishment </strong></p>
<p>Furthermore, as Head of Establishment at ESOC, you will be responsible for relations with the administrative authorities of the host country, for on-site health, safety, environmental, and security provisions.</p>
<p><br><strong>Leadership, people management and risk management</strong></p>
<p><br>You will actively work to ensure the well-being, motivation, training and career progression of your Directorate workforce, incentivising a spirit of initiative, transparency, information flow and collaboration with other Directorates.</p>
<p><br>You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing, and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.</p></div></div><div style="padding:10.0px 0.0px;border:1.0px solid transparent"><div style="font-size:16.0px;word-wrap:break-word"><H2 style="font-size:1.0em;margin:0.0px"><b>Technical competencies</b></H2>
</div><div><div>Strong strategic acumen, with the ability to define and drive long-term vision, foster innovation and implement transformative approaches to enhance operational performance, efficiency and resilience, including openness to disruptive concepts and technologies</div><div>Extensive experience in space operations, with a proven track record of collaboration at institutional level with international partners, agencies and industry, contributing to the development and delivery of complex operational ecosystems</div><div>More than 10 years' experience in senior management positions at executive level and in the management of teams and programmes of significant size in terms of budget and human resources, preferably in an international context </div><div>Building strong relationships with key stakeholders to drive successful business outcomes</div></div></div><div style="padding:10.0px 0.0px;border:1.0px solid transparent"><div style="font-size:16.0px;word-wrap:break-word"><H2 style="font-size:1.0em;margin:0.0px"><b>Behavioural competencies</b></H2>
</div><div><p>Forward Thinking<br>Result Orientation<br>Operational Efficiency<br>Fostering Cooperation<br>Relationship Management<br>Continuous Improvement</p>
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<p>For more information, please refer to the <span style="text-decoration:underline;color:#1d0fdb"><a style="color:#1d0fdb;text-decoration:underline" href="https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/ESA_Competency_Framework.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook</a></span></p></div></div><div style="padding:10.0px 0.0px;border:1.0px solid transparent"><div style="font-size:16.0px;word-wrap:break-word"><H2 style="font-size:1.0em;margin:0.0px"><b>Education</b></H2>
</div><div><p>Applicants for this post should have at least a master’s, preferably in a technical or scientific domain.</p></div></div><div style="padding:10.0px 0.0px;border:1.0px solid transparent"><div style="font-size:16.0px;word-wrap:break-word"><H2 style="font-size:1.0em;margin:0.0px"><b>Additional requirements</b></H2>
</div><div><p>Key qualities required for the post are an innovative spirit and a strategically oriented mind, a proven capacity to lead change and manage people and teams, excellent relationship management, negotiation skills and the ability to influence high-level decisions.<br> <br>In addition, you should have:</p>
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<li>an excellent understanding of state-of-the-art operations concepts and their future evolution, including disruptive technologies, processes and tools;</li>
<li>the ambition to reduce costs and increase efficiency while delivering top quality services;</li>
<li>demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills;</li>
<li>the ability to reach solution-oriented, pragmatic, timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity as well as to support others (team members, upper management, other stakeholders) in this process.</li>
</ul></div></div></div><p><span style="font-size:16.0px"><strong>Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness </strong></span><br>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. </p>
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<p><span style="font-size:16.0px"><strong>Important Information and Disclaimer</strong></span><br>Applicants must be eligible to acquire the security clearance by their national security administrations.</p>
<p>Please note that applicants will be required to undergo psychometric testing and other assessments, and, if invited for interview, asked to provide references.<br>​In accordance with the European Space Agency's security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment.</p>
<p>For further information: <span style="color:#0000ff"><u>directorsrecruitment@esa.int</u></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:16.0px"><strong>Nationality and Languages </strong></span><br>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 and the United Kingdom.</p>
<p>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.  </p>