Head of the Galileo Ground Segment Management Office

Description

Head of Galileo Ground Segment Management Office in the Galileo and EGNOS Programme Department, Directorate of Navigation.

Reporting to the Head of the Galileo and EGNOS Programme Department, you will be responsible for implementing the activities defined and agreed in the Financial Framework Partnership Agreement with the EU in accordance with the project requirements and implementation plans established by the Galileo Programme Office.

The Galileo Ground Segment development is recognised as the largest and most complex space system ground segment ever deployed by Europe and in operation today. It entails stringent safety of life and security requirements which are evaluated and accredited by European National Security Agencies (NSAs). 

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• procuring and managing very large infrastructure and services related to the Galileo Ground Segment, in particular the Galileo Mission Segment (GMS), the Galileo Ground Control Segment (GCS), the Galileo Security Facility (GSF) and the Galileo Security Monitoring (SECMON), within the agreed technical requirements (including implementation of the applicable security requirements), schedule and cost;
• managing the overall Ground Segment design and validation/qualification activities, including the organisation of Ground Segment reviews and analysis of changes, waivers and deviations, anomalies and alerts;
• managing infrastructure, as necessary, for providing launch and early orbit phase (LEOP) and in-orbit test (IOT) services;
• providing support for the deployment of Ground Segment assets (GMS, GCS, GSF, Security Monitoring, etc.) under the supervision of the Galileo Programme Office;
• providing maintenance of the Galileo Ground Segment development plan, schedule, risk register and cost at completion, with the required key performance indicators, for consolidation and approval by the Galileo Programme Office, while producing reports as required;
• acting in close coordination with other segment disciplines, including the space segment, project management support, procurement, product assurance and safety, and security;
• implementing and enforcing risk and security management processes;
• managing Ground Segment resources and activities for Galileo G1 and G2, EGNOS and Horizon Europe, in a fully cross-cutting, intra-department matrix approach and actively fostering knowledge-sharing and synergies across projects;
• managing directly critical external interfaces with the European Commission, EUSPA, national entities and the Security Accreditation Board on topics relating to the implementation and deployment of ground segments. The proper management of these interfaces is key to ESA’s performance in the execution of the Programme and the agreements with the Commission.

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

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master's in electrical or aerospace engineering or a related field is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You must bring at least ten years of experience in project management of complex ground segment design, development, qualification and deployment. You must also demonstrate a good knowledge of ground segment and/or satellite operations and infrastructure. Experience in team management, also operating in a matrix approach, is required. 
A good knowledge of ESA, European Commission and EUSPA processes and working methods would be an asset.

You should be able to demonstrate that you can handle pressure and conflict as may typically occur in a project. You are result-oriented, able to set priorities, and capable of presenting practical solutions both verbally and in writing
 

You should also have:

• proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team in a project;
• the ability to provide strategic direction to the individuals and teams within the Division 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;
• 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, other stakeholders) in this process.

People management experience would be an asset, as would international experience, i.e. outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.