Contracts Officer (Reserve list)

Overview

Join ESA's Reserve list as a Contracts Officer to support space projects.

You have:

• A master’s or equivalent qualification in law or economics is required for this post.
• Completed advanced studies with a specialization in (public) contract law.
• At least six years of relevant professional experience in contracts and/or public procurement gained in a public administration setting or in an international organisation, business, or a specialised law firm.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• A customer focus, with sound judgement in solving problems.
• Discretion and integrity.
• The ability to interact with multiple international actors and to work collaboratively in a team to achieve organisational goals.
• Operational efficiency, including excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to manage several tasks efficiently in parallel.
• Openness to change and flexibility in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to reflect on experience and adapt your approach accordingly.
• The ability to grasp new and large-scale/complex concepts quickly.
• The ability to understand and formulate contractual and legal texts in English.
• The ability to understand issues of a technical and management nature.

This job opening is for the purposes of Reserve list recruitment on multiple positions.

ESA is initiating a Reserve list recruitment process to meet the consistently high demand for Contracts Officers in support of the Agency’s cutting-edge space projects and programmes. This Reserve list will comprise of candidates who have been pre-assessed and pre-approved by the ESA hiring team and who have already undergone a basic background screening. If selected, you will remain on the Reserve list for a period of 24 months, during which you will be fast-tracked for positions in upcoming projects. While inclusion in the Reserve list does not guarantee recruitment, it positions you as a valuable resource to fill ESA's future vacancies. When a relevant position arises, your candidacy will be reviewed. In that context, you may be invited to a brief follow-up interview and, if successful, an offer will be made. No action is required on your part if you are placed on a Reserve list; ESA will contact you directly about relevant opportunities.

Location ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

This job requisition within the Contracts Department is intended to build a reserve pool of Contracts Officers, potentially to fill a number of positions, at ESTEC, to be confirmed during the course of 2026 or 2027. The Contracts Department is part of the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness and is organised into various divisions and services in support of ESA’s programme directorates. The selected Contract Officer may be appointed to those located at ESTEC, namely Earth Observation, Connectivity and Secure Communications, Navigation, Human and Robotic Exploration, Science, Technology, Engineering and Quality, or work in General Procurement.

You will be entrusted with procurement activities, which you will implement autonomously in direct collaboration with the relevant initiating services. To ensure the appropriate level of independence, impartiality, transparency and compliance with the procurement tendering and contracting process, you will report directly and in an independent manner to the Head of the relevant Contracts Service.

Duties

The elements below highlight the types of responsibilities and tasks that a Contracts Officers can carry out when supporting space projects and programmes at ESA. Your specific duties will be further defined depending on the final appointment.

• preparing the various elements of the relevant procurement and contract documentation in close cooperation with the relevant technical services.
• organising and coordinating all stages of procurement, including issuing the invitations to tender, verifying compliant submission of proposals and their admissibility,
• evaluating them, and negotiating the resulting contract with the selected economic operators.
• ensuring compliance with the relevant key performance indicators (KPls) and innovation of the procurement processes with a view to improving the time to contract.
• providing guidance for applying the relevant, up-to-date legal and industrial policy measures throughout the procurement/tendering and contracting process.
• ensuring awareness and understanding of ESA’s procurement/tendering and contracting processes on the part of the relevant stakeholders.
• safeguarding full compliance of all assigned procurement activities with ESA’s rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
• monitoring the performance of the contracts, including the negotiation of all amendments.
• dealing with administrative, contractual, legal and industrial matters that may arise, including matters involving regular and direct interaction with industrial counterparts.
• building a relationship of trust with the project managers/technical officers and their respective teams, advising them on all procurement-related matters.

Technical competencies

Extensive knowledge of contract, public procurement and international business law

Understanding of intellectual property issues

Experience with public tendering and contracting

Ability to assess tender documents and draft tailored conditions

Knowledge of European and international business environments, ideally in the space sector

Understanding of financial aspects of contracts

Strong negotiation skills

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

A master’s or equivalent qualification in law or economics is required for this post.

Additional requirements

• completed advanced studies with a specialisation in (public) contract law;
• at least six years of relevant professional experience in contracts and/or public procurement gained in a public administration setting or in an international organisation,
• business, or a specialised law firm;
• excellent communication skills, both oral and written;
• a customer focus, with sound judgement in solving problems;
• discretion and integrity;
• the ability to interact with multiple international actors and to work collaboratively in a team to achieve organisational goals;
• operational efficiency, including excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to manage several tasks efficiently in parallel;
• openness to change and flexibility in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to reflect on experience and adapt your approach accordingly;
• the ability to perform consistently, even under pressure;
• the ability to grasp new and large-scale/complex concepts quickly;
• the ability to understand and formulate contractual and legal texts in English;
• the ability to understand issues of a technical and management nature.

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 [email protected].

Important Information and Disclaimer 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.

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.

Potential interview questions