Contracts Specialist (Reserve list)

Overview

Apply for the Contracts Specialist reserve list at ESA for future opportunities.

You have:

• Vocational qualification (EQF level 5) in a relevant discipline is required for this post.
• 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 organisation skills and the ability to manage several tasks efficiently in parallel.
• The ability to perform consistently, even under pressure.
• The ability to use IT tools, including those for the performance of administrative tasks.
• The ability to understand and formulate contractual and legal texts in French and/or English.

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 Specialists 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 Noordwijk, Darmstadt, Frascati, Harwell, Paris

Description

This job requisition within the Contracts Department is intended to build a reserve pool of Contracts Specialist, 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.

You will support the tender actions and resulting contracts/cooperative agreements assigned to you and falling within the specific field of competence of the service In this framework, you will directly advise the initiating authorities with regard to legal and procedural matters under the supervision of the relevant ESA Contracts Officer and you have a hierarchical reporting line to the Head of the relevant Contract Service. This secures, the appropriate level of independence to ensure impartiality, transparency, and compliance with the tendering and contracting process.

As a Contracts Specialist, your field of competence will extend to procurement actions mainly in open, restricted and non-competitive tenders with a limited financial liability level and under the supervision of the responsible Contracts Officer or Head of the relevant Service.

Duties

Under the guidance of the assigned Contracts Officer or Head of Service, you contribute to tendering and contracting activities (including cooperative agreements) with an emphasis on preparation, coordination, and compliance.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• Preparing the assigned elements of the tender action, contract and cooperative agreement documentation in close cooperation with the technical services;
• Providing guidance for application of the relevant, up-to-date legal and industrial policy measures throughout the tendering and contractual implementation processes;
• Organising and coordinating with all relevant ESA-internal stakeholders as assigned, at all stages of procurement, including the issuing of the invitations to tender, participating in the evaluation of proposals or, where relevant, ensuring that the proposals are duly evaluated and that the contract or cooperative agreement is negotiated and formalised with the selected economic operators;
• Monitoring the implementation of the contracts and cooperative agreements under your responsibility in accordance with the applicable contractual provisions, and industrial policy rules, including the negotiation of all amendments to the contract and supporting the eventual termination;
• Support the Contracts Officer in the implementation of major contracts, including the negotiation of the amendments to such major contract and, if relevant, the eventual termination;
• Building a relationship of trust with the Technical Officers and relevant teams, including the Financial and Project Controllers, advising them on tendering-/contracting-related matters within your realm of competences;
• Ensuring compliance with the relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and innovation of procurement processes with a view to improving the time to contract;
• Promoting awareness and understanding of ESA’s tendering and contracting processes to the relevant stakeholders;
• Dealing effectively with all assigned administrative, contractual, legal, and industrial issues arising, involving regular and direct interaction with industrial counterparts.

Technical competencies

Knowledge of contract, public procurement, and international business law

Understanding of intellectual property issues

Initial experience with public tendering and contracting

Understanding of tender documents and draft tailored conditions

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

Understanding of financial aspects of contracts

Good 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

Vocational qualification (EQF level 5) in a relevant discipline is required for this post.

Additional requirements

Additionally, you should have:

• 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 organisation skills and the ability to manage several tasks efficiently in parallel;
• the ability to perform consistently, even under pressure;
• the ability to use IT tools, including those for the performance of administrative tasks;
• the ability to understand and formulate contractual and legal texts in French and/or English.

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