Launch Cost System Engineer (2 Posts)
Vacancy in the Directorate of Space Transportation.
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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.
This post is classified A2-A4 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.
Location ESA Headquarters, Paris, France
Description
Launch Cost System Engineer in the Cost Assesment Office, Value Chain Assessment and Asset Management Division, Infrastructure and Value Chain Department, Directorate of Space Transportation.
Duties
Under the direct authority of the Head of the Cost Assessment Office (STS-IVC), you will be responsible for interacting with industry and other internal and external actors to gather and analyse data and produce relevant reports for the Agency. In particular, your duties will include:
- building strong relationships with industry on launcher production, integration and operations, and serving as an ESA point of contact for industry for the related cost data and implementation of programmes in which the Cost Assessment Office is involved.
- negotiating with industry on understanding and covering relevant costs.
- leading the Office’s analyses related to assets (costs, CO2 footprint).
- finding creative solutions for technical calculations and large-scale ROM estimates where specific data is scarce or difficult to obtain.
- determining cost overruns in transition with industry, creating reports on incurred costs for distribution within the Directorate of Space Transportation as well as to delegations and the relevant industry, and working with Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness (CIC) and Project Control to raise work orders accordingly.
- functionally managing internal teams (such as support from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality, or CIC) for specific technical activities.
- interfacing with the Industrial Auditing and Return Division concerning audits and establishing industrial geographical return in exploitation, data on ESA rates, and cost structures as audited, including regular visits to industry.
- proposing industrial, process and supply chain improvements.
- supporting the creation of processes/methods to gather supplier contract and process activity data, designing control systems to minimise and resolve process and project issues.
- maintaining a good understanding of the launcher industry’s exploitation, contractual and financial data and helping to develop, support and maintain the industry’s exploitation cost files related to the transition and stabilised exploitation phases.
- assisting in assessing justifications concerning changes to production/exploitation contracts.
- conferring with internal and external stakeholders about specifications, industrial capacities and capabilities, and the status of projects and BAU.
- reviewing schedules, process flows, etc. to understand methods and activities in operations, integration and services, and how to improve efficiency and eliminate waste.
- writing and establishing report elements, such as proposals and progress reports, which will be directly usable in the ESA reporting system.
Technical competencies
Multidisciplinary knowledge of your area of responsibility
Knowledge of costs and cost structures associated with assets
Competence with data analysis and interpretation
Knowledge of industrial cost and schedule aspects
Knowledge of other technical domains interfacing with your own area of responsibility
Knowledge/expertise in serial production and operations in an industrial setting
Behavioural competencies
Result Orientation Operational Efficiency Fostering Cooperation Relationship Management Continuous Improvement Forward Thinking
Education
A master's degree in a relevant domain is required for this post.
Additional requirements
You should also have:
- experience in an engineering field related to the position’s duties.
- a superior level of technical writing skills and command of the English language – both written and spoken.
- experience/highly developed capability in complex information data mining, analysis and reporting.
- the willingness to travel often.
Other information
For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.
For further information please visit: Professionals, What we offer and FAQ
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.
Applicants must be eligible to access technology and hardware which is subject to European and US export control regulations.
The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.
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 email contact.human.resources@esa.int.
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Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
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*.
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 conducted by an external background screening service.
In principle, recruitment will be within the advertised grade band (A2-A4). However, if the selected candidate has less than four years of relevant professional experience following the completion of the master’s degree, the position may be filled at A1 level.
*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.