Moonlight Navigation Manager

Vacancy in the Directorate of Navigation.

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 ECSAT, Harwell, United Kingdom

Description

Moonlight Navigation Manager, Moonlight Navigation Office, Future Navigation Department, Directorate of Navigation (D/NAV).

Under the direct authority of the Head of the Future Navigation Department, as Moonlight Navigation Manager, you will be responsible for all navigation-related aspects of the Moonlight programme’s activities aimed toward the development of a dedicated lunar-based communication and navigation infrastructure and the provision of the associated lunar services.

You will ensure the satisfactory implementation of the navigation component of the Moonlight programme in accordance with the defined cost, schedule and technical objectives. You will be represent the Directorate of Navigation on the Moonlight Joint Management Team (JMT) in charge of managing the overall Moonlight programme activities in accordance with the Programme Declaration and ESA rules. You will be integrated into the Moonlight Programme Team, reporting to the Moonlight Programme Manager on a day-to-day basis.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• ensuring the adequate definition and necessary adaptations of the Moonlight navigation mission service requirements in accordance with lunar market and institutional mission needs;
• the definition, consolidation and monitoring of the Moonlight programmatic assumptions in respect of costs, schedule and risks for the navigation component and for the associated reporting to and dialogue with PB-NAV;
• maintaining the coherence of and compliance between the navigation mission objectives of the Moonlight programme and the Moonlight project implementation;
• ensuring close coordination with all D/NAV integrated staff in the Moonlight Integrated Project Team and the adequate implementation of all of the navigation functions and infrastructure of the Moonlight/LCNS Partnership Project (LCNS PP) industrial contract;
• ensuring full coherence between the Moonlight/LCNS PP development and all relevant programmatic external dependencies for all navigation-related aspects;
• promoting and supporting the use of Moonlight navigation services within ESA and by other international partners and contributing to the consolidation of international agreements with other partner agencies concerning the Moonlight programme, notably in respect of lunar navigation-related aspects;
• leading ESA contributions to the consolidation of lunar communication and navigation interoperability standards in close coordination with NASA and relevant international standardisation bodies;
• coordinating all additional ESA lunar navigation-related R&D activities within ESA, ensuring full coherence with the Moonlight programme and the defined ESA lunar navigation roadmap and supporting the definition of the annual Moonlight Technology Workplan and the regular activation of co-funded activities on products, ensuring adequate coverage of navigation technologies and products;
• leading Lunar Pathfinder navigation payload experiment development and integration, as well as the definition and execution of the IoT experimentation campaign, also contributing, as part of the Moonlight Joint Management Team, to the decision items concerning the Lunar Pathfinder mission with a programmatic impact on the navigation payload experiment.
• You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.

Technical competencies

Experience in space systems engineering with a systems orientation and an end-to-end view of satellite navigation projects

Technical knowledge of global navigation satellite systems

Multidisciplinary knowledge of your area of responsibility, including experience in technical cooperation with international partners

Experience in project management, including ESA and industrial cost, risk management and schedule aspects

Ability to provide strategic direction and to relate project objectives to the overall, evolving organisational goals and context

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should, in addition, have:

• the potential to manage individuals or a team of experts in a project setting;
• the ability to organise individual and team activities and ensure a motivating work environment;
• strong leadership capabilities, with proven relationship management and communication skills;
• the ability to drive your team’s performance, developing your people by encouraging learning, delegating responsibility and giving regular and constructive feedback;
• strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills;
• a strong result orientation with the ability to set priorities and present practical solutions both orally and in writing;
• the ability to manage challenging situations proactively and constructively and to be customer-focused.

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

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.

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.