Product Assurance and Safety Engineer

Vacancy in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore we 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 ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands With a resident assignment to EAC, Cologne, Germany

Description

The Product Assurance and Safety Engineer will be assigned to the Product Assurance Management Section Quality, Dependability and PA Support Division, Product Assurance and Safety Department in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

The Section provides functional support to ESA projects in different programme directorates and to technology development activities and is also responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of product assurance and safety engineering and management programmes. It carries out technological research (R&D) in PA&S management, techniques, methodologies and tools. It collaborates on standardisation and training activities.

For this specific position, you will be asked to support the LEO Cargo Return Service (LCRS) Team located in ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne. As such, you will also report to the LCRS Team Leader and to the HRE Product Assurance and Safety Team Leader for the specific responsibilities and duties outlined below.

You will be responsible for product assurance, safety and reliability aspects and facilitating safety certification activities for the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Cargo Return Service development and demonstration mission(s) to the ISS, potential future services to commercial space stations in LEO and potential evolution to a crew transportation service or cargo return service to and from the Gateway in cislunar space.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

- reviewing contractors’ plans, specifications and effort proposed for the execution of the PA&S activities; - monitoring the definition and verification of PA&S requirements, including RAMS and software PA requirements; - participating in project reviews, representing ESA in boards and development milestones (in accordance with the industrial contracts); - processing non-conformances, waivers, deviations, requests for approval, anomalies; - ensuring electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) parts, materials and processes meet requirements and the agreed standards; - performing quality and safety assurance audits and coordinating mandatory inspection points; - providing technical support and guidance to industry regarding the interpretation of safety requirements, identification of hazard causes, and implementation of hazard controls; - reviewing contractors’ PA analyses and Safety Data Packages and verifications, ensuring that they are available on the planned dates in order to support the safety review schedule, in coordination with the safety authorities; - facilitating the certification process for rendezvous, docking and operating at the International Space Station (ISS), and future Commercial LEO Destinations (CLDs), space debris mitigation and re-entry; - representing LCRS at formal safety reviews and performing follow up activities; - liaising with the NASA ISS safety and engineering teams to ensure a common understanding and interpretation of safety requirements, hazard control implementation and verification and resolution of Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs); - supporting Mission Operations during the preparation and execution phases, such as Certificate of Flight Readiness (CoFR), hazardous command list identification, anomaly response and resolution, sustaining engineering and LCRS control centre activities, as well as liaising with NASA mission operations safety; - performing any other PA&S tasks necessary to ensure a safe and successful mission.

Technical competencies

Good knowledge of human spaceflight safety certification

Experience in the management of Product Assurance for a space project

Experience in RAMS engineering within the human spaceflight domain

Experience with ECSS and/or NASA Space Standards and their implementation

Experience with the application of product assurance tools and methods

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master's in engineering is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should have a background in space systems. Knowledge of probabilistic risk assessment methodologies is an asset. Experience in human spaceflight mission operations is an asset.

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.