Interim vacatures in Drachten

Head of the Analysis Centre Control & Support Services Unit

Job Requisition ID: 20451

Date Posted: 31 March 2026

Closing Date: 21 April 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication: Internal & External

Type of Appointment: 4 years, extendable to indefinite

Directorate: Connectivity and Secure Communications

Workplace: Noordwijk, NL

Grade Band: A2 - A4

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Head of the Analysis Centre Control and Support Services Unit in the Business Control and Programme Management Support Office in the Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications.

The Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications (CSC) is responsible for coordinating, shaping and supporting innovation in satellite telecommunications, and for promoting applications that involve the combined use of space-based systems. By facilitating research and development activities and by forging industrial partnerships, the Directorate contributes to the development of the European and Canadian satellite communications industries by helping them produce advanced technologies and concepts to develop world‑class products and services. The Directorate also plays an investment role by supporting public‑private partnerships contributing to the development and deployment of new satellite systems that enable the demonstration and validation of future services.

You will report to the Head of the Business Control and Programme Management Support Office. This Office is responsible for the running of the overall controlling function within the Directorate and provides overall support to the Director in managing the Directorate and its departments to ensure the coherent and effective implementation of its core activities.

Duties

Your responsibilities will include:

• preparing, consolidating, implementing and controlling the Directorate’s cost centre, ensuring cost‑efficient implementation with a stable in‑year workforce rate versus the plan;
• preparing, consolidating, implementing and controlling the Directorate’s workforce plan for staff and contractors, including Service Level Agreements with workforce matrix providers, ensuring the staff complement is adhered to;
• providing the Head of Office with everything required to ensure that informed management decisions can be taken and efficiently implemented;
• coordinating and controlling the Directorate's workforce timesheets and facilities utilisation data;
• managing the Directorate’s Service Level Agreement with Corporate Services for IT and FM services;
• defining and maintaining the Directorate’s cost and fund centre structures and the related business data in ESA’s corporate tools, in particular SAP, and in any supporting Directorate tools;
• taking appropriate preventive and corrective measures, in coordination with the Head of Office, to ensure the integrity of the Directorate’s resource plans and financial/cost accounting statements, in accordance with ESA policies and IPSAS rules;
• acting as Technical Officer for the procurement of contractor manpower and services at ESTEC and ECSAT;
• coordinating, controlling and reporting on the cost resulting from the external workforce, making an active contribution to identifying improvements in the current cost allocation;
• supporting, as point of contact for the Directorate, the deployment, utilisation and evolution of corporate information systems, representing the Directorate at ESA‑relevant forums and working groups;
• providing and maintaining state‑of‑the‑art proprietary and Directorate‑specific management information systems and supporting the implementation of and the data interface with corporate systems, as applicable;
• managing, in the most efficient manner, the technical and cost evolution of any Directorate‑specific IT tools;
• coordinating interim and year‑end closure activities, and managing and developing specific esa‑p support within the Directorate;
• coordinating the deployment of ESA risk management tools in the Directorate and supporting the Directorate’s risk management process, the related risk reporting and the monitoring of mitigation actions;
• consolidating the Directorate’s input for corporate risk reporting;
• ensuring efficient use of EROS data to provide internal and external reporting in a coherent and configured manner, ensuring that a consistent and streamlined methodology is applied in the Directorate, that trends and deviations can be monitored, and that action can be taken as required;
• acting as the focal point and assuming responsibility for office allocation for the accommodation of the Directorate’s workforce across the various sites;
• contributing to and suggesting improvements to operate an effective and efficient controlling framework in the Directorate and in ESA in general.

You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.

Technical competencies

• Technical knowledge of or experience in budgeting, cost control and resources and activities planning
• Technical knowledge of or experience in business analysis, digital tools and reporting
• Technical knowledge of or experience in risk management
• Technical knowledge of or experience in SAP based ERP systems
• Technical knowledge of or experience in financial regulatory framework, including accounting standards and auditing techniques
• Technical knowledge of or experience in ESA/EU procurement regulations

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 and professional experience

A master’s degree in business administration or engineering is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should have a good knowledge of the management and controlling‑related systems and tools used in the Agency plus a sound knowledge of esa‑p. You should have proven experience in the area of controlling, with good knowledge of budgeting and financial processes. A background in IT would be an advantage, as would the demonstration of a good understanding of CSC activities.

• the potential to manage individuals or a team functionally or hierarchically;
• the ability to organise their 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;
• strong results 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.

Previous people management experience would be an asset.

Diversity, Equity and InclusivenessESA 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 contact.human.resources@esa.int.

Important Information and DisclaimerIn 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.

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.

Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.

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 LanguagesPlease 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.

#J-18808-Ljbffr