Description

Ground Operations and ESTRACK Service Officer in the Deep Space & External Services Section (OPS-ONX), Ground Facilities Operations Division, Mission Operations Department, Directorate of Operations.

You will report to the Head of the Deep Space & External Services Section in the Ground Facilities Operations Division. This Section is responsible for the provision of ground operations engineering and facility services to ESA missions, as well as to external partners, such as national agencies, international partners and commercial entities.

Duties

You will serve as the primary technical interface for ESA and external missions providing ESA’s Tracking Station Network (ESTRACK) services as well as Operational Control Centre (OCC) and ICT infrastructure ground facilities. You will also be designated as the contact point for cooperation activities in relation to network operations with one or more external organisations.

Your main duties will include:

• coordinating requirements engineering, generation and maintenance of cost-at-completion data, mission-specific system engineering, and steering the required technical work and operations preparation activities relevant to ground facilities and associated services;
• ensuring implementation and validation of relevant ground segment elements and final ‘delivery’ to mission, balancing quality, time and resource considerations;
• initiating and following-up mission/service-specific tailoring, modifications or upgrades of the ground facilities infrastructure and provided services; 
• defining and coordinating the execution of related test and validation programmes such as radio frequency compatibility, mission readiness, station performance and tracking campaigns;
• supporting the preparation and execution of Launch and Early Orbit Phases (LEOP) as well as other mission-critical phases as member of the Operations Manager Team;
• coordinating ground facilities’ scheduling, operations and services to relevant missions during all mission phases;
• providing regular and event-driven reporting to the customer mission and line management;
• participating in project reviews, anomaly and configuration control boards, as well as acting as user representative in the development process of relevant ground systems;
• engaging in business development initiatives to expand ESTRACK Deep Space TT&C utilisation;
• supporting the amendment and enhancement of ESTRACK services, for instance by procuring commercial tracking capacity;
• driving the commercialisation of ESTRACK tracking services and their expansion in support of European industry, in particular New Space companies;
• interfacing with international institutional partners and third-party organisations, and supporting the establishment and execution of related cross-support agreements, implementation arrangements and contracts;
• supporting operational security matters associated with:  
  • external services: serving as the primary point of contact; 
  • ground station equipment: acting as the interface with the relevant subsystem experts.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

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

Additional requirements

You should also have:

• the ability to work independently and to present complex technical issues clearly and convincingly paired with resource considerations is essential for performing this function effectively;
• be proactive, able to multitask and have strong self-motivation;
• good communication skills for handling a broad range of international interfaces and the ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team are considered a must for this position;
• strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills;
• strong result orientation with the ability to set priorities and present practical and sound solutions both orally and in writing by considering quality, time and resources;
• the ability to manage challenging situations proactively and constructively and to be customer focused;
• knowledge of the Agency and its internal processes, in particular understanding of the context for international cooperation, is an asset.