Description

Under the direct authority of the HRE Business Control and Management Support Group Leader, the Mars & Beyond Project Control Team Leader will be responsible for the project control activities undertaken in support of the Mars & Beyond (HRE-M) Group within the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes.

The Mars & Beyond Project Control Team Leader supports the Mars & Beyond Group Leader in the management of the Group’s project activities relating to cost, schedule and risk and its interface with international partners and ESA-internal activities.

Duties

You will lead the team of project controllers assigned to the Mars & Beyond Project Control Team, providing project management and control support to all the projects of the Mars & Beyond Group to enable on-time, at-cost and quality delivery, including:

• preparing, developing and maintaining the project Cost at Completion (CaC), including annual cost;
• plans, procurement plans and manpower planning, as well as associated reporting activities;
• consolidating information on schedule, cost and risks in order to provide to senior management an integrated view of the programmatic status of the project;
• coordinating project risk management and related risk reporting;
• monitoring industry compliance with established formal requirements for management, costs, schedule, risks, industrial return and reporting, including deviations from plans and trends;
• maintaining project schedules and milestone trends;
• monitoring financial commitments for compliance with budgetary provisions and financial regulations;
• monitoring ESA-internal expenditure, including recharges and support services;
• coordinating the financial, accounting and fixed asset management activities of the projects and ensuring IPSAS compliance;
• ensuring and coordinating the Project Control participation in the procurement process by preparing and following up ESA tender actions and subsequently participating in tender evaluation boards and negotiations with industry;
• participation in change control boards and change review boards;
• tracking industrial return information for both reporting and forecasting;
• coordinating the preparation of project plans and supporting the related independent assessment and project reviews (IPRevs);
• monitoring of the Group’s budget and allocation to the projects and to group-level activities;
• participating, on behalf of the HRE Business Control and Management Support Group, in Agency-wide working groups if and when required;
• managing the team’s workforce and ensuring its professional competencies are enhanced;
• assisting the HRE Business Control and Management Support Group Leader in operating and, where needed, introducing uniform procedures for the management and control of all project matters within the Mars & Beyond Group.

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

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree with a specialisation in business administration 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 or R&D 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.