Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) Manager in the Product Assurance and Safety Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.
After an initial period of training and familiarisation with the Department's mandate, processes and procedures, you will be assigned as support for the Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity (D/RNC) and will report to the Head of the Directorate’s Product Assurance and Safety Office for the specific responsibilities and duties outlined below.
You will join a team of PA&S specialists delivering support to D/RNC programmes that encompass satellite and ground segment systems, including the associated system qualification tools and testbeds. You will contribute your PA&S expertise to system engineering processes and to overall system-level integration, verification, validation and qualification activities.
For the maintenance of professional standards, the implementation of ESA's general PA&S policy and contributions to corporate tasks (such as reviews, standardisation, alerts, lessons learned, etc.), you will report to the Head of the Product Assurance and Safety Department through the Head of the D/RNC Product Assurance and Safety Office.
Your tasks and responsibilities will include:
- establishing and maintaining the PA&S requirements baseline for the particular navigation project’s system-level activities in compliance with ESA’s general PA&S policy;
- reviewing the contractors’ plans, specifications and effort proposed for the implementation of the project’s PA&S programme;
- guiding and monitoring the implementation of PA&S requirements by contractors to assess performance/effectiveness, participating in design reviews and directing the necessary preventive or corrective actions;
- representing ESA in the Boards established within the project for the disposition of non-conformances/failure reviews, test reviews, etc.;
- contributing to the identification and processing of system non-conformances and to the proceedings of the system Non-conformance Review Boards;
- ensuring the implementation of the software product assurance and software configuration management requirements baseline for the particular navigation project’s system-level activities and the development of system tools;
- monitoring the integration and test activities with test-witnessing, mandatory and key inspection points, configuration inspections and quality assurance audits;
- supporting the preparation of the system PA&S dossier for system qualification;
- supporting the definition of the formal acceptance requirements and the conducting of acceptance reviews of all assigned contractual deliverables;
- ensuring the preparation of design trade-offs, analyses and reports using RAMS data to support project decisions;
- supporting security activities as appropriate;
- supporting the implementation and maintenance of the D/RNC Quality Management System;
- supporting the establishment and implementation of standards and best practices in the field of PA&S;
- participating in Agency-level project reviews as well as project internal reviews;
- contributing to the transfer of technical knowledge and lessons learned across the Agency.
When performing these tasks, you will be supported by experts from the project teams and from the ESA Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.
In addition to your project responsibilities, you will support, as necessary, the PA&S Office activities, including improvement initiatives and coordination meetings.
Your duties may also include supporting other activities within your field of expertise.
Knowledge of the PA&S and quality management disciplines
Experience in the management of product assurance for large projects
Knowledge and experience in the technical domains covered by the position
Experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews
Experience with Space Quality Standards and their implementation
Experience with the application of product assurance tools and methods
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 a relevant domain is required for this post together with a minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience.
You should have a background in space systems.
Good knowledge of software and RAMS engineering techniques, preferably in the domain of aerospace development.
Experience in space system ground segments would be considered an asset.
Experience in the security domain would be considered an asset.
Experience in quality auditing and configuration management would be considered an asset.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
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, 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
[email protected].
Important Information and Disclaimer
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.
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations & eligible to acquire the security clearance by their national security administrations.
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 Languages
Please 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.
