Governance and Business Operations Specialist (Reserve list)

Job Posting Organization:
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the exploration of space. Established in 1975, ESA has grown to include 22 member states and employs over 2,200 staff members. The agency's mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA operates across multiple countries, with its headquarters located in Paris, France, and various establishments across Europe, including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Job Overview:
The Governance and Business Operations Specialist plays a crucial role in ensuring the effective coordination, quality, and alignment of corporate governance and operational processes across the European Space Agency. This position is designed to support the agency's cutting-edge space projects and programs by acting as a key interface between various stakeholders. The specialist will contribute to the reliability, consistency, and efficiency of the agency's activities, which are essential for well-informed decision-making and the sound execution of business processes. The role involves enabling and structuring complex processes while ensuring the integrity, timeliness, and compliance of documentation, data, workflows, and stakeholder interactions. The specialist will also be responsible for providing structured coordination of management activities, ensuring effective planning, monitoring, and follow-up of a portfolio of priorities and activities. This position is part of a reserve list recruitment process, meaning that selected candidates will be pre-assessed and pre-approved for future vacancies, allowing for a fast-tracked hiring process when relevant positions arise.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Governance and Business Operations Specialist will have a diverse set of responsibilities, which may include:

• Coordinating the end-to-end preparation, execution, and follow-up of organizational processes that contribute to the delivery of the agency's programs, projects, and activities.
• Ensuring coherence, timeliness, and alignment of inputs across contributing organizational units, identifying dependencies, and supporting their resolution.
• Structuring and managing workflows and planning cycles to ensure efficient, consistent, and compliant execution of activities.
• Acting as a key operational interface with internal and external stakeholders, including Member State delegations, institutional partners, and industry.
• Facilitating alignment across stakeholders by ensuring clear, structured, and timely exchanges of information, data, and documentation.
• Ensuring that outputs such as documentation, data, tender actions, and governance artifacts meet applicable rules, standards, and regulatory frameworks.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement and digitalization of communication, coordination, and workflow processes.
• Monitoring timelines, deliverables, and performance indicators, ensuring follow-up of actions and decisions.
• Coordinating and monitoring the planning and execution of departmental activities, ensuring alignment of priorities, schedules, and deliverables across organizational units. 1
• Overseeing and ensuring alignment of administrative and operational processes, contributing to their efficiency, traceability, and compliance.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a vocational qualification (EQF level 5) in a relevant discipline, along with a minimum of four years of relevant, post-related professional experience. Additional requirements include knowledge in specific domains such as procurement and contracting processes, HR administration and payroll frameworks, planning, budgeting and controlling, and industrial policy and geo-return processes. The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships is essential, as is a strong command of English and French. Knowledge of another Member State language, as well as relevant specialized education, advanced training, or certification, would be considered an asset.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a vocational qualification at EQF level 5 in a relevant discipline. This could encompass fields such as business administration, management, or other related areas that provide the necessary skills and knowledge for the role. Candidates should also have a strong foundation in governance processes and operational management, which is critical for the effective execution of the responsibilities outlined in the job description.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of four years of relevant, post-related professional experience. This experience should ideally be in roles that involve governance, business operations, or project management within a complex organizational environment. Candidates should demonstrate a proven track record of successfully managing operational processes, coordinating with multiple stakeholders, and contributing to the improvement of organizational efficiency.

Languages:
A strong command of English and French is mandatory for this position, as these are the working languages of the European Space Agency. Additionally, knowledge of another Member State language would be considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to communicate effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders across the agency's member states.

Additional Notes:
This position is part of a reserve list recruitment process, meaning that candidates selected for the reserve list will not be guaranteed immediate employment but will be fast-tracked for future vacancies. The reserve list will remain active for a period of 24 months. The role is full-time and may involve working in various locations across Europe, including Noordwijk, Porz-Wahn, Harwell, Redu, Frascati, Villanueva de la Cañada, Darmstadt, and Paris. The European Space Agency is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in its workforce and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability, or other characteristics.