Job Description

Head of the Galileo Ground Segment Security Monitoring Procurement Service

Job Requisition ID: 20158

Date Posted: 4 February 2026

Closing Date: 25 February 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication: Internal & External

Type of Appointment: 4 years, extendable to indefinite

Directorate: Navigation

Workplace:

Noordwijk, NL

Grade Band: A2 - A4

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Head of the Galileo Ground Segment Security Monitoring Procurement Service in the Galileo Ground Segment Management Office, Galileo and EGNOS Programme Department, Directorate of Navigation.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

monitoring and coordinating all the contractual, technical and programmatic industrial activities that form part of the Galileo Ground Segment Security Monitoring Infrastructure (SECMON) contract, in the role of Technical Officer, within the agreed technical, schedule and cost requirements, and managing the associated risks;
managing the technical baseline applicable to the Galileo Ground Segment SECMON;
managing the overall design, development and validation/qualification activities relating to the SECMON and monitored entities, including satellite events, and contributing to the definition of related operations;
organising and implementing SECMON reviews (PDR, DKP, CDR, DRB-QR, Acceptance and End of Contract) in a timely manner;
preparing the SECMON contributions to support the system compatibility test campaigns, as well as SECMON contributions to system tests, and providing support to the deployment of SECMON assets on site;
managing the maintenance activities relating to SECMON until their handover to EUSPA/GSOp;
preparing and executing the contractual changes to the existing SECMON contracts;
contributing to R&D activities as part of Horizon Europe, G2 Galileo or NAVISP initiatives;
preparing invitations to tender for the evolution of the security monitoring contracts, evaluating and negotiating the proposals and organising the Tender Evaluation Board process;
coordinating with the Ground Mission Segment and Ground Control Segment Units as well as the EUSPA service facilities for the implementation and verification of the interfaces between SECMON and the monitored entities.

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

Technical competencies

Knowledge and experience of satellite ground navigation systems, cyber security and security monitoring systems, including their operations, architecture and implementation

Solid experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews

Experience with the development and procurement of software/security-intensive ground systems

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

A master’s degree in security, physics, computer science or engineering is required for this post.

Additional requirements

You should have substantial experience in managing phase C/D projects, and a strong background in cyber security, security monitoring design, manufacturing and testing.

You should also demonstrate hands-on experience in the definition, development, integration, verification and deployment of ground segment facilities (hardware and software) and services, such as security, communications, operations and maintenance, in a security environment.

You must have at least five years of technical experience in a field directly related to the position.

In addition, you should have:

knowledge and experience of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe);
knowledge of team collaboration tools, such as JIRA and Confluence.

You should also 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.

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 contact.human.resources@esa.int.

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, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented 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.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.