Head of Council and Corporate Committees Section

European Space Agency (ESA); Paris; On-site; EUR 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

European Space Agency (ESA) headquarters in Paris seeks a Head of the Council and Corporate Committees Section to organise and coordinate ESA Council, AFC, and IPC meetings with high-level stakeholders. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, drive governance processes, and ensure compliant, timely decision support for senior management in a multinational environment.

You will work closely with the Director General and Council Secretariat, developing standardised processes and digital tools to

Qualifications

• A master's in law, political science, public administration, international relations, business administration or another relevant discipline is required.
• 10 years of relevant professional experience is normally expected.
• Experience in governance support, board or committee management, and stakeholder relations is required.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing high-level institutional events is highly desirable.
• Excellent command of English and French; knowledge of German or another ESA language is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end organisation and coordination of ESA Council, AFC, and IPC meetings, including agenda planning and document submission.
• Coordinate preparation of agendas, briefing material and decision-support documentation for senior leaders.
• Coordinate and support Governing Body Secretaries across ESA and harmonise practices.
• Manage accreditation, interpretation services and digital tools for governance meetings.
• Lead organisation of Ministerial Councils and high-level institutional events; drive process improvement and digitalisation.

Skills

Governance frameworks

Institutional decision-making

Committee management

Project and programme management

Leadership and people management

Stakeholder management

Multinational environment

Negotiation and conflict resolution

Communication skills

Digital tools for governance

Education

Master's in law, political science, public administration, international relations, business administration or related field

Job description

Location
ESA Headquarters, Paris, France

Description

Reporting to the Head of the Director General Support & Member States Relations Division (DG-OD), the Head of the Council and Corporate Committees Section is responsible for ensuring the effective organisation, coordination and delivery of ESA Council and corporate committee secretariat functions and meetings, including Council meetings at ministerial level.

The Section plays a central role in supporting ESA governance by enabling timely, transparent, high-quality decision-making processes in compliance with the ESA Convention, Council Rules of Procedure and institutional standards. If selected for this role, you will work closely with the Director General, Council Chair, Member State delegations, Council Secretary, Programme Board and Committee Secretaries and ESA directorates to ensure effective governance support and coordination across the Agency.

As part of the ongoing evolution of the Director General's support functions, the Section is initially established within DG-OD and is expected to become part of a dedicated Division of Council and Subordinate Bodies (DG-OB), planned for creation in 2027. This evolution is intended to further strengthen ESA's governance support functions and does not affect the responsibilities associated with the post.

Duties

• manage the end-to-end organisation and coordination of ESA Council, Administrative and Finance Committee (AFC) and Industrial Policy Committee (IPC) meetings, including agenda planning, scheduling, document submission processes and stakeholder consultations;
• coordinate the preparation of agendas, briefing material and decision-support documentation for the Director General, Directors, Council Chair, Head of Cabinet and Council Secretary as well as senior management;
• coordinate and support the network of Governing Body Secretaries across ESA, fostering harmonised working methods, information sharing and best practices, while contributing to the consistent implementation of the strategic governance approach led by the Head of Division;
• manage accreditation processes, interpretation services and associated digital tools required for governance meetings;
• lead the organisation and coordination of Ministerial Councils, intermediate Ministerial meetings, preparatory workshops and related high-level institutional events;
• develop, implement and continuously improve standardised processes, practices and digital tools supporting governance activities;
• foster process harmonisation and alignment with other ESA governance and delegate bodies;
• lead and develop a multidisciplinary team, ensuring effective delegation, objective setting, performance management and staff development;
• contribute to the continuous improvement and digitalisation of governance support processes across ESA.

Technical competencies

• Knowledge of governance frameworks, institutional decision-making processes and committee management
• Knowledge of the ESA Convention, Council Rules of Procedure and corporate governance practices
• Legal expertise or experience in legal consideration will be considered an asset
• Project and programme management skills
• Planning and organisation of complex, high-level meetings and events
• Process improvement, standardisation and digital transformation
• Stakeholder management in multinational and politically sensitive environments
• Team leadership and people management
• Negotiation and conflict resolution
• Management of collaboration, documentation and meeting-management digital tools
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in an international environment

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 and professional experience

A master's in law, political science, public administration, international relations, business administration or another relevant discipline is required for this post together with, in principle, 10 years of relevant professional experience.

Experience in governance support, institutional affairs, board or committee management, Member State relations or comparable senior stakeholder environments is required. Experience in leading multidisciplinary teams and managing high-level institutional events is highly desirable.

Additional requirements

• Proven ability to lead and motivate a multidisciplinary team in a complex organisational environment.
• Demonstrated experience working with senior executives, governing bodies, Member State representatives or equivalent high-level stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, relationship management and communication skills.
• Ability to drive performance and foster cooperation across organisational boundaries.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes under significant time pressure.
• Strong analytical, planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to develop pragmatic, solution-oriented approaches in politically sensitive and high-visibility environments.
• Experience in process improvement, organisational change and digitalisation initiatives would be considered an asset.
• Experience working in an international environment and across multiple functional domains is highly desirable.
• Excellent command of English and French, both spoken and written. Knowledge of German or another ESA Member State language would be an asset
• The potential to manage individuals or a team of experts.
• The ability to organise their 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.
• 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 [e-mail] .

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.

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.