Spacecraft Manager

European Space Agency; Noordwijk; Remote; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

European Space Agency, based in Noordwijk, Netherlands, seeks a Spacecraft Manager for the NewAthena mission to lead spacecraft procurement, interface management, and risk-driven program execution. The role reports to the NewAthena Project Manager and involves coordinating with international partners and NASA on complex Phase B2/C/D/E1 activities.

The ideal candidate has a master's in engineering and 15+ years in space projects, with strong leadership and contract-management skills.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in engineering and at least 15 years of space project management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary spacecraft teams and manage complex procurements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the procurement of the spacecraft and ensure compliance with performance, schedule and cost.
• Oversee ITT documentation for Phase B2/C/D/E1.
• Manage industry contracts and evaluate designs, hardware and software solutions.
• Coordinate flow-down of mission requirements to spacecraft elements and interfaces.
• Implement risk management and project management processes for spacecraft elements.
• Support in-orbit commissioning and overall mission system commissioning.

Skills

People leadership

Project management

Space systems knowledge

Risk management

Contract management

Education

Master's degree in engineering

Job description

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Closing Date: 24 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method: Internal & External

Type of Appointment ( learn more) : 4 years, extendable to indefinite

You will join the NewAthena team in the Projects Department of the Directorate of Science, and will functionally report to the NewAthena Project Manager.
NewAthena, the Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics, is an X-ray observatory aiming to investigate hot structures in the Universe and black holes. It is an L‑class mission in the Cosmic Vision Plan, following JUICE and LISA. NewAthena is the new name of the ATHENA mission. It will deliver world‑class science and will have significant public and strategic impact. The mission itself is of extreme complexity, involving 60 institutes from 16 European countries as well as significant involvement from NASA.
ESA is responsible for the mission at a whole, including the procurement of a highly complex spacecraft and the launch vehicle, as well as the development of the payload and ground segment.
As the NewAthena Spacecraft Manager, your role will be to manage the procurement of the spacecraft, ensuring compliance with performance, schedule and cost requirements. The number of enabling technologies (from international cooperations) and technical risks are significantly higher than the most technologically advanced science missions. The management of the technical and programmatic risks and compliance with the schedule will be your main challenges.
You will manage a team in charge of the aspects relating to system engineering and spacecraft procurement.
For candidates currently in the A2–A4 grade band, a regrade to A5 will take effect following the selection of the NewAthena prime contractor.

Duties

• Supporting the NewAthena Project Manager in the creation of the Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation for the industrial contract for Phase B2/C/D/E1;
• Ensuring the completion of the spacecraft activities within the agreed budget and schedule (Phases B2/C/D/E1);
• Managing the industrial activities and evaluating the proposed designs, hardware and software solutions, to ensure full compliance with scientific, technical and programmatic requirements and constraints;
• Ensuring the proper flow-down of the mission‑level requirements to the different elements of the spacecraft and its interfaces;
• Ensuring the conformity of the system design with the mission requirements, in coordination with payload and mission performance teams;
• Ensuring the NewAthena space segment requirements, including the satellite to instrument, launcher and ground segment interfaces, are complete and met;
• Ensuring a complete verification programme for the space segment;
• Ensuring that the industrial contracts are established in a timely manner and thoroughly managed to completion;
• Contributing to the development of independent means to verify analytically the mission‑level requirements;
• Contributing to the assembly, integration and testing activities of the different spacecraft elements and the overall spacecraft in very close cooperation with the Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) manager;
• Implementing the NewAthena risk management process agreed at mission level for the spacecraft elements, while identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the technical, programmatic, health and safety risks in your area of responsibility;
• Implementing project management and product assurance and safety processes for the spacecraft elements;
• Ensuring the in‑orbit commissioning of the spacecraft, and supporting the overall mission system commissioning in conjunction with the mission performance manager;
• Contributing and ensuring the proper engineering support during the spacecraft‑level test and launch campaigns;
• Leading ESA and industrial teams to ensure that the project goals are achieved;
• Leading NASA contributions, for instance for cryocooler and isolation assembly;

Assigning performance objectives and assessing the performance of the members of the Section, and motivating the team to ensure commitment to project goals as part of your team management responsibilities;

Interfacing and coordinating the required technical support as applicable;

Participating in other tasks of the Project and the Projects Department as requested.

When performing these tasks, you will lead a team of project engineers and will liaise closely with the other sections involved in the Project. You will also be supported by specialised engineering support from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

Experience in space project management, including complex project risk management processes

Technical understanding of space systems, and science instruments in particular

Industry contractor management

Interface management (internal to the spacecraft and external to the payload, launcher and ground segment)

Strong leadership skills

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

A master's degree in engineering is required for this post together with, in principle, 15 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

Significant experience (minimum 15 years) in the development and operations of scientific projects. Solid experience in the space field is required, including relevant experience in project engineering and managing industrial partners.
You should also have the following:

• Proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team of engineers
• Proven experience in Phase C/D/E1 and a track record of successful procurements with industry
• The ability to provide strategic direction to the individuals within the team and to relate team objectives to the overall, evolving organisational goals and context
• The ability to drive performance and foster cooperation within and across teams throughout the organisation
• Demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills, both oral and written
• A proven track record of representing the Agency’s interests to external interfaces
• Excellent cognitive, analytical, delegation, planning and organisational skills
• The ability to anticipate problems, solve complex issues and relate situations to their context
• The ability to reach solution‑oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity as well as to support others (team members, upper management, other stakeholders) in this process
• Knowledge of agency procedures (IPRev, AC/IPC, reviews, etc.) would be an asset

People management experience is required, international experience is an asset, including outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.
Mobility is inherent to management functions and this position may be subject to rotation.Therefore, mobility opportunities may be offered to you as part of your career evolution at ESA, starting after approximately five years in this role.

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
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.

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.