Head of The Programme Planning and Management Support Office

Head of the Programme Planning and Management Support Office

**Job Requisition ID**:19718

**Date Posted**:4 July 2025

**Closing Date**:2 September 2025 23:59 CET/CEST

**Publication**:Internal & External

**Type of Contract**:Permanent

**Directorate**:Science

**Workplace**:Noordwijk, NL
- Villanueva de la Cañada, ES

**Grade Band**:A5 - A5

**Location**
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands or ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain.

**Description**
As Head of the Programme Planning & Management Support Office (SCI-M), you will report directly to the Director of Science, and be responsible for the Directorate’s overall workforce and financial resources planning, controlling and reporting. The Office provides project control and management support services to all units of the Directorate. The role also includes the responsibilities of the Senior Financial Controller (SFC) for the Directorate and will report functionally to the Head of the Finance, Planning and Controlling Department.**Duties**
As the Head of SCI-M you will be responsible for leading and managing the Office in carrying out its tasks, which include:
- supporting D/SCI in the definition of the Programme's long-term strategy by ensuring its alignment with the long-term financial plan and the corresponding long-term resource plan;
- consolidating and maintaining short-, medium
- and long-term plans for all activities of the Directorate, as well as related schedules, financial plans, workforce plans (staff and contractors), procurement plans;
- defining the Directorate’s budgets and the budgetary flexibility margins, including managing the Scientific Programme contingency;
- monitoring the progress of the Directorate activities and controlling that financial commitments, workforce planning, procurements and contractual agreements are within the established Directorate targets and the Agency’s corporate policies;
- support the implementation of the geo-return policy of the Programme, in accordance with the Agency's strategy, and in coordination with SCI-D and the relevant implementation organizational units;
- coordinating the implementation of risk management for all activities of the Directorate, providing the SCI risk coordination function and representing the Directorate in the Agency’s Network of Risk Coordinators;
- providing project control, schedule control, logistics and risk management support to all operational units of the Directorate and contributing to/participating in the relevant reviews for the Directorate’s missions;
- in close coordination with D/CIC, advising and supporting the Director and senior management in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s industrial policy;
in close coordination with D/HIF, performing workforce planning and resource management across the Directorate, including the Directorate management of manpower frame contracts;
- facilitating payload planning and development in Member States, including overseeing the PRODEX Programme, in full coordination with SCI-F which will provide payload technology expertise and technical hardware.

**Technical competencies**
Program and project controlling including risk managementBudgeting, cost control and resources and activities planningCost and financial regulatory framework, including accounting standards and auditingExtensive knowledge of controlling related information systemsUnderstanding of the relevant ESA procurement regulationsKnowledge of industrial policy and geo-return reporting**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 Business Administration or Engineering in a relevant field is required for this post.**Additional requirements**
Proven experience in the area of project and programme management and controlling is required.

In addition, you are expected to have:
- proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team;
- the ability to provide strategic direction to the individuals and teams within the Office;
- the ability to drive performance and foster cooperation within and across teams throughout the organisation;
- demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management;
- excellent 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.
People management experience is required, international experience is an asset, including outside your home c