Governance & Business Operations Officer

Job Requisition ID: 20725

Date Posted: 3 July 2026

Application Deadline: 24 July 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication: Internal & External

Type of Appointment : 4 years, extendable to indefinite

Directorate: Director General's Services

Workplace: Noordwijk, NL

Grade Band : A2 - A4

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description
Governance and Business Operations Officer, Inspector General, Director General’s Services

As Governance and Business Operations Officer, you will report hierarchically to the Inspector General and functionally to the Heads of Office, as per the assigned activity.

The Office of the Inspector General (DG-I) is mandated with strengthening the performance of ESA’s projects and programmes, implemented via a wide range of activities that involve conducting technical and programmatic reviews, inquiry boards and investigations. It is the ESA Independent Project Management Authority (IPMA). ‘

You will support the Office of the Inspector General in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, lead/participate in any operational activities mandated by the Inspector General or the Heads of Offices, e.g. working groups, reviews, etc., and facilitate cooperation and information exchange among the various offices as well as with the ESA directorates.

Duties

• Manage internal DG-I processes and policies: lead, participate in and contribute to the development and optimisation of internal processes, policies and initiatives in line with the DG-I’s operational objectives and ESA’s strategic direction. Drive the development, revision and streamlining of project management processes and practices, in direct support of the Inspector General and the Heads of DG-I Offices. Act as the primary point of contact for all DG-I policy and process matters, ensuring compliance with Agency-wide protocols and promoting alignment with ESA QMS and the DG-I Processes Handbook.
• Participate in DG-I reviews and assessments: coordinate the setup and successful delivery of corporate, programmatic and independent reviews, ensuring the proper setup in eRIDS, stakeholder engagement, and resource coordination across multidisciplinary teams and external partners. Serve as the deputy review/review panel secretary and ensure rigorous reporting and actionable outcomes from those reviews.
• Participation in management activities : collect and consolidate information at DG-I level from internal and external sources to respond to requests and interface with other directorates/corporate functions. Provide content and discuss main topics and follow-up actions with the management team. Participate in the management team meetings. Steer the development and maintenance of the overarching activity plan, ensuring robust tracking of deliverables and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Cross-directorate influence and representation : represent the Office of the Inspector General in Agency-wide or programmatic forums and activities as delegated by DG-I management, through participation in key Working Groups, Boards and Committees. Lead cross-directorate initiatives to advance organisational priorities and foster innovation.
• Digital transformation and tools: lead and promote the adoption and optimisation of digital tools and systems to enhance operational efficiency and internal transitions that ensure knowledge sharing. Act as the business owner for IT system development, ensuring business requirements are translated into robust technical solutions. Implement advanced monitoring mechanisms, such as dashboards and performance schedules, to support data-driven management.
• Foster continuous improvement : actively seek out opportunities for process optimisation and innovation within DG-I, encouraging feedback from team members and stakeholders to drive continuous improvement initiatives by engaging teams and stakeholders, leveraging feedback to maximise organisational effectiveness. Support the adoption of best practices by monitoring industry trends and integrating relevant developments into DG-I operations.
• Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: foster a collaborative, high-performance environment by championing information sharing, knowledge transfer and strategic partnerships both within DG-I and with key external stakeholders.
• Knowledge management and communications: ensure rigorous management of DG-I documentation in blue-docs, and oversee timely distribution to all relevant audiences. Direct the ongoing development and content management of the DG-I intranet site, and coordinate impactful communications in partnership with the Communication Department.
• Additional executive responsibilities: undertake any other DG-I management duties as required, demonstrating adaptability and commitment to the organisation’s evolving strategic needs.

Technical competencies
Experience in business process management

Experience in document and configuration management

Experience in facilitating digitalisation processes

MS Office suite: proficient use of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Project, Teams, PowerBI and CoPilot

Document Management: DCCM, blue-docs and SharePoint/TeamSite

Web editing: Staffbase or other web editors

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 degree in a relevant domain together with 10 years of relevant professional experience is required for this post. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor’s degree, complemented by an additional four (4) years of relevant professional experience can be considered.

Additional requirements

• Ability to communicate effectively both at managerial and operational level
• Ability to lead activities that require collaboration with various actors across ESA
• Strong delivery orientation
• Ability to remain informed of operational developments
• Affinity for learning and multi-tasking

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 Se e-mailadresse på jobbank.dk .

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, 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.