Head of the Optical Instruments Section
Job Requisition ID: 19424
Date Posted: 13 March 2025
Closing Date: 3 April 2025 23:59 CET/CEST
Publication: Internal & External
Type of Contract: Permanent
Directorate: Earth Observation Programmes
Workplace:Noordwijk, NL
Grade Band: A2 - A4

DESCRIPTION

Head of the Optical Instruments Section (EOP-FMO) in the Future Missions and Instruments Division, Future Missions and Architecture Department, Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.

EDUCATION

A PhD or a master’s degree in engineering or applied physics is required for this post.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

You should, in addition, have:

• the potential to manage individuals or a team of experts in a project or R&D setting and the ability to organise their activities;
• 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;
• an innovation mindset, both personally and as a team leader;
• 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;
• at least 10 years of experience in optical instrument engineering, preferably in the EO domain.

People management experience is an asset, as well as international experience, i.e. outside your home country.
Experience of space projects in both the preparatory Phase (0/A/B1) and implementation Phase(B2/C/D/E1) is an asset.

Reporting to the Head of Division, you will work in close cooperation with other staff from the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes (D/EOP), also liaising with the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC) and other Directorates concerned with optical engineering activities.

Your duties will include leading and managing a team of qualified Earth Observation (EO) Future Missions optical instrument engineers to perform the following tasks related to EO optical instruments for the preparation of all ESA EO missions, encompassing research missions (Earth Explorers, Missions of Opportunity), operational missions (Copernicus Sentinels with the EU and meteorology missions with EUMETSAT) and small satellite missions (Scouts and Phi-Sats):

• investigating new EO principles, sensing techniques and technology in coordination with staff in your Department, the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department (EOP-S) and D/TEC, while interfacing with research and technical groups, in particular relevant Science Mission Advisory Groups;
• maintaining knowledge of relevant technological status and instrument research, innovation and development programmes inside and outside ESA, including developments undertaken by other space agencies in Europe and worldwide, as well as commercial initiatives, in close collaboration with the Division’s Technology Coordination and Frequency Management Section (EOP-FMT);
• defining and assessing the performance and technological readiness of new EO optical payloads in close collaboration with the Division’s Mission and System Studies Section (EOP-FMP), taking into account mission, system and programmatic objectives and requirements;
• defining and implementing an overall activity plan for new EO optical instruments and quantum sensing payload systems encompassing engineering studies and risk-retirement activities, such as the development and testing of breadboards and engineering models for instruments as required, including ground-based or airborne models, according to the maturity of concepts and their performance demonstration needs;
• defining, negotiating, initiating and managing industrial contracts for the studies and risk-retirement activities of new instruments, according to the agreed activity plan;
• providing expert support to the Division for the optical payload aspects and quantum sensing of missions undergoing evaluation or preparation, including for the evaluation of mission proposals, preparation of implementation proposals and other programmatic documents;
• defining, developing, maintaining and upgrading optical instrument dimensioning and performance models and tools to assess new instrument concepts;
• coordinating instrument pre-development activities with project teams when required;
• identifying resource requirements, contributing to the preparation of EO instrument activity plans, technology plans, strategy and roadmaps, and programmatic documents.

The above payloads include EO multispectral imagers, imaging spectrometers and Fourier-Transform spectrometers, quantum sensors for EO, and active laser payloads for Earth surface and atmosphere sensing, covering the full wavelength range from ultraviolet to far infrared.
You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.