Description

Moonlight Navigation Manager, Moonlight Navigation Office, Future Navigation Department, Directorate of Navigation (D/NAV).

Under the direct authority of the Head of the Future Navigation Department, as Moonlight Navigation Manager, you will be responsible for all navigation-related aspects of the Moonlight programme’s activities aimed toward the development of a dedicated lunar-based communication and navigation infrastructure and the provision of the associated lunar services. 

You will ensure the satisfactory implementation of the navigation component of the Moonlight programme in accordance with the defined cost, schedule and technical objectives. You will be represent the Directorate of Navigation on the Moonlight Joint Management Team (JMT) in charge of managing the overall Moonlight programme activities in accordance with the Programme Declaration and ESA rules. You will be integrated into the Moonlight Programme Team, reporting to the Moonlight Programme Manager on a day-to-day basis.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• ensuring the adequate definition and necessary adaptations of the Moonlight navigation mission service requirements in accordance with lunar market and institutional mission needs;
• the definition, consolidation and monitoring of the Moonlight programmatic assumptions in respect of costs, schedule and risks for the navigation component and for the associated reporting to and dialogue with PB-NAV;
• maintaining the coherence of and compliance between the navigation mission objectives of the Moonlight programme and the Moonlight project implementation;
• ensuring close coordination with all D/NAV integrated staff in the Moonlight Integrated Project Team and the adequate implementation of all of the navigation functions and infrastructure of the Moonlight/LCNS Partnership Project (LCNS PP) industrial contract;
• ensuring full coherence between the Moonlight/LCNS PP development and all relevant programmatic external dependencies for all navigation-related aspects;
• promoting and supporting the use of Moonlight navigation services within ESA and by other international partners and contributing to the consolidation of international agreements with other partner agencies concerning the Moonlight programme, notably in respect of lunar navigation-related aspects;
• leading ESA contributions to the consolidation of lunar communication and navigation interoperability standards in close coordination with NASA and relevant international standardisation bodies;
• coordinating all additional ESA lunar navigation-related R&D activities within ESA, ensuring full coherence with the Moonlight programme and the defined ESA lunar navigation roadmap and supporting the definition of the annual Moonlight Technology Workplan and the regular activation of co-funded activities on products, ensuring adequate coverage of navigation technologies and products;
• leading Lunar Pathfinder navigation payload experiment development and integration, as well as the definition and execution of the IoT experimentation campaign, also contributing, as part of the Moonlight Joint Management Team, to the decision items concerning the Lunar Pathfinder mission with a programmatic impact on the navigation payload experiment.
• You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline 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 setting; 
• the ability to organise individual and team 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;
• a 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.