Contracts Officer (Reserve list) - European Space Agency (Darmstadt)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Space Agency on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Preparing procurement and contract documentation in close cooperation with technical services
• Organising and coordinating all stages of procurement, including issuing invitations to tender
• Verifying compliant submission of proposals and their admissibility
• Evaluating proposals and negotiating contracts with selected economic operators
• Ensuring compliance with key performance indicators (KPIs) and innovation of procurement processes
• Providing guidance for applying relevant legal and industrial policy measures
• Ensuring awareness and understanding of ESA's procurement processes among stakeholders
• Safeguarding compliance of all procurement activities with ESA's rules, regulations, policies and strategies

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Master's or equivalent qualification in law or economics
• Experience: At least six years of relevant professional experience in contracts and/or public procurement gained in a public administration setting, international organisation, business, or specialised law firm
• Languages: English
• Key skills: Extensive knowledge of contract, public procurement and international business law, Understanding of intellectual property issues, Experience with public tendering and contracting, Ability to assess tender documents and draft tailored conditions, Knowledge of European and international business environments, ideally in the space sector, Understanding of financial aspects of contracts, Strong negotiation skills, Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, Customer focus with sound judgement in solving problems, Discretion and integrity

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 24 months on Reserve list.

Hiring unit: Contracts Department, Controlling Finance and Operational Procurement Directorate (CFO), ESOC.

Position details

Reference

1444669633

Last Verified

18 October 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Contracts Officer (Reserve list) at ESA based in Darmstadt (Other). The vacancy reference is 1444669633.

Job Requisition ID:20930

Date Posted:6 October 2026

Closing Date:27 October 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method:Internal & External

This job opening is for the purposes of Reserve list recruitment on multiple positions.

ESA is initiating a Reserve list recruitment process to meet the consistently high demand for Contracts Officers in support of the Agency’s cutting-edge space projects and programmes. This Reserve list will comprise of candidates who have been pre-assessed and pre-approved by the ESA hiring team. If selected, you will remain on the Reserve list for a period of 24 months, during which you will be fast-tracked for positions in upcoming projects. While inclusion in the Reserve list does not guarantee recruitment, it positions you as a valuable resource to fill ESA's future vacancies. When a relevant position arises, your candidacy will be reviewed. In that context, you may be invited to a brief follow-up interview and, if successful, an offer will be made. No action is required on your part if you are placed on a Reserve list; ESA will contact you directly about relevant opportunities.

Location ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

Description

This job requisition within the Contracts Department is intended to build a reserve pool of Contracts Officers, potentially to fill a number of positions, at ESOC. The Contracts Department is part of the Controlling Finance and Operational Procurement Directorate (CFO) and is organised in various divisions and services in support of ESA's programmes directorates. The selected Contracts Officer will be appointed to support those located at ESOC, namely the OPS and RES directorates.

You will be entrusted with procurement activities, which you will implement autonomously in direct collaboration with the relevant initiating services. To ensure the appropriate level of independence, impartiality, transparency and compliance with the procurement tendering and contracting process, you will report directly and in an independent manner to the Head of the relevant Contracts Service.

Duties

The elements below highlight the types of responsibilities and tasks that a Contracts Officers can carry out when supporting space projects and programmes at ESA. Your specific duties will be further defined depending on the final appointment.

- preparing the various elements of the relevant procurement and contract documentation in close cooperation with the relevant technical services. - organising and coordinating all stages of procurement, including issuing the invitations to tender, verifying compliant submission of proposals and their admissibility, - evaluating them, and negotiating the resulting contract with the selected economic operators. - ensuring compliance with the relevant key performance indicators (KPls) and innovation of the procurement processes with a view to improving the time to contract. - providing guidance for applying the relevant, up-to-date legal and industrial policy measures throughout the procurement/tendering and contracting process. - ensuring awareness and understanding of ESA’s procurement/tendering and contracting processes on the part of the relevant stakeholders. - safeguarding full compliance of all assigned procurement activities with ESA’s rules, regulations, policies and strategies. - monitoring the performance of the contracts, including the negotiation of all amendments. - dealing with administrative, contractual, legal and industrial matters that may arise, including matters involving regular and direct interaction with industrial counterparts. - building a relationship of trust with the project managers/technical officers and their respective teams, advising them on all procurement-related matters.

Technical competencies

Extensive knowledge of contract, public procurement and international business law

Understanding of intellectual property issues

Experience with public tendering and contracting

Ability to assess tender documents and draft tailored conditions

Knowledge of European and international business environments, ideally in the space sector

Understanding of financial aspects of contracts

Strong negotiation skills

Behavioural competencies

Education

A master’s or equivalent qualification in law or economics is required for this post.

Additional requirements

- completed advanced studies with a specialisation in (public) contract law; - at least six years of relevant professional experience in contracts and/or public procurement gained in a public administration setting or in an international organisation, - business, or a specialised law firm; - excellent communication skills, both oral and written; - a customer focus, with sound judgement in solving problems; - discretion and integrity; - the ability to interact with multiple international actors and to work collaboratively in a team to achieve organisational goals; - operational efficiency, including excellent planning and organisational skills and the ability to manage several tasks efficiently in parallel; - openness to change and flexibility in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to reflect on experience and adapt your approach accordingly; - the ability to perform consistently, even under pressure; - the ability to grasp new and large-scale/complex concepts quickly; - the ability to understand and formulate contractual and legal texts in English; - the ability to understand issues of a technical and management nature.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 18 October 2026, today.

The application deadline is 27 October 2026, 7 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 18 October 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at ESA see the ESA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Darmstadt see our Darmstadt location page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.