Governance & Business Operations Officer - European Space Agency (Noordwijk)

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:

• Manage internal DG-I processes and policies, lead development and optimization of internal processes in line with operational objectives
• Act as primary point of contact for all DG-I policy and process matters
• Coordinate setup and delivery of corporate, programmatic and independent reviews
• Serve as deputy review/review panel secretary
• Collect and consolidate information at DG-I level to respond to requests and interface with other directorates
• Participate in management team meetings
• Steer development and maintenance of overarching activity plan
• Represent Office of the Inspector General in Agency-wide forums and working groups

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Master's degree in a relevant domain, or Bachelor's degree with an additional four years of relevant professional experience
• Experience: 10 years of relevant professional experience (with master's degree) or 14 years total (with bachelor's degree)
• Key skills: Business process management, Document and configuration management, Facilitating digitalisation processes, MS Office suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Project, Teams, PowerBI and CoPilot, Document Management: DCCM, blue-docs and SharePoint/TeamSite, Web editing: Staffbase or other web editors, Effective communication at managerial and operational level, Leading collaborative activities across ESA, Strong delivery orientation, Ability to remain informed of operational developments

Contract and working arrangements

Working arrangements: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Hiring unit: Director General's Services, Office of the Inspector General.

Position details

Reference

1410960533

Last Verified

24 July 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Governance & Business Operations Officer at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1410960533.

Job Requisition ID:20725

Closing Date:24 July 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:Internal & External

Directorate:Director General's Services

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

## 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

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 3 July 2026, 23 days ago.

The deadline of 24 July 2026 has now passed and this position is no longer accepting applications. Browse other current openings via the links below.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 24 July 2026 (2 days ago).

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 Noordwijk see our Noordwijk 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.