Secure Connectivity Low TRL Technology Development Coordinator - 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:

• Act as focal point for all ESA-PP derisking activities, ensuring unified programmatic interface
• Coordinate with system, space, and ground segment offices to ensure coherent implementation of ESA-PP derisking activities
• Promote and facilitate engagement of European industry in ESA-PP activities, identifying and onboarding innovative technology providers
• Oversee activities related to development, maturation, and validation of low-TRL technologies across system, space, ground and user terminal domains
• Monitor industrial work for low-TRL developments, ensuring full programmatic compliance
• Contribute to management of ESA-PP budgets and coordinate resource allocation
• Support analysis of requests for changes, waivers and deviations, providing strategic recommendations
• Coordinate planning and implementation of technical reviews and milestones for low-TRL developments

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline required; alternatively, bachelor's degree with an additional 4 years of relevant professional experience may be considered
• Experience: 10 years of relevant professional experience required with master's degree; or 14 years total with bachelor's degree
• Key skills: Multidisciplinary knowledge of satellite system design, development and verification, Experience in derisking and validating early-stage technologies (low-TRL), Multiple parallel project coordination and management within telecommunications domain, Management and procurement of industrial activities, Technical and contractual negotiation skills, Technology maturation processes expertise, Industrial engagement promotion skills, Ability to harmonise and integrate technical inputs from multidisciplinary teams, Risk management skills with focus on early-stage technical deviations, Strong problem-solving skills
• Eligibility: Experience of working in projects with a security dimension would be beneficial

Contract and working arrangements

Hiring unit: Secure Connectivity Programme Department, Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity.

Position details

Reference

1433029833

Last Verified

17 September 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Secure Connectivity Low TRL Technology Development Coordinator at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1433029833.

Job Requisition ID:20842

Date Posted:3 September 2026

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

Publication:Internal & External

Directorate:Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

Secure Connectivity Low TRL Technology Development Coordinator within the Secure Connectivity Programme Department in the Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity.

The ESA Programme Related to EU Secure Connectivity, referred to as Secure Connectivity, is intended to support the effective development and validation of the EU Secure Connectivity governmental infrastructure and the services provided by it, as well as the validation and demonstration of services based on the commercial infrastructure developed by the contractor(s) delivering the EU Secure Connectivity governmental infrastructure.

Reporting to the Head of the Secure Connectivity Programme Department, you will be responsible for the implementation and delivery of low-TRL technologies (mostly equipment level) across the system, space segment, ground segment and user terminal domains.

In your role, you will ensure project implementation and delivery of all related work packages, in close coordination with the system, space segment and ground segment offices.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

- acting as focal point in the department for all ESA-PP derisking activities, ensuring a unified programmatic interface; - coordinating with the system, space, and ground segment offices of the Department to ensure the coherent implementation and delivery of ESA-PP derisking activities; - promoting and facilitating the engagement of European industry in ESA-PP activities, identifying and onboarding innovative technology providers to enhance the competitiveness and diversity of the Secure Connectivity supply chain; - overseeing the activities related to development, maturation, and validation of low-TRL technologies and equipment across the system, space, ground and user terminal domains; - monitoring industrial work for low-TRL developments, ensuring full programmatic compliance; - contributing to the management of ESA-PP budgets and coordinating through the department offices the allocation of resources dedicated to the ESA-PP activities; - supporting the analysis of requests for changes, waivers and deviations, providing strategic recommendations supporting management decisions; - coordinating the planning and implementation of technical reviews and milestones for low-TRL developments, ensuring the participation of relevant department offices and the timely assessment of technology maturity; - providing regular reports to project management, identifying technical risk areas in low-TRL developments and proposing proactive mitigation measures; - contributing to the management of the master schedule for technology maturation and proposing schedule risk mitigation actions to safeguard the IRIS² timeline; - supporting the Head of the Secure Connectivity Department and relevant Office Heads in coordinating specialised engineering support and functional team management.

Technical competencies

Multidisciplinary knowledge of satellite system design, development and verification, with specific experience in derisking and validating early-stage technologies (low-TRL)

Experience in multiple parallel project coordination and management within the telecommunications domain, ensuring the delivery of project activities within established budget, schedule and performance baselines

Expertise in the management and procurement of industrial activities, including the ability to steer technical and contractual negotiations and lead cross-functional technical reviews

Experience in technology maturation processes, specifically in navigating the transition from experimental R&D (low-TRL) to flight-ready equipment (high-TRL)

Skills in promoting industrial engagement, with the ability to identify and onboard innovative technology providers and SMEs to enhance the Secure Connectivity supply chain

Ability to harmonise and integrate technical inputs from multidisciplinary teams, providing cohesive recommendations to senior management and relevant Office Heads

Robust risk management skills, with a focus on identifying early-stage technical deviations in R&D and implementing effective mitigation strategies to safeguard programme health

Behavioural competencies

Education and professional experience

A master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline is required for this post together with 10 years of relevant professional experience. Alternatively, candidates with a bachelor’s degree and an additional 4 years of relevant professional experience may be considered.

Additional requirements

- strong problem-solving skills to deal with day-to-day operational challenges, together with demonstrated planning and organisational skills; - strong results 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; - experience of working in projects with a security dimension would be beneficial.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 3 September 2026, 14 days ago.

The application deadline is 24 September 2026, 5 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 17 September 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 Noordwijk see our Noordwijk location page.

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