Spacecraft Manager - 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:

• Supporting the NewAthena Project Manager in creation of Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation for industrial contract for Phase B2/C/D/E1
• Ensuring completion of spacecraft activities within agreed budget and schedule
• Managing industrial activities and evaluating proposed designs, hardware and software solutions
• Ensuring proper flow-down of mission-level requirements to spacecraft elements and interfaces
• Ensuring conformity of system design with mission requirements in coordination with payload and mission performance teams
• Ensuring NewAthena space segment requirements are complete and met
• Ensuring complete verification programme for space segment
• Ensuring industrial contracts are established timely and thoroughly managed

Are you eligible?

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

• Education: Master's degree in engineering
• Experience: 15 years of relevant professional experience; significant experience (minimum 15 years) in development and operations of scientific projects; solid experience in space field including relevant experience in project engineering and managing industrial partners; proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team of engineers; proven experience in Phase C/D/E1 and track record of success…
• Key skills: Space project management including complex project risk management processes, Technical understanding of space systems and science instruments, Industry contractor management, Interface management (internal to spacecraft and external to payload, launcher and ground segment), Strong leadership skills, Team management experience, Strategic direction and relating team objectives to organizational goals, Driving performance and fostering cooperation within and across teams, Excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills (oral and written), Representing Agency's interests to external interfaces
• Eligibility: Knowledge of agency procedures (IPRev, AC/IPC, reviews, etc.) would be an asset; international experience is an asset; mobility is inherent to management functions and position may be subject to rotation after approximately five years

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: 4 years, extendable to indefinite.

Working arrangements: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Hiring unit: Projects Department of the Directorate of Science.

Position details

Reference

1453904733

Last Verified

6 November 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Spacecraft Manager at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1453904733.

Job Requisition ID:21183

Date Posted:3 November 2026

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

Publication Method:Internal & External

Type of Appointment (learn more):4 years, extendable to indefinite

Location ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Description

You will join the NewAthena team in the Projects Department of the Directorate of Science, and will functionally report to the NewAthena Project Manager.

NewAthena, the Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics, is an X-ray observatory aiming to investigate hot structures in the Universe and black holes. It is an L-class mission in the Cosmic Vision Plan, following JUICE and LISA. NewAthena is the new name of the ATHENA mission. It will deliver world-class science and will have significant public and strategic impact. The mission itself is of extreme complexity, involving 60 institutes from 16 European countries as well as significant involvement from NASA.

ESA is responsible for the mission at a whole, including the procurement of a highly complex spacecraft and the launch vehicle, as well as the development of the payload and ground segment.

As the NewAthena Spacecraft Manager, your role will be to manage the procurement of the spacecraft, ensuring compliance with performance, schedule and cost requirements. The number of enabling technologies (from international cooperations) and technical risks are significantly higher than the most technologically advanced science missions. The management of the technical and programmatic risks and compliance with the schedule will be your main challenges.

You will manage a team in charge of the aspects relating to system engineering and spacecraft procurement.

For candidates currently in the A2–A4 grade band, a regrade to A5 will take effect following the selection of the NewAthena prime contractor.

Duties

- Supporting the NewAthena Project Manager in the creation of the Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation for the industrial contract for Phase B2/C/D/E1; - Ensuring the completion of the spacecraft activities within the agreed budget and schedule (Phases B2/C/D/E1); - Managing the industrial activities and evaluating the proposed designs, hardware and software solutions, to ensure full compliance with scientific, technical and programmatic requirements and constraints; - Ensuring the proper flow-down of the mission-level requirements to the different elements of the spacecraft and its interfaces; - Ensuring the conformity of the system design with the mission requirements, in coordination with payload and mission performance teams; - Ensuring the NewAthena space segment requirements, including the satellite to instrument, launcher and ground segment interfaces, are complete and met; - Ensuring a complete verification programme for the space segment; - Ensuring that the industrial contracts are established in a timely manner and thoroughly managed to completion; - Contributing to the development of independent means to verify analytically the mission-level requirements; - Contributing to the assembly, integration and testing activities of the different spacecraft elements and the overall spacecraft in very close cooperation with the Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) manager; - Implementing the NewAthena risk management process agreed at mission level for the spacecraft elements, while identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the technical, programmatic, health and safety risks in your area of responsibility; - Implementing project management and product assurance and safety processes for the spacecraft elements; - Ensuring the in-orbit commissioning of the spacecraft, and supporting the overall mission system commissioning in conjunction with the mission performance manager; - Contributing and ensuring the proper engineering support during the spacecraft-level test and launch campaigns; - Leading ESA and industrial teams to ensure that the project goals are achieved; - Leading NASA contributions, for instance for cryocooler and isolation assembly; - Assigning performance objectives and assessing the performance of the members of the Section, and motivating the team to ensure commitment to project goals as part of your team management responsibilities;

- Interfacing and coordinating the required technical support as applicable;

- Participating in other tasks of the Project and the Projects Department as requested.

When performing these tasks, you will lead a team of project engineers and will liaise closely with the other sections involved in the Project. You will also be supported by specialised engineering support from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

Technical competencies

Experience in space project management, including complex project risk management processes

Technical understanding of space systems, and science instruments in particular

Industry contractor management

Interface management (internal to the spacecraft and external to the payload, launcher and ground segment)

Strong leadership skills

Team management experience

Behavioural competencies

Education and professional experience

A master's degree in engineering is required for this post together with, in principle, 15 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

Significant experience (minimum 15 years) in the development and operations of scientific projects. Solid experience in the space field is required, including relevant experience in project engineering and managing industrial partners.

You should also have the following:

- Proven experience of leading, motivating and developing a team of engineers - Proven experience in Phase C/D/E1 and a track record of successful procurements with industry - The ability to provide strategic direction to the individuals within the team and to relate team objectives to the overall, evolving organisational goals and context - The ability to drive performance and foster cooperation within and across teams throughout the organisation - Demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills, both oral and written - A proven track record of representing the Agency’s interests to external interfaces - Excellent cognitive, analytical, delegation, planning and organisational skills - The ability to anticipate problems, solve complex issues and relate situations to their context - The ability to reach solution-oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity as well as to support others (team members, upper management, other stakeholders) in this process - Knowledge of agency procedures (IPRev, AC/IPC, reviews, etc.) would be an asset

People management experience is required, international experience is an asset, including outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities. Mobility is inherent to management functions and this position may be subject to rotation.Therefore, mobility opportunities may be offered to you as part of your career evolution at ESA, starting after approximately five years in this role.

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 3 November 2026, 4 days ago.

The application deadline is 24 November 2026, 15 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 6 November 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.

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.