Product Assurance and Safety Manager

Vacancy in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore we welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

Post
Product Assurance and Safety Manager

This post is classified A2-A4 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale.

Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands  
With a resident assignment to ESRIN, Frascati, Italy

Description

Product Assurance and Safety Manager in the Product Assurance and Safety Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

If selected for this position, you will be assigned as integrated support to the Product Assurance and Safety Office in the Vega Programme, Directorate of Space Transportation.

For the maintenance of professional standards, the implementation of the ESA general product assurance and safety (PA&S) policy and contributions to corporate tasks (e.g. reviews, standardisation, alerts, lessons learned, etc.), you will report to the Head of the Product Assurance and Safety Department through the Head of the STS Product Assurance and Safety Office. 

You will be responsible, within the framework of ESA programmes and activities, for the overall implementation of the product assurance and safety requirements and activities for the Vega development, exploitation and evolutions.

Training and familiarisation with the parent Department's mandate, processes and procedures will be provided at the start of this assignment.

Duties

Within the applicable project/programme governance structure, specific responsibilities and duties include, in particular:
•    coordination of the Vega PA&S team (identification, monitoring and coordination of the resources and workforce needed to perform the functions);
•    interfacing with the Vega programme managers and with the parent department as required;
•    establishing, maintaining and coordinating the approval of the PA&S requirements baseline in compliance with general ESA PA&S policy and with any legally applicable requirements;
•    reviewing contractors’ proposed plans and specifications for the execution of projects, ensuring that PA&S requirements are considered throughout the contractual chain;
•    verifying the fulfilment of PA&S requirements during programme/project reviews and other milestones (PRRs, PDRs, CDRs, QR, KPs), managing the related PA&S actions/recommendations;
•    guiding, monitoring and assessing the implementation of PA&S requirements/approved plans by contractors in order to assess effectiveness;
•    preparing audit plans, performing audits and/or enquiries, and managing the related audit/enquiry follow-up;
•    supporting the STS Head of the PA&S Office in the coordination of national surveillance organisations (NSOs) for Vega exploitation and development;
•    representing ESA in the boards established for the handling of major non-conformances and waivers, and in failure reviews and quality enquiries, test reviews, etc.;
•    acting as the Requests for Waivers (RfW)/Deviations (RfD) process owner for the Vega projects/programmes, including the related database;
•    analysing and assessing requests for changes (CP) in the design or in the processes (in particular when PA&S requirements are impacted) in cooperation with the configuration officer;
•    guiding and monitoring the application and procurement of EEE parts, materials and processes and controlling implementation of applicable requirements by participating in the MPCB (Material and Process Control Board) and ECEB (Electronic Component Evaluation Board);
•    preparing PA and RAMS documentation as relevant, ensuring execution and implementation of related analyses;
•    ensuring monitoring of the manufacturing, assembly integration and test activities;
•    conducting acceptance reviews of contractually deliverable items (hardware, documentation, analyses) and guiding the necessary follow-up;
•    ensuring implementation of software PA requirements using software PA support as appropriate;
•    arranging and coordinating support from Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality experts for execution of the functions under PA&S responsibility;
•    supporting establishment and implementation of standards and best practices in the product and quality assurance field; 
•    contributing to the dissemination and implementation of principles and approaches aimed at reducing the development/operations cycle time in compliance with applicable standards; 
•    contributing to dissemination of the results of activities performed and the transfer of knowledge across the Agency;
•    participating in periodic meetings with the parent Section, contributing to the transfer of technical knowledge and lessons learned across the Agency.

Your duties may also include supporting other activities within your field of competence.  

Technical competencies

Consolidated experience in the PA&S discipline as applied in space projects

Experience in the technical domains (e.g. launchers and spacecraft technologies) covered by the position

Understanding of related technologies, R&D trends and the industrial landscape

Experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews

Experience in the conducting of quality audits

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A master’s degree in engineering is required for this post.

Additional requirements

Several years of experience in the management of product assurance and safety activities are required, as well as proven experience in interfacing with partners in an international environment.
Familiarity and hands-on experience, ideally in highly regulated environments (e.g. aeronautic, automotive, healthcare), with lean product development methodologies and approaches.
Experience in configuration management, quality auditing or assessor certification is an asset. 

Other information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

For further information please visit: Professionals, What we offer and FAQ 

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required.
Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.

 At the Agency we value diversity and we welcome people with disabilities.  Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace.  The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further please contact us email contact.human.resources@esa.int.

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Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented or balanced Member States*.   

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment conducted by an external background screening service.   

Recruitment will normally be at the first grade in the band (A2); however, if the candidate selected has little or no experience, the position may be filled at A1 level.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.