Description

Spaceport Infrastructure Project Lead, within the Launch Range Operations and Representation at CSG Division, part of the Infrastructure and Value Chain Department in the Directorate of Space Transportation.

As Spaceport Infrastructure Project Lead, you will support ESA in fulfilling its responsibilities related to Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. 

ESA provides substantial funding for the infrastructure and activities at Europe’s spaceport, which are managed either by CNES (for the Range) or by industrial stakeholders (for launcher and propellant production, integration and launch operations). Within the Directorate of Space Transportation (STS), the Launch Range Operations and Representation at CSG Division ensures the maintenance, renovation and modernisation of the Range infrastructure at the spaceport through the ESA-CNES contract.

The spaceport is undergoing a significant transformation. After hosting a single launch service operator since its creation, it is now evolving towards a more diverse and competitive ecosystem, with multiple operators sharing common assets and requiring the coordinated use of these assets, as well as the associated infrastructure.

The successful deployment of this new configuration is essential for Europe’s access to space, enabling enhanced capability, improved efficiency, availability, reliability and flexibility. In this context, you will be responsible for a portfolio of ground segment activities dedicated to maintaining and modernising the infrastructure. 

You will be part of the ESA team located at Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana and will be responsible for the monitoring, coordination and oversight of infrastructure related activities on both the Range and the Launch Complexes. You will act as ESA’s technical interface with CNES, industrial contractors and launch service providers, ensuring that the infrastructure remains fully available, compliant and fit to support current and future launch operations. 

You will also contribute to the long term evolution of the European spaceport infrastructure, supporting objectives for safety, reliability, Europeanisation and operational excellence.

Duties

For a given portfolio of ground segment activities, your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• supporting the development and deployment of infrastructure upgrade and modernisation projects, recommending investments and proactively contributing to the Europeanisation of the spaceport. This includes ensuring compliance with ESA industrial policy requirements and preparing procurement documentation;
• coordinating infrastructure related activities with CNES, industrial operators and launch service providers, ensuring the safe and efficient implementation of operations, and guaranteeing that lessons learned, operational constraints and best practices are captured and integrated into future activities;
• ensuring that the needs of ESA‑developed launchers (Ariane and Vega) and other ESA space transportation projects (such as Space Rider or the Future Launchers Preparatory Programme) are properly captured, understood and enforced within infrastructure projects, through close collaboration with the corresponding STS project teams;
• contributing, together with CNES, to the development of long‑term infrastructure master plans for each technical domain (such as energy, telemetry, or conventional fluid production and distribution), in close coordination with launch vehicle manufacturers and launch operators, with the objective of harmonising, where possible, the perimeters of the Range and Launch Complexes. This includes proposing coordinated and optimised infrastructure programmes within both the LEAP framework and the ESA‑CNES contract related to the Range;
• managing technical interfaces among multiple stakeholders and ensuring the coordinated scheduling and use of shared assets;
• monitoring the technical and operational status of Range and Launch Complex infrastructure, including non‑conformity follow‑up, risk identification and reporting;
• coordinating your activities with other Project Engineers/Managers within the Division to ensure synergies and consistency across projects;
• overseeing preventive and corrective maintenance activities to ensure compliance with technical standards, contractual requirements and availability targets;
• following up on the contracts, budgets, schedules and deliverables associated with infrastructure work and related services;
• liaising with the Head of the Directorate Representation in Kourou on matters falling under their responsibility (such as communication, taxes or local coordination).

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education and professional experience

A master's degree in a relevant domain is required for this post together with 5 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

• The potential to manage individuals or a project team;
• The ability to organise their activities and ensure a motivating work environment;
• Strong leadership capabilities, with proven relationship management and communication skills;
• The ability to drive your team’s performance, developing your people by encouraging learning, delegating responsibility and giving regular and constructive feedback;
• 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.
• People management experience would be an asset, as would international experience, i.e. outside your home country, as well as experience in diverse functional areas relevant to ESA activities.