Control Specialist; Reserve list

Control Specialist (Reserve list)

Job Requisition

Date posted: 12 May 2026

Closing date: 14 July 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Noordwijk, NL;
Paris, FR;
Darmstadt, DE;
Frascati, IT;
Villanueva de la Cañada, ES;
Porz-Wahn, DE;
Harwell, GB;
Redu, BE.

As Control Specialist, you will join the Business Unit of the Directorate and will be assigned to Directorate teams, ensuring close engagement and responsiveness. You will report hierarchically to the Business Unit Controller through your line management. You will ensure data consolidation, data quality and reporting at the appropriate level. You will be key to implementing processes by authorising transactions and making commitments, making operational choices that best serve the interests of the Directorate, maintaining independence to avoid conflicts of interest and contributing the know-how required to preserve business continuity.

• Contributing to the end-to-end management of activities, including the preparation, implementation, monitoring and analysis of resource and activity plans (short, medium and long term), comprising commitments, budgets, costs, cash, geo-return, risks, schedules and workforce.
• Performing delegated control and approval functions in compliance with the Agency's rules, regulations, standards and best practices, including the acceptance of deliverables.
• Preparing and monitoring procurements, from tendering to closure of contracts for management, financial, planning, controlling and industrial return, including participating in all tasks related to the placing of contracts, as well as negotiations with industry and/or institutional stakeholders within your area of responsibility.
• Monitoring the implementation of activities in accordance with the applicable control procedures, industrial policy rules and best practices, including tracking progress, identifying deviations from plans and providing regular reporting.
• Maintaining and verifying the budgetary data of your assigned area of responsibility.
• Implementing mid- and end-of-year financial closure exercises.
• Identifying risks in your own areas of responsibility.
• Preparing inputs for the financial implementation of the Directorate's analysis centres and monitoring the resulting manpower rate.
• Monitoring and controlling activities performed via Directorate SLAs.
• Managing issues arising, involving direct interaction with counterparts, including industrial and ESA internal stakeholders.
• Implementing the external workforce framework contracts.
• Contributing to operational excellence and to continuous improvement in your area of responsibility, including the evolution of tools, dashboards, processes and use of best practices.

• Knowledge of or experience in budgeting, cost control and resource and activity planning.
• Knowledge of or experience in business analysis, digital tools and reporting.
• Understanding of schedule management.
• Understanding of risk management.
• Knowledge of or experience in SAP-based ERP systems.
• Understanding of financial regulatory framework, including accounting standards and auditing techniques.
• Understanding of ESA/EU procurement regulations.

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

A vocational qualification (EQF level
5) in a relevant discipline, and a minimum of 4 years of relevant, post-related professional experience is required for this post.

You should preferably have previous experience of working within a project/programme environment, preferably gained in an agency, international organisation or industrial setting.

You should be able to work autonomously, effectively and cooperatively in a diverse and international team environment in line with team and individual objectives and deadlines. You should possess strong written and oral communication skills, and be rigorous and disciplined when working on demanding tasks. You should have good analytical, organisational and reporting skills, with a proactive attitude to problem-solving.

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

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 via email an.resources.

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally,…