Governance & Business Operations Officer; Noordwijk, NL

Location ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Governance and Business Operations Officer, Inspector General, Director General’s Services

As Governance and Business Operations Officer, you will report hierarchically to the Inspector General and functionally to the Heads of Office, as per the assigned activity.

The Office of the Inspector General (DG-I) is mandated with strengthening the performance of ESA’s projects and programmes, implemented via a wide range of activities that involve conducting technical and programmatic reviews, inquiry boards and investigations. It is the ESA Independent Project Management Authority (IPMA).

You will support the Office of the Inspector General in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities, lead/participate in any operational activities mandated by the Inspector General or the Heads of Offices, e.g. working groups, reviews, etc., and facilitate cooperation and information exchange among the various offices as well as with the ESA directorates.

• Manage internal DG-I processes and policies: lead, participate in and contribute to the development and optimisation of internal processes, policies and initiatives in line with the DG-I’s operational objectives and ESA’s strategic direction. Drive the development, revision and streamlining of project management processes and practices, in direct support of the Inspector General and the Heads of DG-I Offices. Act as the primary point of contact for all DG-I policy and process matters, ensuring compliance with Agency-wide protocols and promoting alignment with ESA QMS and the DG-I Processes Handbook.
• Participate in DG-I reviews and assessments: coordinate the setup and successful delivery of corporate, programmatic and independent reviews, ensuring the proper setup in eRIDS, stakeholder engagement, and resource coordination across multidisciplinary teams and external partners. Serve as the deputy review/review panel secretary and ensure rigorous reporting and actionable outcomes from those reviews.
• Participation in management activities: collect and consolidate information at DG-I level from internal and external sources to respond to requests and interface with other directorates/corporate functions. Provide content and discuss main topics and follow‑up actions with the management team. Participate in the management team meetings. Steer the development and maintenance of the overarching activity plan, ensuring robust tracking of deliverables and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Cross‑directorate influence and representation: represent the Office of the Inspector General in Agency-wide or programmatic forums and activities as delegated by DG-I management, through participation in key Working Groups, Boards and Committees. Lead cross-directorate initiatives to advance organisational priorities and foster innovation.
• Digital transformation and tools: lead and promote the adoption and optimisation of digital tools and systems to enhance operational efficiency and internal transitions that ensure knowledge sharing. Act as the business owner for IT system development, ensuring business requirements are translated into robust technical solutions. Implement advanced monitoring mechanisms, such as dashboards and performance schedules, to support data‑driven management.
• Foster continuous improvement: actively seek out opportunities for process optimisation and innovation within DG-I, encouraging feedback from team members and stakeholders to drive continuous improvement initiatives by engaging teams and stakeholders, leveraging feedback to maximise organisational effectiveness. Support the adoption of best practices by monitoring industry trends and integrating relevant developments into DG-I operations.
• Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: foster a collaborative, high‑performance environment by championing information sharing, knowledge transfer and strategic partnerships both within DG-I and with key external stakeholders.
• Knowledge management and communications: ensure rigorous management of DG-I documentation in blue‑docs, and oversee timely distribution to all relevant audiences. Direct the ongoing development…