Head of the Controlling Hub Department

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Closing Date: 30 September 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:
Internal & External

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

Directorate:
Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement

Under the direct authority of the Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement (CFO), the Head of the Controlling Hub Department is responsible for leading and managing the Agency’s Controlling Hub in support of all directorates. As Head of Department, you will be a member of the CFO Directorate’s management team.

You will be responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the matrix setup, including efficient deployment of Controlling resources, and will be hierarchically responsible for the Heads of the Business Unit Control and Programme Management Support Offices (BUC/PMSO), in close coordination with the relevant directors to whom they report functionally. In addition, you will be hierarchically responsible for the Head of the Controlling Centre of Expertise.

You will ensure the coordinated delivery of high-quality, efficient and harmonised Controlling and programme management support to the directorates, including:

• ensuring coherent resource planning, controlling, reporting, georeturn, schedule and risk management across all programmes and activities;
• supporting financial planning, workforce management, corporate interfaces and compliance with Agency policies;
• ensuring consistency, internal control and operational efficiency in alignment with strategic objectives, while actively supporting programme execution and decision-making processes;
• providing management support in the areas of configuration and documentation management and logistics.

You will work in close coordination with the Inspector General in overseeing the implementation of programmes and the definition of risk mitigation measures as necessary.

You will be accountable for the performance of the matrix for controls and its contribution to ESA’s strategic and operational objectives. In addition, you will ensure operational excellence and drive continuous improvement.

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• serving as a member of the Directorate Management Team and holding joint responsibility for ensuring the effective and coordinated preparation, planning, implementation, resource management and review of all activities within the CFO Directorate;
• managing a team of controllers deployed to all ESA directorates and providing a best-in-class Controlling function to the directorates;
• through the BUC/PMSO offices, ensuring the availability and coordination of adequately skilled and trained workforce across directorates;
• implementing the Agency’s Controlling policies and programme management support, methods, procedures and processes, including cost, schedule, workforce, project risk, configuration and data management, documentation control and logistics, in a coherent manner;
• establishing a close working relationship with and between the Heads of the BUC/PMSO Offices, the project controllers and the assigned directors by liaising with the directors in relation to key control processes, as well as through physical collocation of the BUC/PMSO Offices with their assigned directorates and the functional reporting of the office heads to the assigned directors;
• preparing and maintaining the directorates’ resource plans (workload, cost and commitment) in accordance with ESA policies and rules;
• fostering project management support and controlling process digitisation and implementation of harmonised data models to increase controlling efficiency;
• providing and maintaining operational readiness, processes and tools coherence, and staff development of the…