Description

Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S)* Team Leader (HRE-Q) in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes, Product Assurance and Safety Department (TEC-Q), Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC). You will be assigned as integrated support to the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes (D/HRE).

* The PA&S Office covers safety, reliability, maintainability, quality assurance, quality management, components, materials and processes, and software quality.

Duties

You will coordinate and supervise the Quality and PA&S activities for all HRE activities, including quality management, and will represent HRE for all corporate activities in the PA&S domain. In the execution of your duties, you will be assisted by a team of PA&S Managers and PA&S Engineers in the various HRE programmes. You will also perform the duties of PA&S Manager for a major HRE programme. In this role, you will have a dual reporting line to the Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes (D/HRE) and to the Head of the Product Assurance and Safety Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC).

Your responsibilities and duties will include:

• contributing to the continuous improvement of working procedures and to the reflection exercise on the evolution of the Office’s role and activities, developing techniques, methods and procedures in your areas of responsibility;
• coordinating and supervising Quality and PA&S activities across HRE programmes, ensuring synergy, a consistent approach and sharing of experience and lessons learned while maintaining the necessary level of confidentiality between programmes;
• holding the responsibility of HRE QMS Manager and ensuring coherence with the PA&S of the HRE programmes and the further development of the Directorate’s QMS;
• as a member of an advisory group of Heads of Quality and/or PA Offices/Senior PA Managers, assisting TEC-Q in the establishment and development of corporate Quality and PA policies, paying due consideration to any specific needs for human spaceflight and robotic exploration in high-level interactions and coordination activities with industry, in particular major prime contractors;
• contributing to corporate activities to address and resolve major systematic weaknesses and problems in the PA/QA area identified in specific companies, for example by leading or participating in industrial audits, supervising, and monitoring the implementation of agreed corrective actions;
• as a member of the Quality Standardisation Board, contributing to the definition of standardisation policies and work plans and identifying new standardisation activities in line with the requirements of future HRE programmes;
• in close cooperation with TEC-Q and HRE Programme Managers, establishing and maintaining a multi-year schedule for the deployment of functional and integrated support in the PA/QA and planetary protection areas, as well as coordinating requests for TEC-Q laboratory services, both planned and unplanned, contributing to the resolution of resource conflicts and the prioritisation of activities;
• supporting and monitoring the career development of Quality and PA&S staff in D/HRE;
• together with the relevant Quality and PA&S staff, coordinating the preparation of Quality and PA&S requirements and similar documents, ensuring coherence of documents and processes across the HRE programmes and consistency with corporate policies;
• assisting and advising TEC-Q in the approval of Quality and PA&S requirements;
• guiding and monitoring the application and procurement of EEE parts, materials and processes in HRE programmes and controlling the implementation of applicable requirements;
• closely cooperating with TEC-Q in providing inputs to corporate activities and ensuring that HRE programme needs and requirements are properly reflected in the respective work plans;
• in order to improve the information flow between different domains and upon request from TEC-Q or other programme directorates, participating in major project reviews or Tender Evaluation Boards as Chair of the PA Panel;
• preparing and submitting periodic status reports to the appropriate reporting lines as requested and acting as the nominal reporting line for PA&S Managers in the Office;
• taking on the responsibility and duties of PA&S Manager in HRE projects as requested.

You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

You should have a Master’s degree in engineering, with a background in space systems.

Additional requirements

Several years of experience as a PA&S Manager in major projects are required, with an emphasis on robotic and human-rated exploration projects.

You should have good leadership, organisational and communication skills, as well as a proactive attitude towards solving problems and an interest in innovative technologies. You should be able to motivate a team of engineers, set priorities and delegate responsibilities within the team. Experience in team management will be considered an asset.

In addition, you should have good interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively and cooperatively in a diverse and international team environment and to achieve solutions in line with team objectives.