EUMETSAT is an international organisation with 30 member states, which works to establish, operate and exploit a European system of environmental monitoring satellites responsible for forecasting weather and monitoring climate change, providing information that supports public and private decision making for our social and economic wellbeing.

Reporting directly to the Director General and serving as part of the Management Board, the Director of Administration is responsible for the delivery of all administrative support to the whole organisation as well as the provision of the Headquarters premises and its facilities. The incumbent will provide strategic leadership to shape administrative, legal, financial, human resource, and procurement processes, ensuring compliance with regulations whilst continuously improving operational efficiency. In addition, the role will share a collective responsibility for the wider organisation, playing an important role in advancing EUMETSAT’s vision, fostering an organisational climate that serves customers through operational excellence, and continues to seek to evolve its offering by capturing the benefits of developments in Space Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and Cloud Computing.

• Serve as a key member of the Management Board; lead across and throughout the organisation, partnering closely with other departments;
• Lead the Administration Department and its core areas (Contracts; Finance; General Services; Human Resources; and Legal Affairs);
• Lead, manage, implement, assess and continuously improve administrative, financial, human resource and procurement processes to fulfil EUMETSAT’s business objectives;
• Work with leaders from across the organisation to maintain and improve the internal control framework particularly with a view to improving efficiency;
• Develop human resource policies across a range of critical topics including remuneration and pensions;
• Establish, validate and assess financial planning, draft budgets and annual accounts in compliance with relevant standard (e.g. IPSAS), and assess financial risks;

• Oversee the implementation of end-to-end procurement process, assessing capability to achieve best value for money, and advise on critical procurements;
• Deliver legal expertise and advice required for the management of the organisation, its data policy and the negotiation of co-operation agreements with third parties, including the European Commission;
• Manage the Headquarters premises and its facilities in close co-ordination with the departments responsible for operations-critical technical infrastructure;
• Deliver general services to the whole organisation; maintain related systems and supervise their development, and provide support to users;
• Organise meetings of Council and manage interactions with Member States, the Host Country and local authorities, in the relevant areas of responsibility in particular the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities, and the Head Quarters Agreement;
• Coordinate with Directors of Administration in other international organisations especially in the context of Coordinated Organisation.

• Demonstrable experience of impactful senior leadership in at least one of the following areas:
  • Legal
  • Procurement
  • Finance
  • Human Resources.
• A history of having an impact within a multidisciplinary team working outside personal area of core expertise.
• Experience of active engagement with culturally diverse stakeholders both informally and through formal mechanisms.
• Experience of leadership on a management board/executive committee or within a senior leadership team strongly influencing one (including driving continuous improvement and change).
• Significant evidence of critically analysing strategic, complex, multi-disciplinary issues and generating clear options to resolve them.