Description

Cost Engineer in the Cost Engineering Section (TEC-SFC), Future Engineering Division (TEC-SF), Systems Department (TEC-S), Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

Our team and mission:

With a dynamic multicultural team of approximately 10 cost engineers, the Section is involved in the following areas:

• Cost engineering support for the studies and projects carried out by the various directorates of ESA (Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes, Space Transportation, Earth Observation, Navigation, Science, Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes, Operations, and Connectivity and Secure Communications);
• Cost and systems engineering support for the feasibility and early phase studies of future ESA missions using the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF);
• Responsibility for the ESA costing software ECOS.

You are encouraged to visit the following websites:

• ESA Cost Engineering: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Cost_Engineering
• CDF: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/CDF
• ECOS: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/How_to_do/Introduction_to_ESA_Costing_Software

Systems Engineering Division (please note that Cost Engineering has recently become part of a newly created Future Engineering Division): https://technology.esa.int/division/systems-engineering-division.

Duties

• Your tasks and responsibilities will include the following:
• Preparation of cost estimates in support of projects;
• Cost and systems engineering support for ESA projects for design to cost;
• Comparative analysis of industrial contractors’ estimates, prices and costs-at-completion;
• Evaluation of industrial proposals for cost-related matters;
• Participation in ESA project reviews;
• Processing and analysis of ECOS files;
• Support for the negotiation of industrial contracts;
• Cost engineering and systems engineering tasks in assessment studies at the Concurrent Design Facility;
• Development and maintenance of the Section’s (parametric) cost estimating models and databases.
• Technical competencies
• Cost estimation, via parametric models that estimate the scope, cost and effort;
• Cost engineering methods and application tools;
• Development of cost and schedule models;
• Knowledge of and general background in systems engineering and relevant technical domains covered by the position;
• Experience in space systems engineering and development with a mission end-to-end view;
• Knowledge of the industrial landscape, i.e. relevant strategic and technological trends and developments, both within and beyond the space domain.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

A master’s in engineering is required for this post.

Additional requirements

The following competencies are mandatory:

• The ability to work independently and establish excellent working relations within the Agency and with external partners and industries;
• The ability to work in multidisciplinary space mission design teams;
• Autonomy and a proactive attitude.

Knowledge of the following technical domains would be an asset:

• Concurrent engineering and design, taking into account cost, technical and programmatic aspects such as planning and risks;
• Commercially available parametric cost models (such as TruePlanning);
• ESA’s costing software ECOS;
• ESA and its activities, programmes and policies;
• Management and negotiation.