Description

Vigil is a Space Safety Programme cornerstone mission that will position a satellite at the 5th Lagrangian point (L5) with the objective of performing continuous observations of the Sun and the space between the Earth and the Sun to provide measurement data for space weather nowcasting and forecasting as well as for event-based warnings and alerts when solar events take place. The observations from L5 will complement space weather monitoring from the Sun-Earth line and enable more accurate space weather impact predictions and early warnings of potentially hazardous solar weather conditions emerging. ESA is cooperating in space weather monitoring with the US (NOAA and NASA) who are planning to continue maintaining operational space weather monitoring on the Sun-Earth line by missions to the 1st Lagrangian point (L1) and by instruments onboard satellites orbiting the Earth.

You will report to the Head of the Space Weather Office, which is part of the Space Safety Programme Office within the Directorate of Operations.

Duties

Your tasks and responsibilities will include:

• defining and executing the Vigil mission Science Plan;
• co-chairing the Vigil Mission Advisory Group (MAG) and the Payload Advisory Group (PAG);
• organising and chairing Vigil science workshops with the data user community;
• preparing and managing, as Technical Officer, Vigil data utilisation studies, OSSEs, OSEs and model development activities;
• liaising with the ESA Space Weather Payload Data Centre (PDC) Project Manager to ensure correct implementation of the Vigil Level 1 processing;
• maintaining all Vigil-related documentation under the Space Weather Office’s responsibility;
• defining and executing the Vigil Verification and Validation plan for Level 1 and Level 2+ products;
• maintaining the Vigil Mission Requirements Document including observation requirements justification;
• drawing up the Vigil mission operation concept to ensure high mission return both for operational applications and bonus science;
• liaising with the Space Weather Service Coordinator for all aspects related to Vigil data utilisation in operational space weather applications;
• liaising with the Space Weather Modelling Coordinator for all aspects related to model developments for Vigil data utilisation;
• liaising with the Vigil project team for all aspects related to the mission space segment, MOC and mission operation;
• representing ESA towards the space weather and scientific community to promote the Vigil mission and ESA space weather activities;
• supporting the organisation and execution of project reviews;
• participating in other development tasks of the Space Weather Office where your experience is relevant.

Technical competencies

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

A PhD in the field of space physics or space environment modelling is required for this post.

Additional requirements

Particular importance will be attached to your experience and ability to coordinate and manage external scientific and industrial teams conducting studies and model development activities, to communicate, and to behave with tact, diplomacy and discretion. You should be familiar with the state of the art in space weather or heliophysics research or in the development of operational space weather applications. A vision of how the European and international space weather service landscape will look 5-10 years from now would be considered an asset.