The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) provides safe, secure, and innovative satellite navigation and communication services for Europe. We advance the commercialisation of Galileo, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), and Copernicus data and services, while engaging in secure SATCOM (GOVSATCOM & IRIS²), and operating the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) Front-Desk. Our work strengthens European autonomy in space technologies, fosters innovation, and supports critical sectors such as transport, agriculture, and economic development across the EU. For more information on the EUSPA and the EU Space Programme, click here.

At EUSPA, we aim for our workforce to be representative of European society and strongly welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We actively seek to create a workplace where each staff member feels valued and respected, can give their best and can develop to their full potential. We believe that diversity drives excellence, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to our shared mission.

To promote diversity and establish a geographically balanced pool of candidates, we strongly encourage applicants from Member States which are underrepresented in the Agency workforce to apply. These Member States are currently Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden. Recruitment will however remain strictly based on the merits of all applicants and no advantage will be given and no positions will be reserved for nationals of any specific Member State.

The current vacancy offers the opportunity to lead the Engineering department which ensures the Agency’s technical leadership on all matters related to EU Space system infrastructure, service, and security engineering, and acts as the Engineering Centre of Competence. The department is responsible for ensuring the robustness and security of the systems in operations, for developing the infrastructure of the EUSPA service facilities, for providing the operations and service requirements to new system developments, and for engineering new services and their receivers that ensure the wide usage of EU Space data. Beyond the internal interfaces, the department interfaces with the European Commission, the European Space Agency, and with the industry in charge of the evolution of the systems in operation and of the service facilities.

The staff of the Engineering Department are located in several sites and offices (Prague/Czech Republic, Saint-Germain-en-Laye/France, Toulouse/France, Noordwijk/the Netherlands, and Torrejon de Ardoz/Spain). This position requires permanent relocation to the place of employment, Prague.

Depending on service needs and on the upcoming regulatory framework for the next Multiannual Financial Perspective, the organisation of the Agency may evolve, and with it the scope of the position.

The Head of the Engineering Department is a member of the Executive team and ensures the managerial and technical leadership on all matters related to engineering for the benefit of all activities of the Agency. The job holder will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and will have the following main tasks and responsibilities:

• Lead, mentor and grow the high-performing engineering team in all locations, promoting excellence, team work, ownership and responsibility within the team and across the Agency. The team currently comprises approximately 45 highly skilled engineering experts supported by external consultancy;
• Ensure coherency and drive continuous improvement of engineering methodologies and best practices through all activities under the responsibility of EUSPA for all relevant components of the EU Space Programme (navigation, secured telecommunication, earth observation and space traffic management);
• Foster a cohesive and high-performing engineering culture by constantly developing state-of-the-art expertise and know-how necessary for the Agency to fulfil its mission;
• Manage resources and provide the means for the department’s staff to deliver technical activities to the programme departments (Galileo, EGNOS, Secured Communications, IRIS², Space Surveillance and Tracking, Copernicus and Earth Observation Governmental Services, Launch services, Market Downstream and Innovation) and to Security Operations and Monitoring;
• Define and execute the technical vision, strategy, policies, processes and procedures at department-level to ensure the Agency’s objectives and operational needs are met;
• Ensure close collaboration with other departments and stakeholders to align the technical goals with the overall Agency vision;
• Liaise with Administration, to ensure the seamless execution of related corporate tasks, such as planning, reporting, administration, financial and budget management, risk management;
• Represent the Agency with external stakeholders for engineering-related matters, and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

We welcome applications from all candidates who meet the following eligibility criteria, on the closing date for application:

1. Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies⁵ attested by a diploma when the normal period of university education is four years or more
   OR
   A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies attested by a diploma and at least one year of appropriate professional experience when the normal period of university education is three years
2. In addition to the above, appropriate professional experience⁶ of at least fifteen years after obtaining the required diploma
3. Be a national of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland or Norway
4. Be entitled to their full rights as a citizen
5. Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service
6. Meet the character requirements for the duties involved⁷
7. Have a thorough knowledge (minimum C1 level) of one of the languages of the European Union⁸ and a satisfactory knowledge (minimum B2 level) of another language of the European Union⁸
9. Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post⁹

All eligible applications that meet the criteria outlined above will be fairly and objectively assessed against the selection criteria based solely on the information candidates provide in their applications. The Selection Board responsible for this selection will determine the criteria to be assessed in the various phases of the selection procedure (assessment of the application forms, interview and written test) prior to being granted access to the names of the applicants.

The selection is based on a comparative assessment of eligible candidates against all the selection criteria. Even candidates who do not excel in every single criterion may still be successful in the overall assessment and are therefore encouraged to apply.

When completing the online application, please clearly highlight your relevant skills and experiences that demonstrate how your profile aligns with the requirements below.

Professional experience and expertise

1. Proven experience in building, mentoring and managing multidisciplinary technical teams;
2. Experience in technical project management with a result-oriented approach;
3. Experience in the development, deployment and operations of complex large-scale systems;
4. Experience in financial, procurement and contract management;
5. Knowledge of the institutional framework and functioning of the European Union;
6. Excellent command of both written and spoken English;

Required competencies

7. Motivation for the post;
8. Effective communication;
9. Ability to negotiate;
10. Collaborative leadership and ability to empower others;
11. Strategic thinking and planning, including ability to handle pressure in demanding situations.

We warmly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, experiences, and identities to apply. Your unique perspective and talents are valued and essential to our success.