Location
ESEC, Redu, Belgium

Description

You will report to the Head of the ESA Academy and lead the Academic Partnership function within the ESA Education Office, part of the Human Resources Department, with overall responsibility for the Training and Academic Partnership activity areas and their associated teams and contracts.

The ESA Academy is ESA’s flagship programme for university students and early-career professionals, combining training, project experience and engagement activities to support career readiness in the space sector. The new Academic Partnership function will further establish structured frameworks, including academic scholarships and grants, courses co-developed by ESA and academia, joint initiatives, exchange platforms, and collaboration on large-scale student competitions. It will also serve as a focal point for long-term institutional cooperation with universities and academic networks across Europe.

In this role, you will drive the strategic development of the existing ESA Academy Training portfolio and establish Academic Partnership as a cohesive framework for collaboration with universities.

This includes partnerships with higher-education institutions, academic networking, development of ESA-enabled learning opportunities, and the progressive establishment of federated partnership models with universities in support of future-oriented skills, visibility, mobility and coordinated educational initiatives. The role will contribute to shaping a more integrated European academic ecosystem for space education, research visibility and talent development.

You will also oversee programme delivery, including on-site and digital training activities at the European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC), ensure the quality and relevance of educational content, and support the expansion of accessible, inclusive learning opportunities across ESA Member States and Associate Members.

Duties

In line with ESA’s education policy and objectives and in close cooperation with the other ESA Academy activity areas, your specific duties will include:

leading and coordinating the ESA Academy Academic Partnership and Support domain, covering both training and academic partnerships at strategic and operational levels;
managing and guiding teams responsible for training and academic partnerships, ensuring coherent planning, quality delivery, and strong performance;
defining and evolving the ESA Academy training strategy and portfolio (onsite, online and hybrid), ensuring alignment with ESA priorities and future skills needs;
overseeing the end-to-end design, delivery, quality assurance and continuous improvement of training programmes, including content validation and collaboration with experts;
developing and steering the Academic Partnership framework, building and maintaining strategic relationships with universities and higher-education stakeholders across Europe;
contributing to the development of coordinated initiatives linked to future-critical skills, doctoral research visibility and broader education-to-career continuity, in coordination with relevant ESA entities and
external partners;
ensuring effective programme management, including partnerships, budget oversight, performance monitoring, reporting, and promotion of diversity, inclusion, and outreach.

Technical competencies

Leadership and programme management skills in complex educational or partnership environments
Demonstrated knowledge of higher-education systems, academic governance, tertiary education trends and academic partnership models in an international context
Experience in designing, developing or steering university-level educational initiatives, training programmes or academic collaboration frameworks
Experience in establishing and maintaining partnerships with universities, public institutions and external stakeholders at senior level
Knowledge of quality assurance, educational monitoring and evaluation approaches for training and higher-education programmes

Behavioural competencies

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

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

Education and professional experience

A master's degree in a relevant domain, such as education, higher education, organisational development, engineering or science is required for this post together with 10 years of relevant professional experience.

Additional requirements

A PhD in a relevant domain is a strong asset.

Strong communication, representation and stakeholder engagement abilities
Ability to coordinate and guide teams and services in a complex stakeholder environment
Proficiency in writing reports and delivering effective presentations to senior stakeholders in English
Demonstrated expertise in at least one strategically relevant domain for future space programmes, such as AI, quantum technologies, cyber security and sustainability
Ability to validate the technical and scientific content of educational activities

The following will be considered assets:

Experience with digital learning environments, e-learning coordination and blended-learning approaches
Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS), related digital learning platforms and data-based reporting approaches
Knowledge of ESA administrative or procurement processes

Experience with higher-education collaboration, academic programmes or institutional partnerships is a strong asset. Familiarity with the space sector is advantageous but not essential; the ability to operate effectively at the interface of academia and strategic education development is key.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at contact.human.resources@esa.int.

Important Information and Disclaimer
In principle, recruitment will be within the advertised grade band (A2-A4). However, if the selected candidate has less than four years of relevant professional experience following the completion of the master’s degree, the position may be filled at A1 level.

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures.

Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.

The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.

Nationality and Languages
Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

According to the ESA Convention, staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, taking into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the Member States.

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

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