{"id":2721679,"url":"https://alion.io/job/esa-cat-project-manager","title":"CAT Project Manager","company":{"id":40193,"name":"European Space Agency","domain":"esa.int","url":"https://alion.io/company/esa","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"SuccessFactors","truth_index":null},"role":"Management","role_family":"Management","seniority":"staff","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["Noordwijk, Netherlands"],"countries":["NL"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":69000,"max_usd":151000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":1240},"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-16T15:03:30Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-16","last_verified_at":"2026-10-24T18:23:42Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":8,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":8},"description":"Location\nESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands\nDescription\nThe ADRIOS (Active Debris Removal [ADR] and In-Orbit Servicing [IOS]) missions, undertaken in the framework of ESA's Space Safety Programme, aim to establish viable ADR and IOS capabilities and services in Europe, such as rendezvous, inspection, capture, life extension, relocation, de-orbiting or repair of satellites.\nThe Mission Implementation Division of the Space Safety Programme is responsible for implementing these missions, including the CAT mission, through Phases B2/C/D/E.\nThe ever-increasing number of satellites in orbit poses a significant risk to operational spacecraft and the sustainability of space activities. As the number of satellites increases, so does the risk of collisions and the creation of space debris. The ESA CAT mission aims to demonstrate ADR capabilities for a prepared client satellite equipped with ESA's standard navigation and mechanical interfaces, known as MICE. This involves performing rendezvous and capture operations fully autonomously. In line with ESA’s Zero Debris by 2030 initiative, the CAT-IOD mission is paving the way for the future of Active Debris Removal (ADR).\nADRIOS missions often involve relatively new space companies with ambitions in the commercial market, requiring ESA project teams to provide specialist expertise and to adopt a pragmatic approach.\nThis role offers the opportunity to contribute to pioneering space sustainability technologies under the Space Safety Programme, helping to advance satellite servicing, debris mitigation, and sustainable orbital operations.\nDuties\nYour key responsibilities will include:\nactive contribution to Phase B1 of the CAT project to ensure a smooth transition to the implementation phases;\nend-to-end procurement of Phase B2/C/D/E;\nhands-on technical management of the CAT project, covering the development of the space segment and ground segment, in compliance with the agreed technical and programmatic requirements, i.e. cost, schedule and georeturn, and ensuring compatibility with the future constellation;\nmanagement of the industrial CAT contract(s), including the negotiation of any changes, in coordination with the Contracts Officer and the Project Controller;\npreparing and conducting project reviews, in close cooperation with the Inspector General’s Office;\nmanagement of the CAT ESA Project Team, including prioritisation of activities and key areas requiring attention;\nensuring the availability of and coordinating additional experts from the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality;\nidentifying the project risks at ESA level, implementing risk mitigation measures and agreeing on the acceptable level of risk when issues arise;\nplanning and active control of the project's cost at completion; \nplanning and allocating all the resources for the project;\ncontrolling the schedule, implementing schedule risk mitigation/recovery actions when needed;\nreporting regularly to management and escalating problems when required;\nsupporting the Head of Division with:ESA Programme Boards\nESA internal committees (AC/IPC)\ninterfaces with Member States\npreparation of the Council meeting at ministerial level\n\napplying pragmatic decision-making processes to balance ideal solutions with project constraints;\nsharing experience and knowledge with industry in a constructive and result-oriented manner;\ncapturing and sharing lessons-learned with other project managers in the Division, and with other teams in the Department.\nTechnical competencies\nMore than 10 years of hands-on experience in spacecraft Phase B2/C/D/E\nTechnical management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews and management of large industrial consortiums\nSystem engineering, AIT/AIV and PA standards\nKnowledge of industrial cost and schedule aspects\nComplex project risk management processes\nKnowledge of ESA and industrial procurement processes\nExperience in spatialisation of new technologies\nBehavioural competencies\nResult Orientation\nOperational Efficiency\nFostering Cooperation\nRelationship Management\nContinuous Improvement\nForward Thinking\nFor more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook\nEducation and professional experience\nA master's degree in engineering and, in principle, 10 years of relevant professional experience are required for this post.\nAdditional requirements\nExperience in implementing small missions with tight schedules and cost constraints;\nExperience in tailoring the ECSS;\nA background in robotic systems/functional architecture/GNC/software/would be a strong asset.\nYou should also:\nbe able to work autonomously, take initiative and adopt a hands-on approach;\ndemonstrate strong leadership, with proven stakeholder relationship management and communication skills;\nbe able to anticipate problems, seek flexible solutions and make pragmatic, timely decisions;\nbe result-oriented and able to set priorities \nDiversity, Equity and Inclusiveness\nESA 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.\nAt 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 .\nImportant Information and Disclaimer\nApplicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.\nDuring 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.\nNote that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.\nThe 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.\nNationality and Languages\nPlease 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.\nAccording 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.\nThe 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7318,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"English","level":"All levels","optional":false}]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"Austria","iso":"AT","kind":"country"},{"name":"Belgium","iso":"BE","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Space Services","Research Institutes"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-16T15:03:30Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":85,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.852,"p_room":1,"age_days":7,"expected_fill_days":22,"reasons":["conf:1","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-24T06:02:35Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/esa-cat-project-manager","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/esa-cat-project-manager.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-24T21:36:29Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":31744,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-25T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":40193},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=40193"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fesa-cat-project-manager"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fesa-cat-project-manager"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fesa-cat-project-manager"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/esa-cat-project-manager\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fesa-cat-project-manager"}]}