Configuration Management Specialist

Are you looking for a new opportunity to take your career to a higher orbit? To join an international group with a successful track record in Space Engineering? A job adapted to your career ambitions and in which you could have an impact for the years to come?

We are looking for a Configuration Management Specialist to work at the ESA’s ESTEC premises in Noordwijk, Netherlands.

About the client and location

The European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) is the European Space Agency’s (ESA) base in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. As ESA’s largest test centre, it is responsible for the majority of space technology and spacecraft development through varying phases of production.

Tasks and activities

The scope of work will include:

• Coordinate the Configuration and Data Management, Planning and Reviews support ensuring common approaches are followed.
• Support and interface to information and documentation management.
  • Determine, implement, and maintain the coherence of the overall project information.
  • Implement the process for the timely and effective creation, collection, review, delivery, storage and archiving of project information.
  • Maintain a well-structured configuration electronic record system.
  • Make a quarterly review of user access rights to the CSC documentation management system, reporting and escalating the status and issues to the ISO and Work Package TR and following up the agreed actions.
  • Coordinate with the ESA corporate IT regarding the timely set-up of the relevant information management tools (e.g. Polaris, SharePoint, MS Teams).
  • Coordinate closely with the directorate Project System Security Officer & ISO on information security topics.
  • Coordinate closely and support the directorate PoC(s) for personal data protection.
  • Provide support to the preparation, conduct and follow-up actions resulting from management audits in close coordination with projects and studies.
• Support to configuration planning & management.
  • Provide expert CADM support, inputs, evaluations, actions and recommendations to project teams during major procurement activities.
  • Act as focal point and ensure effective configuration management interface with project management, engineering, product assurance and safety for inputs to projects.
  • Act as focal point, and ensure effective configuration management interface with project management, engineering, product assurance and safety for outputs by projects.
  • Provide the registration and distribution to relevant reviewers of Change Requests, Contract Change Notices, Requests for Deviation/Waivers.
  • Provide support and assistance to the project controller or nominated project representative for management audit preparation, requests and actions.
  • Deliver expert technical configuration management support, verification, and analysis to ESA project engineering teams.
  • Support configuration and data management processes and tools at the interfaces with industry and international partners.
• Support the definition and tailoring of review logistics process with the project controller and nominated project representative(s) ensuring harmonised CADM process across the Directorate.
• Perform the role of review coordinator, in close co-operation with the project controller, and providing proactive support and assistance to the project team, review bodies, reviewers and suppliers for review logistics.
• Liaise with industrial and partners for the reception and control of industrial data packages.
• Act as the focal point and administrator interface for the electronic Review Item Discrepancy tracking system (eRID), including set up of the tool, management of the access rights and maintenance of the system parameter files, ensuring the review set up is consistent with the security classification or export control restrictions on review data pack documents.
• Perform control and verification of data pack completeness, registrations, and ensure timely distribution to the project team and review organisation.
• Resolve issues relating to data pack deliveries and eRID access and when necessary, make the timely escalation to project control or the nominated ESA project team representative(s) performing the agreed mitigation approaches.

Skills and experience

The following skills and experience are mandatory:

• University degree from a recognised Institution of secondary studies or equivalent qualification with substantial coverage of configuration, IT and documentation management matters, with at least 4 years of relevant working experience.
• Excellent knowledge in IT applications and Information Management, DMS, User Management, Data Transfer and other related applications including administration and set-up of those.
• Excellent understanding of modern documentation process flow implementation and proactive attitude to help shaping the evolution of the Navigation DMS.
• Good knowledge of Product Engineering and Configuration Lifecycle and applicable ISO standards.
• Expert level knowledge of ESA tools: ESA-p, ESA-Star, EROS, WLMS, ERIS, ECLIPSE (including DCCM and eRID).
• Expert knowledge operating Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera, Visio, Office Timeline, Sharepoint, SAP, Simbio/Zenith.
• Knowledge of PowerBI.
• Experience with PRISMA and ECLIPSE.
• Expert level of CADM and its processes and procedures; expert level of experience with related ECSS would be an asset.
• Proven experience in coordinating tasks across several teams/organizations/sites.
• Desire to work both autonomously and as part of a team, in an international multicultural environment.
• Solution oriented mindset, with a customer focused communication skill.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.

The following skills and experience are highly desirable:

• Previous experiences in fields like Product Assurance, System Engineering and Production Control.
• Good knowledge of the specific activities and/or organisation, of the applicable configuration management working procedures and support tool(s).

Why should you apply?

• You will have the opportunity to work within leading space organisations across Europe.
• We encourage everyone to think outside the box and to push the boundaries of traditional knowledge. This role is an opportunity to join a forward-thinking company and allows for a deeper understanding of the industry.
• To be part of a company that values integrity, inspiration, care and collaboration.
• Benefits include: competitive remuneration packages; unique career opportunities, including working in other countries; access to training and development programmes; flexible relocation support.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, all genders, LGBTQ+ individuals and ex-service personnel.