In support of ESA’s Technical and Quality Management Directorate at ESTEC we are looking for : Product Assurance Engineer for Space Projects

Tasks and Responsibilities:

Support the ESA PA & Safety Manager for designated project(s) in conducting, monitoring & assessing the implementation of the PA & Safety Programme. This includes support to any or all of the following activities:

• Establishing the PA&S requirements baseline for all elements of the project, in compliance with the ESA general Product Assurance and Safety policy; Producing and implementing plans, defining inputs, outputs, participants, responsibilities, interfaces, coordinating efforts of participants, and producing resulting consolidated inputs;
• Reviewing contractor’s plans, specifications and effort proposed for the execution of the project PA&S programme; Writing reports of review activities performed (e.g. documents reviewed, checklists used, spot check performed) and conclusions/recommendations;
• Monitoring project & PA status & identify relevant PA issues, including NCR / SPR / Waivers / Problems / Critical Items and systematically tracking all items. Producing monthly reports of monitoring activities performed (e.g. inspections, checks, visits, reviews), including conclusions and recommendations;
• Assessing the implementation of PA&S requirements by contractors, participating in design and safety reviews and directing the necessary preventive or corrective actions; Producing monthly reports with assessment activities performed (e.g. documents reviewed, checklists used, spot check performed), contributing to design and safety reviews, and activities related to preventive/corrective action;
• Representing ESA in the Boards established within the project for the disposition of Non-conformances / Failure Reviews, Test Reviews, etc.; Producing reports of participation to boards, indicating the contribution made to these boards (e.g. review of agendas, participants, minutes of meeting, action follow up, close-out);
• Guiding and monitoring the application and procurement of EEE parts, materials and processes and controlling implementation of applicable requirements; making reports on guidance provided, monitoring activities performed and status of compliance to applicable requirements;
• Monitoring the manufacturing, integration and test activities with quality assurance audits, mandatory and key inspection points, test witnessing and configuration inspections; Making reports on activities performed with conclusion and recommendations;
• Defining the formal acceptance requirements and conducting the Acceptance Reviews of all contractual deliverable items; Producing and implementing plans for the preparation of the formal acceptance requirements, defining steps, inputs, outputs, participants, responsibilities, interfaces, and coordinating efforts of participants to produce resulting consolidated inputs to project documents. making reports on the activities performed for conduction of Acceptance Reviews;
• Supporting the organisation & management of the support from all PA disciplines;
• Controlling NCR / Waivers / Problems / Critical Items. Producing meeting agendas, checking that all inputs are available for the NRB or CCB, check that all needed participants are involved, making NRB or CCB minutes of meeting, follow-up on actions identified, ensuring proper non- conformance/wavier/problem/critical item close-out. Writing reports on control activities performed;
• PA for the verification, qualification, acceptance & delivery activities and the launch campaign;
• Participating in progress meetings and CCB meetings. Producing inputs to the meeting and whenever requested, produce meeting agendas, check that all inputs are available, check that all needed participants are involved, produce minutes of meeting, follow-up on actions identified, ensure proper close-out;
• Project reviews, including safety reviews. making reports on all review activities performed (e.g. documents reviewed, checklists used, spot check performed), conclusions and recommendations;
• Reporting project PA status (deviations from plan / schedule of all of above).

Skills and Experience:

• Very good and broad knowledge of PA disciplines;
• At least 5 years relevant experience;
• Fluent in English; knowledge of French language is an asset;
• Familiarity with space product assurance practices together with a good working knowledge of appropriate tools would be an advantage;
• Practical experience in applying ECSS standards;
• Knowledge of dependability and safety principles and analysis is an advantage;
• The candidate must be willing to operate in an international team environment and to travel;
• Good interpersonal and communication skills combined with perseverance to achieve the set goals are an advantage;
• The candidate should be used to work independently and in a focused way against tight deadlines;
• The following communication skills are required:
  • good interpersonal relationship;
  • good oral and written skills.
• The candidate shall be from an ESA member state or associate.

Starting date: March 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter

An exciting international working environment in a highly innovative and motivated team awaits you!

HE Space Operations is an international human resources company specialised in the space market. We have been providing consultancy services in space engineering and business administration for over 25 years. We generally work directly on-site with our principal customers such as the European Space Agency and EADS Astrium.