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VN 25/16 Copernicus Missions Manager (2 Posts)

EUMETSAT is seeking two experienced professionals to join the Copernicus Programme Office (CPO) in the Operations and Support to Users (OPS) Department. These positions will play a significant role in managing key Earth observation missions under the Copernicus Programme:

  • Copernicus Sentinel-3 Mission Manager
  • Copernicus Altimetry Missions Manager

Both roles will support the Copernicus Programme Manager (CPM) in overseeing mission-related activities and ensuring alignment with the obligations of the Copernicus Agreement between EUMETSAT and the European Commission (EC).

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 Mission Manager will be responsible for leading Sentinel-3 programme interactions with the EC and ESA, coordinating mission operations, upgrades, and future developments in collaboration with ESA and other stakeholders. This includes ensuring the readiness of Sentinel-3C and Sentinel-3D for launch, commissioning, and routine operations.

The Copernicus Altimetry Missions Manager will oversee the management of operational Copernicus altimetry missions, including Sentinel-6, Jason-3, and future missions like CRISTAL. This role involves managing stakeholder relations, ensuring the seamless operation and evolution of these missions, and maintaining agreements with partners such as ESA, the EC, and international collaborators.

Applicants should indicate their preference for which post they wish to apply for (Sentinel-3 or Altimetry Missions) in their application.

These positions offer a unique opportunity to contribute to the success of Copernicus, Europe’s flagship Earth observation programme, by shaping the future of satellite-based environmental monitoring.

Duties

  • Manages the mission related tasks (for either Sentinel-3 OR Sentinel-6 and Jason-3) as outlined in the Copernicus Agreement between EUMETSAT and ESA or the EC, in close coordination the EUMETSAT user support, operations, science and engineering teams and international partners;
  • Manages the relevant agreements with partners and external stakeholders as concerns Copernicus missions in operation;
  • Coordinates, in close cooperation with the Copernicus user support, engineering, operations and science teams, the analysis and implementation of change requests initiated by the Commission, ESA, international partners or other Copernicus entities, ensuring optimal communication between the teams;
  • Manages the analysis and implementation of mission related change requests initiated by the EC, ESA or other Copernicus entities;
  • Maintains the Copernicus baseline documentation and related plans as regards Copernicus Sentinel-3 or Altimetry missions in operation;
  • Prepares the mission inputs to the Copernicus implementation plan and status reports, specifically to the EUMETSAT Management Board, EUMETSAT member states and ESA / the EC;
  • Interfaces with the Copernicus Services and users for mission (Sentinel-3 OR Sentinel-6 and Jason-3) programmatic matters, ensuring efficient two-way communication to guarantee that the current and planned EUMETSAT mission activities continue to meet the needs of these services;
  • Manages the development activities for the recurrent satellites, interfacing with the relevant satellite and ground segment managers and ensuring readiness of the EUMETSAT systems and teams to support the respective launch and commissioning activities and prepare for routine operations.
 

LOCATION

Darmstadt, Germany

QUALIFICATIONS

University degree in a relevant field such as engineering, space systems, earth observation.

LANGUAGES

The official languages of EUMETSAT are English and French. Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and have some knowledge of French.

DEADLINE

27 March 2025

Duties

  • Manages the mission related tasks (for either Sentinel-3 OR Sentinel-6 and Jason-3) as outlined in the Copernicus Agreement between EUMETSAT and ESA or the EC, in close coordination the EUMETSAT user support, operations, science and engineering teams and international partners;
  • Manages the relevant agreements with partners and external stakeholders as concerns Copernicus missions in operation;
  • Coordinates, in close cooperation with the Copernicus user support, engineering, operations and science teams, the analysis and implementation of change requests initiated by the Commission, ESA, international partners or other Copernicus entities, ensuring optimal communication between the teams;
  • Manages the analysis and implementation of mission related change requests initiated by the EC, ESA or other Copernicus entities;
  • Maintains the Copernicus baseline documentation and related plans as regards Copernicus Sentinel-3 or Altimetry missions in operation;
  • Prepares the mission inputs to the Copernicus implementation plan and status reports, specifically to the EUMETSAT Management Board, EUMETSAT member states and ESA / the EC;
  • Interfaces with the Copernicus Services and users for mission (Sentinel-3 OR Sentinel-6 and Jason-3) programmatic matters, ensuring efficient two-way communication to guarantee that the current and planned EUMETSAT mission activities continue to meet the needs of these services;
  • Manages the development activities for the recurrent satellites, interfacing with the relevant satellite and ground segment managers and ensuring readiness of the EUMETSAT systems and teams to support the respective launch and commissioning activities and prepare for routine operations.

Skills and Experience

  • A minimum of 5 years’ experience directly working in international, highly operational and time critical environments, preferably directly related to satellite operations, earth observation or management of large-scale space-related activities;
  • Excellent understanding of the use of satellite data for operational applications;
  • Ability to understand and synthesise complex issues and apply these to decision making processes;
  • Very strong technical background in ideally one or more fields of: satellite operations, engineering and data services:
  • Innovation oriented mindset and opportunities-based thinking combined with strong analytical skills in establishing technical but also strategic trade-offs;
  • Excellent interpersonal, team working and communication (both oral and in writing) skills, with a proven ability to apply these to working within and across international and diverse teams.

Employment Conditions

The initial contract will be of 4 years’ duration, with subsequent 5 year contracts being awarded thereafter, subject to individual performance and organisation requirements. There is no limit to the amount of follow-up contracts a staff member can receive up to the EUMETSAT retirement age of 63 and there are certainly opportunities to establish a long career perspective at EUMETSAT.
This post is graded A3/A4 on the EUMETSAT salary scales. The minimum basic salary for this post is EURO 9058 per month (net of internal tax but excluding pension contribution and insurances) which may be negotiable on the basis of skills and experience. The salary scale provides for increments on the anniversary of taking up employment, and scales are reviewed by the EUMETSAT Council with effect from 1 January each year. In addition to basic salary, EUMETSAT offers attractive benefits. Further information, including salary details, is available on the EUMETSAT web site.

EUMETSAT is committed to providing an equal opportunities work environment for men and women.
Please note that only nationals of EUMETSAT Member States may apply. The EUMETSAT Convention requires that Staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, account being taken of the international character of EUMETSAT. Applicants are required to disclose all nationalities they have held and currently hold in order to determine whether they can exercise the role as advertised in compliance with applicable export control regulations.

About EUMETSAT

EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency. Its role is to establish and operate meteorological satellites to monitor the weather and climate from space - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information is supplied to the National Meteorological Services of the organisation's Member States in Europe, as well as other users worldwide.

EUMETSAT also operates several Copernicus missions on behalf of the European Union and provide data services to the Copernicus marine and atmospheric services and their users.

As an intergovernmental European Organisation, EUMETSAT has 30 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.)

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