Product Assurance and Configuration Officer

Product Assurance and Configuration Officer

EUSPA - European Union Agency for the Space Programme

Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France

Vacancy details

Type of contract: Temporary Agent
Reference number: EUSPA/2024/AD/019
Grade/Function group: AD6
Place of employment¹: Saint-Germain-en-Laye/France
Deadline for applications: 07.01.2025 11:59 AM (GMT+2)
Contract duration (Y): 5
Possibility of renewal²: yes
Desired start date: As soon as possible
Possible reserve list valid until: 31.12.2025
Organisational department: Project Management Office and Quality
Reporting to³: Quality Assurance and Configuration Team Lead
Level of security clearance⁴: SECRET UE/EU SECRET

1. EUSPA AND THE HIRING DEPARTMENT

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) provides safe and secure European satellite navigation services, advances the commercialization of Galileo, the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), and Copernicus data and services, engages in secure SATCOM (GOVSATCOM & IRIS2), and operates the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) Front Desk. Through these projects, EUSPA enhances European autonomy in space technologies, fosters innovation and creativity, supports European transport net and agriculture, all while contributing to the economic growth and health of the European Union.

EUSPA offers a diverse multicultural workplace that welcomes all applicants without distinction on any grounds of gender, race, ethnic or social origin, nationality, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, birth, gender identity, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status or other family situation. EUSPA wishes to employ competent talents and be representative of the diversity of the EU citizens and is committed to provide the best working conditions and benefits to its staff. For more information on the EUSPA and the EU Space Programm, click here.

The Project Management Office and Quality (PMQ) Department provides the standards, methodologies and tools for the implementation of the EU Space Programme and related development activities. PMQ is collocated at different sites of the Agency and comprises teams of experts with background in classical Project Management Office (PMO) disciplines, knowledge of Product and Quality Assurance, as well as expertise in Cost Engineering and Business Solutions. Furthermore, PMQ supports corporate Quality and Information Management Systems maintenance, development and ISO certification.

The Quality Assurance and Configuration (QAC) team within PMQ implements the Product and quality assurance as well as the configuration and document management functions as independent support to the operational programmes of the Agency. In particular, the QAC team provides expertise in the areas of Configuration, Data and Document Management Systems; Baseline and Change Management, i.e. in Engineering Boards and Change Control Boards; Product and Quality Assurance, incl. software product assurance; Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) and Review Management processes.

The position requires permanent relocation to the Agency’s Galileo Security Monitoring Centre (GSMC) in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, one of the more affluent suburbs of Paris. Occasional missions to the GSMC backup site (Madrid, Spain), to EUSPA’s Headquarter (Prague, Czech Republic), and other locations as required are foreseen for this post.

2. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

We are looking for a Product Assurance and Configuration Officer to reinforce our QAC team. The job holder will deliver Product Assurance (PA) and Configuration Management (CM) services to strategic and critical EU Space programme components entrusted to the Agency. The job holder will be the on-site representative of the QAC team at the GSMC site and will coordinate also the work of external service support consultants for delegated quality tasks.

The job holder will have the following main tasks and responsibilities:

• Ensure business continuity of the PA and CM support, including in the area of cyber security;
• Manage the configuration control of ground and space infrastructures of the operational programmes and ensure their conformity to applicable requirements and program baselines and produce the associated deliverables;
• Support the configuration management interactions for the operational programmes with both internal and external stakeholders, in particular with the European Commission, European Space Agency (ESA) and industry;
• Establish, implement and continuously improve the Agency’s Quality and CM processes deployed in operational programmes;
• Control that the organisation, resources and planning are commensurate to the Service Level Agreement committed by internal and external stakeholders involved in the Infrastructure Procurement Processes and Service Provision delivery, in particular Integrated Logistic Support Key Performance Indicators (e.g. Turn Around Time, Time to React);
• Implement an auditing strategy to account for the entrusted assets of all the EUSPA programmes, as well as plan and execute configuration audits;
• Liaise with other departments, notably in the area of Administration and Operations, to ensure the execution of related corporate tasks, such as planning, reporting, auditing, administration, financial & budget management, risk management;
• Provide support to the Head of Department and/or other teams of the PMQ department as required.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The selection procedure is open to applicants who satisfy the following eligibility criteria, on the closing date for application:

• Have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies⁵ of at least three years attested by a diploma;
• Appropriate professional experience⁶ of at least three years after having obtained the required diploma;
• Be a national of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland or Norway;
• Be entitled to their full rights as citizen;
• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws concerning military service;
• Meet the character requirements for the duties involved⁷;
• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the European Union⁸ and a satisfactory knowledge of another language of the European Union to the extent necessary for the performance of their duties;
• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post⁹_.

Temporary agents (2f) from EUSPA and other EU agencies are also invited to apply in accordance with the following EUSPA rules: https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/conditions_of_employment_of_temporary_staff_ta.pdf. The grade bracket applicable for internal and inter-agency mobility is AD6 – AD7.

4. SELECTION CRITERIA

All eligible applications, according to the afore-mentioned criteria, will be assessed against the requirements listed below solely based on the information provided by the candidates in their application.

The Selection Board responsible for this selection will determine the criteria to be assessed in the various phases of the selection procedure (assessment of the application forms, interview and written test) prior to being granted access to the names of the applicants.

When filling the online application, candidates are expected to clearly include elements that demonstrate that their profile matches the requirements below.

Professional experience and expertise:

1. Hands-on experience in Product Assurance and Configuration Management tasks;
2. Experience in implementing quality processes in operational activities; experience in space quality management is considered an asset;
3. Knowledge (by training or experience) of quality frameworks and standards, including security and cyber (ECSS, ISO, ITIL);
4. Experience of working with classified information would be considered an asset;
5. Experience in financial, procurement and contract management;
6. Excellent command of both written and spoken English.

Required competencies:

7. Motivation for the post;
8. Effective communication;
9. Ability to deliver accurate work, prioritise, and organise workload effectively under pressure;
10. Service orientation, analytical thinking and problem-solving attitude;
11. Transversal collaboration and working in teams.

5. SELECTION PROCEDURE

The current vacancy aims to fill 1 (one) post and establish a reserve list.

A comprehensive description of the selection process is available here.

Indicative date for the interview and written test: January 2025. The date might be modified depending on the availability of the Selection Board members.

Candidates are strictly forbidden to make any contact with the Selection Board members, either directly or indirectly. Any infringement of this rule will lead to disqualification from the selection procedure.

Any questions regarding the selection procedure should be addressed only to: jobs@euspa.europa.eu.

In addition, candidates having any personal relationship within the EUSPA shall declare such situation to jobs@euspa.europa.eu.

6. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

In order to be considered for this position, candidates need to create an account by registering via the EUSPA e-recruitment tool.

Only applications submitted via the e-recruitment tool will be accepted. Applications sent via email or post will not be taken into consideration.

Multiple applications received for the same position via different accounts will lead to the exclusion of the applicant from the selection procedure.

Important: the information provided by candidates in their online application constitutes the solely basis for the assessment of the eligibility and selection criteria. Therefore, they are invited to carefully read the requirements and to provide the relevant information in such detail that would allow this assessment. Particular attention should be paid to information on the education and professional experience, in particular exact dates, description of responsibilities and duties carried out. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure accurate and elaborate completion of the application form and avoidance of unclarities and typos.

All sections of the application should be completed in English in order to facilitate the selection procedure.

In order to be considered, applications must be received by the closing date indicated in the vacancy notice.

Candidates are advised to submit the application well ahead of the deadline in order to avoid potential problems during the final days before the closing date of applications’ submissions. The Agency cannot be held responsible for any last-minute malfunctioning of the e-recruitment tool due to heavy traffic on the website.

Any request for technical support must be sent to: jobs@euspa.europa.eu minimum two working days before the vacancy notice deadline. Please note, that if you submit your request for technical support later, we may not be able to assist you.

Please consult the e-recruitment guideline for instructions on completing the application.

Any questions regarding the selection procedure should be addressed only to: jobs@euspa.europa.eu.

7. APPEAL PROCEDURE

If a candidate considers that they have been adversely affected by a particular decision, they can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union; submit a judicial appeal under Article 270 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (ex Art. 236 of the EC Treaty) and Article 91 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union; or make a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

Details on how to initiate these processes are available here.

8. SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

FINANCIAL ENTITLEMENTS:

The remuneration consists of a basic salary¹⁰ and, where applicable, additional allowances¹¹, paid on a monthly basis and reimbursements¹², paid upon their evidenced occurrence.

The sum of the basic salary and the applicable additional allowances is weighted by the correction coefficient applicable for the location of the post¹³. The sum of usual social deductions from salary at source is subtracted from the weighted amount¹⁴. The full pay is exempted from the national income tax, but is subject to the internal income tax and the solidarity levy¹⁵.

Examples of net monthly salaries (as currently applicable in France) are presented below:

AD 6 - Step 1 (less than 6 years of work experience)16
a) Minimum final net salary (without any allowances)	b) Final net salary with expatriation allowance	c) Final net salary with expatriation, household and 1 dependent child allowance
5,801.75 EUR	7,003.27 EUR	8,318.85 EUR

 

AD 6 - Step 2 (6 or more years of work experience)16
a) Minimum final net salary (without any allowances)	b) Final net salary with expatriation allowance	c) Final net salary with expatriation, household and 1 dependent child allowance
6,016.11 EUR	7,268.11 EUR	8,600.77 EUR

WORKING CONDITIONS AND BENEFITS:

Information about our comprehensive welfare package, including leave entitlements, social security, professional development and benefits contributing to work-life balance, is available here.

INTERNAL AND INTERAGENCY MOBILITY:

In case of internal or interagency mobility, EUSPA and the selected candidate shall conclude a contract of employment in accordance with the EUSPA rules: https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/conditions_of_employment_of_temporary_staff_ta.pdf.

9. COMMITMENT

Declaration of commitment to serve the public interest independently:

The job holders will be required to make a declaration of commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make a declaration in relation to any interest that might be considered prejudicial to their independence.

The job holders will be required to carry out their duties and conduct themselves solely with the interests of the European Union in mind; they shall neither seek nor take instruction from any government, authority, organisation or person outside their institution. They shall carry out the duties assigned with objectivity, impartiality and loyalty to the European Union.

Commitment to promote equal opportunities:

The Agency is an equal opportunities employer and strongly encourages applications from all candidates who fulfil the eligibility and selection criteria without any distinction whatsoever on grounds of nationality, age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, gender or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or other family situation.

10. DATA PROTECTION

The personal data requested from applicants will be processed in line with Regulation (EU) N° 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, officers and agencies and on the free movement of such data (repealing Regulation (EC) N° 45/2001 and Decision N° 1247/2002/EC) and the applicable privacy statement which can be accessed here.

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^[1] The place of employment is subject to changes in the interest of the service and always under due consideration of the Staff Member’s interests;
^[2] Possibility of renewal for a fixed period and a further renewal for an indefinite period on the conditions set out in the Staff Regulations and in the Conditions of Employment for Other Servants;
^[3] The organisational department and the hierarchical reporting line may change in line with the developments of the EUSPA and department’s organisation;
^[4] The successful candidate must hold a valid personnel security clearance at the level defined above or be able and willing to apply for it immediately after the contract signature. The procedure for obtaining a personnel security clearance shall be initiated on request of the employer only, and not by the individual candidate. Description of the EU classified information levels is available here;
^[5] Only study titles that have been awarded in EU Member States or that are subject to the equivalence certificates issued by the authorities in the said Member States shall be taken into consideration. Qualifications/diplomas awarded in the United Kingdom until 31/12/2020 are accepted without further recognition. For diplomas awarded in the United Kingdom after this date (from 01/01/2021), a NARIC recognition is required: https://www.enic-naric.net/;
^[6] Only appropriate professional experience acquired after achieving the minimum qualification stated in point 1. shall be considered. Where additional periods of training and study are accompanied by periods of professional activity, only the latter shall be considered as professional experience. Compulsory military service or equivalent civilian service accomplished after achieving the minimum qualification stated in point 1. shall be taken into consideration. Internships will be taken into consideration, if they are paid. Professional activities pursued part-time shall be calculated pro rata, on the basis of the percentage of full-time hours worked. A given period may be counted only once;
^[7] Prior to the appointment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide a Police certificate confirming the absence of any criminal record;
^[8] The languages of the EU are: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish;
^[9] Before a successful candidate can be appointed, they will be medically examined by a selected medical service so that the Agency will be satisfied that they fulfil the requirement of Article 28(e) of the Staff Regulation of Officials of the European Communities;
^[10] As per Articles 92 and 93 CEOS;
^[11] Household allowance (e.g. if you have a dependent child or you are married and your spouse's income is below a defined threshold); Dependent child allowance (e.g. if you have a child under the age of 18 or between 18 and 26, if in specified training programme); Education allowances (in very specific cases) or Payment of the education fees applicable to the educational institutions EUSPA has an agreement with (currently more than 18 international schools in the Czech Republic and Spain, and European Schools in France and in the Netherlands); Expatriation allowance (16% of the sum of basic salary and other applicable allowances);
^[12] If staff member is requested to change the residence in order to take up duties, s/he will be entitled to: reimbursement of the travel costs; temporary daily subsistence allowance (EUR 51.08 for up to 180 days, with dependents; or EUR 41.20 for up to 120 days, if no dependents); installation allowance (depending on personal situation, 1 or 2 months of the basic salary – paid upon successful completion of the nine-month probationary period);
^[13] Currently correction coefficients for the EUSPA duty locations are: 100,9% for CZ, 117 % for FR, 111,5% for NL, 92,4% for ES. The coefficient is updated every year, with retroactive effect from 1 July;
^[14] Pension (11.10%); health insurance (1.70%); accident cover (0.10%); unemployment insurance (0.81%);
^[15] Currently: income tax: tax levied progressively at a rate of between 8% and 45% of the taxable portion of the salary; solidarity levy: 6%;
^[16] Kindly note that the numbers in examples b) and c) are indicative and net monthly remuneration varies depending on the personal, life and social situation of the incumbent. The various components of the remuneration are updated every year, with retroactive effect from 1 July.

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