VN 25/54 Mission Control Systems Operations Manager

EUMETSAT operates a fleet of spacecraft to observe the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and land surfaces in support of climate monitoring, weather forecasting, oceanography and hydrology. This includes satellites owned by EUMETSAT as well as several operated by EUMETSAT on behalf of the European Commission’s Copernicus programme.

Reporting to the Head of the Flight Operations (FLO) Division in the Operations and Services to Users Department (OPS), the Mission Control Systems Operations Manager is responsible for the planning, supervision and execution of mission control systems operations in support of spacecraft operations, working in close coordination with other teams from OPS.

The post holder also supports development and operations preparation activities for recurrent spacecraft and the introduction of next-generation satellite systems.

Duties

• Manage the Mission Control Systems Team of the Flight Operations Division;
• Coordinate and conduct operations of mission control chains across all satellite systems operated by EUMETSAT, including:
  • Execution of routine and special operations;
  • Mitigation and resolution of contingencies, including provision of on-call support;
  • Maintenance of operations products for operational mission control chains including procedures, databases and reference materials;
  • Management of contracted industrial services;
  • Management of relevant external interfaces;
  • Evaluation and trend analysis to monitor the operational performance and behaviour of mission control systems and chains;
  • Support routine processes for operations coordination and reporting, activity planning and scheduling, configuration management, quality assurance and anomaly handling;
    • Support the training of operations team personnel in relation to mission control chains;
    • With the Technical and Scientific Support Department (TSS), implement arrangements for the maintenance and evolution of existing mission control related systems, and the assessment, development and operational deployment of future mission control systems;
    • In support of the Programme Preparation and Development Department (PRD):
      • • Support the definition of requirements, and system design, development and testing for mission control chains of next-generation satellite systems;
        • Participate in system-level operations preparation, launch and commissioning activities for recurrent satellites and next-generation satellite systems;
        • Support the Head of the Flight Operations Division, in all management matters involving mission control chains.

          LOCATION Darmstadt, Germany

          QUALIFICATIONS

          University degree in a relevant engineering discipline.

          LANGUAGES Candidates must be able to work effectively in English and have some knowledge of French.

          DEADLINE

          12 October 2025

          Duties

          • Manage the Mission Control Systems Team of the Flight Operations Division;
          • Coordinate and conduct operations of mission control chains across all satellite systems operated by EUMETSAT, including:
            • Execution of routine and special operations;
            • Mitigation and resolution of contingencies, including provision of on-call support;
            • Maintenance of operations products for operational mission control chains including procedures, databases and reference materials;
            • Management of contracted industrial services;
            • Management of relevant external interfaces;
            • Evaluation and trend analysis to monitor the operational performance and behaviour of mission control systems and chains;
            • Support routine processes for operations coordination and reporting, activity planning and scheduling, configuration management, quality assurance and anomaly handling;
              • Support the training of operations team personnel in relation to mission control chains;
              • With the Technical and Scientific Support Department (TSS), implement arrangements for the maintenance and evolution of existing mission control related systems, and the assessment, development and operational deployment of future mission control systems;
              • In support of the Programme Preparation and Development Department (PRD):
                • • Support the definition of requirements, and system design, development and testing for mission control chains of next-generation satellite systems;
                  • Participate in system-level operations preparation, launch and commissioning activities for recurrent satellites and next-generation satellite systems;
                  • Support the Head of the Flight Operations Division, in all management matters involving mission control chains.

                    Skills and Experience

                    • Proven experience in the operations of mission control chains and system-level operations preparation for complex satellite systems;
                    • Experience in the development and deployment of mission control chains would be an advantage;
                    • Demonstrated ability to plan and control complex activities, including prioritising and the management of constraints, inter-dependencies and opportunities;
                    • Demonstrated team management and leadership skills, including the ability to delegate effectively and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues;
                    • Excellent interpersonal skills;
                    • Ability to communicate effectively, including clear, concise and timely reporting.

                      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 9,287 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.)