Director of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs

Director of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs Job Requisition ID: 20148 Date Posted: 22 December 2025 Closing Date: 16 February 2026 23:59 CET/CEST Directorate: Strategy, Legal and External Matters LocationESA Headquarters, Paris, France. Regular travel to other ESA sites is required. Description The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe's gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. ESA's annual budget for 2026 is €8.3 billion, with a workforce of around 6,000, comprising staff and contractors. You will report to the Director General and will be responsible for contributing to ESA-wide management as a member of the ESA Executive Board supporting the Director General in their responsibilities in the pursuit of ESA's overall objectives, fostering efficiency, and ensuring compliance with the applicable regulatory framework. Duties Under the direct authority of the Director General, you will be responsible for ESA's strategy, coordination and foresight, legal services, international policy and relationships with EU institutions. You will support the Director General in conducting the reflection on the strategic evolution of Europe in Space and its future governance. You will lead the preparation of Space Council meetings in respect of programmatic, strategic and legal matters and support the Director General in the preparation of ESA Council meetings at ministerial level, as regards the strategy, political, institutional and legal aspects. You will, in addition, be responsible for: the definition and implementation of the overall ESA strategy, as well as the coordination and consolidation of actions and programme proposals, in particular the implementation of ESA Strategy 2040; the provision of legal services to the ESA Director General and Member States, as well as to all organisational functions established by them under the ESA Convention; devising, coordinating and supporting ESA's policy vis‑a‑vis EU institutions as well as non-Member States, their institutions and international organisations, in accordance with the overall corporate strategy of the Agency, as well as for supervising the action plan to be followed; a number of ESA representative offices both in ESA Member and non‑member states (e.g. Brussels Office, Washington, Tokyo); the coordination of Basic Activities as a cross-directorate programme. You will actively work to ensure the well‑being, motivation, training and career progression of your Directorate workforce, incentivising a spirit of initiative, transparency, information flow and coordination with other directorates. You will also be responsible for identifying, assessing, managing and reporting the health and safety risks in your area of responsibility More than 10 years’ experience in similar senior management positions at executive level and in the management of teams and programmes of significant size in terms of budget and human resources, preferably in a technical/scientific context In-depth knowledge of and experience in space legal and strategy matters as well as external relations acquired in an international setting Proven experience in business management, including the ability to develop innovative strategies to increase operational efficiency, and to build strong relationship with key stakeholders to drive successful business outcomes Result OrientationOperational EfficiencyFostering CooperationRelationship ManagementContinuous ImprovementForward Thinking Applicants for this post should have at least a master's in law, economics or business administration. Additional requirements Key qualities required for the post are an innovative spirit and a strategically oriented mind, a proven capacity to lead change and manage people and teams, excellent relationship management and negotiation skills and the ability to influence high-level decisions. In addition, you should have: the ability to provide strategic direction to individuals and teams and to relate team objectives to the overall, evolving organisational goals and context; the ability to drive performance within and across teams throughout the organisation; demonstrated excellent leadership, relationship management and communication skills, both oral and written; excellent cognitive, analytical, delegation, planning and organisational skills; the ability to anticipate problems, solve complex issues and relate situations to their context; the ability to reach solution‑oriented, pragmatic and timely decisions of a high standard and with integrity as well as to support others (team members, upper management and other stakeholders) in this process. Diversity, Equity and InclusivenessESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Important Information and DisclaimerApplicants must be eligible to acquire the security clearance by their national security administrations. Please note that applicants will be required to undergo psychometric testing and other assessments, and, if invited for interview, asked to provide references.In accordance with the European Space Agency's security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment. For further information: directorsrecruitment@esa.int Nationality and LanguagesPlease note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset. #J-18808-Ljbffr