Ariane 6 Launch System Product Assurance and Safety Manager

Ariane 6 Launch System Product Assurance and Safety Manager Job Requisition ID: 20154 Date Posted: 8 January 2026 Closing Date: 29 January 2026 23:59 CET/CEST Directorate: Technology, Engineering and Quality As Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) Manager, you will be assigned to the Space Transportation Systems Product Assurance and Safety Office, Quality Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality. The STS Product Assurance and Safety Office provides support to the missions and activities of the Directorate of Space Transportation Systems for PA&S management and coordination. You will be assigned as collocated support to work in the Directorate of Space Transportation Systems as Ariane 6 Launch System Product Assurance and Safety Manager. You will report hierarchically to the Head of the STS Product Assurance and Safety Office and functionally to the programme manager of Ariane 6. For the maintenance of professional standards, the implementation of the ESA general PA&S policy and contributions to corporate tasks (such as reviews, standardisation, alerts and or lessons learned), you will report to the Head of the Quality Department through the Head of the STS Product Assurance and Safety Office. You will be responsible, within the context of Ariane 6 programme and activities, for the overall implementation of the PA&S requirements and activities for the launch system (delta) development, exploitation and evolutions. Duties Within the applicable Ariane 6 programme governance structure, your specific responsibilities and duties will include, but not be limited to: coordinating the Ariane 6 and Astris PA&S team (identification, monitoring and coordination of the resources and workforce needed to perform the functions); interfacing with the Ariane 6 programme and project managers as required; establishing, maintaining and coordinating the approval of the PA&S requirements baseline in compliance with general ESA PA&S policy and with any legally applicable requirements; reviewing contractors' proposed plans and specifications for the implementation of projects, ensuring that PA&S requirements are considered throughout the contractual chain; verifying the fulfilment of PA&S requirements during programme/project reviews and other milestones (PRRs, PDRs, CDRs, QR, KPs), managing the related PA&S actions/recommendations; guiding, monitoring and assessing the implementation of PA&S requirements/approved plans by contractors in order to assess effectiveness; preparing audit plans, performing audits and/or enquiries and managing the related follow‑up; supporting the Head of STS PA&S Office in the coordination of national surveillance organisations for Ariane 6 exploitation and development; chairing the boards established for the handling of major non‑conformances and waivers, and in failure reviews and quality enquiries, test reviews, etc.; acting as the requests for waivers/deviations process owner for the programme, including the related database; analysing and assessing requests for changes (CP) in the design or in the processes (in particular when PA&S requirements are impacted); preparing PA and RAMS documentation as relevant, ensuring execution and implementation of related analyses; ensuring monitoring of the manufacturing, assembly, integration and test activities; conducting acceptance reviews of contractually deliverable items (hardware, documentation and analyses) and guiding the necessary follow‑up; supporting the handover of hardware and/or software from companies in charge of development to companies in charge of exploitation; supporting establishment and implementation of standards and best practices in the product and quality assurance field; contributing to the dissemination and implementation of principles and approaches aimed at reducing the development/operations cycle time in compliance with applicable standards; participating in periodic meetings with the parent department, contributing to the transfer of technical knowledge and lessons learned across the Agency. When performing the assigned tasks, you will be supported by experts from the project team and the ESA Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality. Qualifications Knowledge and experience in the Product Assurance, Safety and Quality Management disciplines applied in space projects. Experience in the technical domains (e.g. launchers and spacecraft technologies) covered by the position. Understanding of related technologies, R&D trends and the industrial landscape. Experience in the management and monitoring of industrial activities, including participation in reviews and conducting of quality audits. Experience with Space Quality Standards and their preparation and implementation. A master’s degree in engineering is required for this post. Additional requirements Several years of experience in the management of product assurance and safety activities are required, as well as proven experience in interfacing with partners in an international environment Familiarity and hands‑on experience, ideally in highly regulated environments (such as aeronautics, automotive or healthcare), with lean product development methodologies and approaches Experience in configuration management and quality auditing certification would be an asset Knowledge of the French Space Operation Act (FSOA) and related regulations and processes would be an asset * PA&S covers safety, reliability, availability, maintainability, quality assurance, components, including radiation hardening assurance, materials and processes and software product assurance. Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness ESA 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. At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at contact.human.resources@esa.int. Important Information and Disclaimer In principle, recruitment will be within the advertised grade band (A2-A4). However, if the selected candidate has less than four years of relevant professional experience following the completion of the master’s degree, the position may be filled at A1 level. Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations & eligible to acquire the security clearance by their national security administrations. During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures. Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position. The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. Nationality and Languages Please 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, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia. According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short‑listing for an interview, priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under‑represented Member States*. 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. *Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States. #J-18808-Ljbffr