About this job

Serco is a leading Space Services Provider with thousands of skilled resources that has supported over 50 space missions on behalf of more than 10 Space or Government agencies around the globe, including the ESA and NASA.

In 2020, ESA decided to reorganize the development and operations of its scientific satellite missions including the acquisition, generation, processing and archiving of the related data. In the past, teams of experts from ESA and contractor companies were working together on a specific satellite mission, e.g. Mars Express or XMM-Newton, under the leadership of ESA. Now, the work is grouped by tasks like uplink, downlink, data processing and archiving and by mission types like astronomy and planetary missions. Based on these tasks ESA defined work packages (SCOs) which are run as services by prime contractor companies within the ESA Frame Contract 2 (EFC2).

We are currently searching for an experienced and dynamic Service Manager o join our team on site at our client, the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Madrid, Spain. The ESAC SCO Service Manager is responsible for the overall service delivery of Serco’s Work Areas in the Science Operations Activity Domain (S-SCO). The Service Manager maintains the Service Management Plan and management deliverables, in accordance with ESA Frame Contract 2 (EFC2) SCO Management Requirements Document (MARD) including establishing and managing the Progress and Performance Management regime, subcontractors, working groups and the Product Assurance team.  This includes also the responsibility for leading the service improvement and lessons learned activities.

Responsibilities

As a Service Manager you will concentrate your activities on the following:

Operational Excellence

• Service Management
  • Have overall responsibility for the end-to-end technical execution of the services to the client specification.
  • Ensure that the organisation, resources, support, services and adequate procedures are made available to staff and their supervision to enable them to perform their tasks correctly.
  • Collaborate closely with Service Managers from partner companies in EFC2 (Telespazio, Quasar, ISDEFE, HE-Space, ATG) on service and staffing related matters.
  • Review regularly the evolution of resources in a “Staffing Plan” and adapt it to the requirements of the customer which is based on resources per mission.
  • Identify any recruitment needs and participate in the selection of candidates in collaboration with the Technical Managers.
  • Establish and maintain a “Training Plan” based on the needs for the service and the feedback from the annual My-CatchUp reviews.
  • Lead on Continuous Improvement of the service; recommending, negotiating and implementing the necessary action plans.
  • Ensure Product Assurance is carried out properly for the SCO work packages in close collaboration with the Serco PAE-07 team.
  • Organize on-boarding and departures of service personnel together with Operations Manager and HR.
  • Keep control of mission requests and payment claims within the service.
  • Keep Service Management Procedures and Documents on Serco Sharepoint up to date o   In general, manage teams in close collaboration with the Technical Managers, Operations Manager and the Human Resources department .
• Technical
  • Understand / anticipate the technical expectations of the customer and propose adapted solutions.
  • Coordinate and monitor technical progress in Work Packages SCO-03 and SCO-07 in collaboration with the Technical Managers through internal SCRUM Sprint Planning, Review and Retrospective meetings as well as monthly meetings together with ESA.
  • Control the quality of services: compliance with the schedule, requirements, compliance with specifications, updates to documentation, feedback.
  • Lead on the establishment of performance indicators and then monitor the service level being provided to the customer.
  • Risk Management: identification, categorization (assessment), determine risk reduction strategy, monitoring and reporting.

Customer

• Interface with ESA’s Technical Officer (TO) and Contract Officer (CO) for service related matters.
• Collaborate closely with ESA’s Technical Responsibles (TRs) for work packages SCO-03 and SCO-07 which Serco is priming.
• Participate in all service related meetings organized by ESA (e.g. SCI-S Retrospective, Annual Science, office allocation, health & safety, etc.) and represent Serco when required.
• Preparation of Quarterly Progress Reports (QPRs) (including KPIs, Risks, Actions, Deliverables, etc) and presenting those at the corresponding Quarterly Progress Meetings (QPMs).
• Handle customer requests requiring service staff to work outside nominal working hours together with Operations Manager.
• Keep service documentation (ESA Confluence and Jira) up to date.
• Oversee the overall performance of all service teams that interface with the customer operation, being able to influence and direct their work towards customer satisfaction.
• Gather constant customer feedback and monitor the level of satisfaction making sure customer perceptions are well aligned with our own.
• Articulate all the change initiatives, by actively participating on the planning and deployment during all change processes.

People & Culture

• Carry out the Serco internal annual review process My-CatchUp ·
• Manage absence of service personnel in Replicon together with Technical and Operations Managers ·
• Work effectively with internal and external stakeholders to manage expectations and gain support for service ·
• Work effectively with partners and subcontractors to contribute to a coherent service, ensuring commercial sensitivities are considered appropriately.

Financial

• Assist the management of the service budget, in close collaboration with the Operations Manager, Contract Manager and Finance department ·
• Use financial data to review and assess opportunities and thus support decision-making.

Profile

Do you think you are the person we are looking for? See below what experience or knowledge you should bring:

• Master degree or equivalent in natural sciences or engineering.
• At least 5 years of relevant work experience in managing technical service delivery within space  .
• Some knowledge and experience with SCRUM methodology and project management.
• Excellent general knowledge of ESAC missions and activities.
• Strong and demonstrated background in space system engineering, mission analysis and architecture.
• Experience with relevant standards and management processes in particular with respect to project management, risk management and configuration management including processes for handling of requirements, changes, problems and incidents i.e. ITIL, ECSS, PRINCE2
• Experience of working in diverse teams and managing/influencing indirect resources
• Good understanding of technical performance management and overall service delivery
• Experience of applying Lean or Continuous Improvement at organisational level.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Spanish: able to explain complex technical constructs with ease.
• Ability to identify evolutions and improvements to tools and processes related to services.
• Good analytical skills with ability to assimilate information quickly, and communicate key messages simply and effectively to the business to aid decision making.
• Good negotiation and presentation skills. .
• Demonstrates exceptional communication skills to include interpersonal, written, staff level and executive level business briefings.
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of stakeholder management and the ability to develop effective relationships at all levels.
• Ability to work collaboratively and influence effective outcomes.
• Effective self-management with track record of involvement in change in complex and demanding environments, interacting with individuals at all levels of the organisation.
• Methodical and proactive, with initiative and capability to work autonomously.
• Problem-solving and creativity-oriented attitude.
• Good commercial judgment and financial literacy.

On Offer:

• Competitive Salary.
• Comprehensive package of benefits offered by the company.
• Assistance with relocation can be provided; details available upon request.
• Engaging company events to foster team spirit.
• Hybrid working model to support work-life balance.
• Opportunity to work in an international environment.

Relocation:

Spain is known for its vibrant culture, including flamenco music and dance, bullfighting, and world-renowned festivals. Spanish workers enjoy a minimum of 30 calendar days of paid vacation annually, plus numerous public holidays, ensuring plenty of time for rest and travel. Spain offers generous maternity and paternity leave, as well as other family-friendly policies that support parents in balancing work and family life. Spain is known for its pleasant Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and mild winters, making it an attractive place to live year-round.Serco provides comprehensive relocation support for all EU passport holders moving to Madrid to join Serco España S.A.

DE&I

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Serco is based on a culture where every voice is heard and every employee feels valued. Working together as one team, we can enhance the experience of our people and teams, improve the value of our solutions to better serve the missions of our customers, and make an impact in our world.