Technical Project Manager - Space Exploration

Technical Project Manager - Space Exploration
Make a difference every day 

We are a multinational organisation with a global team of 50,000 colleagues. In the Middle East we operate in the Transport, Defence & Advisory sectors, delivering services in Asset Management, Customer Experience, Fire & Rescue and Air Navigation Services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services to fulfil our purpose to impact a better future by "Bringing National Visions to Life".  
 
Your Opportunity  

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. Serco offers space capability across the full space lifecycle from satellite testing to launch services, LEOP to spacecraft operations, space surveillance to data management, and supporting downstream application development. With over 60 years history in the space sector, Serco is well placed to contribute to national strategies and New Space ventures who want to scale their businesses/organizations with skilled talent.

On behalf of our client in the United Arab Emirates, we are looking for an experienced Technical Project Manager for Space Exploration to join our organisation in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. This remarkable role offers a unique opportunity to work on several exciting projects in the region.

The Technical Project Manager for Space Exploration will lead the planning, execution, and delivery of R&D projects within the Space Exploration Program, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and strategies.

The hiring for this position is subject to contract award.

Key Accountabilities

• Support the technical research team in contractual negotiations with Universities, Partners, Consultants and Suppliers.
• Support the technical teams in the execution of their projects, establishing PM governance to follow up the projects.
• Manage project scope, timeline, resources, and budget, identifying and mitigating risks to ensure successful project delivery.
• Utilize Agile methodologies to tailor project management approaches based on project needs and stakeholder requirements.
• Drive a continuous improvement culture, leveraging best practices to optimize processes and improve efficiency.
• Facilitate Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives, to ensure effective team collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Maintain and manage project documentation, utilizing Jira and Confluence for tracking progress, reporting, and communication with stakeholders.
• Manage the use cases project management for the Center, providing support on establishing internal processes, and development of research projects/use cases.
• Liaise with suppliers, clients, other research centers and areas (Legal, Supply Chain, Finance, HR), to provide the necessary guidance to the technical teams and to help streamline projects.
• Support the leadership to develop project management office policies and processes, to ensure the use cases projects are meeting standards, adhere to budgets and meet deadlines.
• Coordinate the execution of the facilities readiness focusing in the scope, justification, documentation, budget plan and provide the adequate solutions to support the laboratories readiness in the time required.
• Evaluate new research projects ensuring the scope, justification, documentation, budget plan meet standards and provide the adequate business model and templates for the use cases in the different verticals.
• Define and evaluate Project performance KPIs and present to senior leadership.

Specific Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, or relevant field, with minimum of 7 years of experience.
• 5+ years of experience in Project Management functions in Aerospace or Space sector.
• Experience in Space Exploration and in R&D projects environment is highly preferred.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Experience in managing teams on complex R&D and innovative programs.
• Experience in Agile and Waterfall project management methodologies.
• Experience in project scheduling tools such as MS Project and Jira.
• Ability to navigate in the different environments (customers, partners, suppliers)
• Good written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Strong attention to details and technical abilities.
• Good interpersonal and multi-tasking skills, “hands on” mindset.
• Relevant training and/or certifications. Formal Project Management training is preferred.

What’s in it for you? 

At Serco, our core values drive everything we do, and we believe in fairly compensating our colleagues for the value they bring to our organization. We are proud to offer a total reward package at Serco which includes: 

• Competitive monthly pay and allowances that are commensurate with the role and industry standards 

  
  

• Comprehensive medical insurance coverage and life insurance, so our employees can feel secure in their health and financial wellbeing 

  
  

• We recognize the importance of work-life balance, which is why we offer competitive leave benefits that exceed industry standards 

  
  

• We offer an annual airfare allowance to support our expat colleagues to stay in touch and visit their loved ones 

  
  

• We pride ourselves on providing a supportive work environment where we foster a positive Safety-First culture 

  
  

• We care deeply about our colleagues' wellbeing and offer access to wellbeing programs and platforms to support their physical, mental, and emotional health. 

  
  

• As a global organization, we offer a vast array of career paths for our employees to choose from. The scale and breadth of our organization provides our colleagues with opportunities for growth and variety in their career path, both regionally and globally. 

  
  

Join Us 

At Serco, we believe there is a place here for everyone. A place where you can bring your authentic self to work every day. Our workplace culture is one that embraces diversity and fosters equity, respect, and belonging for every individual. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and creating an inclusive environment that proudly celebrates the perspectives and backgrounds that each of our employees bring to work every day. 

Join Serco and be part of a values-driven organization that invests in the development and well-being of its employees and offers a rewarding and fulfilling career.

Serco is committed to Equal Employment Opportunities and is committed to ensuring the safety of all of its employees through its Zero Harm initiative. Please visit www.serco.com/careers for more information.