VN 26/04 Lead Project Controller

EUMETSAT is Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, operating a fleet of satellites delivering weather and climate-related satellite data and images to our users worldwide; helping protect lives, property and industries.

Within our Project Planning and Control Competence Area (PPC CA), the Lead Project Controller is responsible for financial, budget, cost planning and control activities to the PRD (Programmes Preparation and Development) Office, the PMO (Project Management Office) Unit and the NPS (New Programmes and Services) Division within the Department Programmes Preparation and Development (PRD).

In this role, the successful candidate will collaborate closely with core technical teams across the organization. They will oversee all budget and financial planning activities, ensuring accuracy and will act as main responsible for budget implementation and control. As the primary point of contact for budget control, they will partner closely with management in PRD Department, providing leadership in resource planning, control, and reporting.

Duties

• Deliver project planning and control services to the supported teams, in accordance with established processes, including coordination of inputs with development programmes within the PRD Department and alignment with Project Control teams and its leaders across departments and programmes for multi-mission activities;
• Prepare and deliver inputs, including the activities, to the EUMETSAT budget and financial planning process, including medium and long-term human resource needs;
• Support the planning, development and maintenance of medium- and long-term manpower needs for the PRD Office, the PMO Unit and the NPS Division,and maintenance of the associated data;
• Monitor and manage the implementation of the yearly budget, including year-end activities; assess in-year and multi-year cost planning, analyse deviations and identify risks and recovery actions.
  • Define, prepare and provide progress and performance reporting to management, including relevant indicators, analysis of deviations and trend assessments;
  • Monitor projects across departments and within PRD to ensure effective integration and consolidated financial reporting at PRD level.
  • Support the Project Planning and Control Competence Area Manager and contribute to the overall harmonisation and improvement of project planning and control processes, standards and methodologies, working practices and tools.

    LOCATION Darmstadt, Germany

    QUALIFICATIONS

    University degree in Engineering, Economics or equivalent in a relevant discipline

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

    DEADLINE

    9 March 2026

    Duties

    • Deliver project planning and control services to the supported teams, in accordance with established processes, including coordination of inputs with development programmes within the PRD Department and alignment with Project Control teams and its leaders across departments and programmes for multi-mission activities;
    • Prepare and deliver inputs, including the activities, to the EUMETSAT budget and financial planning process, including medium and long-term human resource needs;
    • Support the planning, development and maintenance of medium- and long-term manpower needs for the PRD Office, the PMO Unit and the NPS Division,and maintenance of the associated data;
    • Monitor and manage the implementation of the yearly budget, including year-end activities; assess in-year and multi-year cost planning, analyse deviations and identify risks and recovery actions.
      • Define, prepare and provide progress and performance reporting to management, including relevant indicators, analysis of deviations and trend assessments;
      • Monitor projects across departments and within PRD to ensure effective integration and consolidated financial reporting at PRD level.
      • Support the Project Planning and Control Competence Area Manager and contribute to the overall harmonisation and improvement of project planning and control processes, standards and methodologies, working practices and tools.

        Skills and Experience

        • Proven experience in project planning and control activities and in managing resource allocation, preferably in an engineering environment with multi-year projects;
        • Proven knowledge and practice of administrative processes based on an integrated financial system (e.g. SAP) and strong MS Excel proficiency.
        • Knowledge on Power BI and similar reporting tools will be considered an advantage;
        • Proactivity, strong capability for independent and analytical thinking and seeing the big picture while maintaining a focus on details;
        • Ability to work in a structured and methodical manner, combined with strengths in analysis, synthesis, reporting and presentation;
        • Very good interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, with a proven ability to apply these to interact with management and stakeholders as well working within, and across, teams;
        • Experience working in a matrix-based organisation would be an advantage.

          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 A2/A4 on the EUMETSAT salary scales. The minimum basic salary for this post is EURO 7,340 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.

          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.)