ESA seeking Director of Commercialisation and Industry Partnership: applications until 13 March 2026
The European Space Agency (ESA) has opened a vacancy for the position of Director of Commercialisation and Industry Partnership, one of the Agency's top management functions. According to the official announcement, the director's post is based at ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) in Harwell, United Kingdom, with regular travel to other ESA locations. The vacancy was published on 30 January 2026, and applications are being accepted until 13 March 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST.
A position at the top of the Agency and a mandate at the intersection of policy, industry, and market
The Director of Commercialisation and Industry Partnership will be a member of ESA’s Executive Board and, in that role, participate in the management of the Agency at the system-wide level, with direct responsibility to the Director General of ESA. In its own presentation of the management structure, ESA highlights that the Director General is assisted by 11 directors, each in charge of a specific program or part of the Agency’s administration. Within this framework, the new director receives a mandate that transcends the boundaries of a single program: according to the announcement, contribution to ESA-wide management, strengthening efficiency, and ensuring compliance with the applicable regulatory framework are expected, as well as the coordination of commercialisation activities with other directorates.
The call for applications comes at a time when the European space sector is attempting to adapt more rapidly to a global market where private demand for satellite services, launch capacities, and space data applications is growing. The director's role is therefore strongly focused on the “path from technology to market”: the goal is not just to initiate development, but also to create conditions for European companies to build products and services from these capacities that find customers, attract capital, and strengthen the long-term competitiveness of European industry.
Commercialisation as a strategic priority: talent, capital, and innovation speed
Official descriptions of ESA’s Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness (CIC) emphasise that this directorate plays a key role in stimulating the commercialisation of the European space sector. Three levers are cited: talent, access to capital, and “fast innovation,” along with the task of developing and implementing industrial policy, representing the Director General in relations with industry, and overseeing procurement and contracting rules for the Agency’s activities and programs. In practice, this means that commercialisation is also viewed as economic policy: how to ensure that European technologies are industrialised, gain market application, and are sufficiently scalable to compete globally.
The announcement also states that ESA’s annual budget for 2026 amounts to 8.26 billion euros. Such a budget, along with a scope of programs spanning from telecommunications to space transport, implies that the director must be capable of managing a portfolio with significant contractual and organisational risks while simultaneously building the trust of member states, industry, and other partners.
What the director will lead: growth strategy, industrialisation, and “downstream” applications
According to the job description, the director is responsible for ESA’s commercialisation and business development strategy. In practical terms, this includes:
- support for the industrialisation and commercialisation of space products and services, from early development stages to market launch;
- development of integrated “downstream” applications and solutions—applications that rely on satellite services and data and bring benefits outside the space sector;
- assisting European companies in scaling in global markets;
- facilitating access to investment and financing for the European space industry.
In addition to program management, the director must maintain intensive cooperation with external stakeholders: member state delegations, space and non-space industry, academia, and international partners and organisations. In practice, this means a combination of management, negotiation, and strategic “translation” between public policies and the market: how to align national interests and ESA rules with the needs of companies, operators, and investors, and how to ensure programs maintain a commercial focus while remaining compatible with the Agency’s institutional goals.
Programs under jurisdiction: launches, telecommunications, and market access
The vacancy specifically lists several program frameworks that would be under the direct responsibility of the new director, with the obligation that part of the activities be carried out in close cooperation with the Directorate of Space Transportation.
European Launcher Challenge (ELC):ESA states in the ELC documentation that the program relies on solutions from new European companies that commercially design, build, and operate launch systems for sending satellites into orbit. The goal is to accelerate commercial launch services in Europe and strengthen an offering that is competitive on the global market. ESA also describes a shift in its role: with privately-led launch services, the Agency’s involvement moves from the position of design authority and classic procurement toward the role of a customer providing financing and stability, without prescribing all service characteristics and performance.
The ELC timeline includes decisions and phases from the announcement at the ESA Council level in 2023 and the issuance of requests for information in 2024, through the opening of calls for proposals in 2025, to the planned signing of framework agreements in 2026. ESA also lists key obligations for selected service providers: the first requirement is a successful orbital launch by 2027 at the latest, followed by an Agency contribution to each operational launch of selected service providers by 2030 at the latest, and a mandatory demonstration of capacity increase through an orbital flight by 2028 at the latest. Regarding financing, ESA states it has allocated more than 900 million euros for the ELC, and for the capacity increase demonstration component, a condition of private co-financing of at least 40% of the cost is also envisaged. In the same presentation, ESA lists five companies that were shortlisted at that time.
Boost!:ESA describes the Boost! program as an instrument for stimulating commercial initiatives offering space transportation services “to space, in space, and return from space.” The overview states that through Boost!, the Agency nurtures industrial entrepreneurship and stimulates growth and competitiveness in the privately-led and privately-funded European space sector. The program, according to ESA, also helps member states implement national goals in the field of space transport, particularly through the development of spaceports, testing capacities, and related services. The text explicitly states that Boost! co-finances and assists the pre-commercial development of new European space transportation services, from launch through in-space transport to return capacity. As part of the market context explanation, ESA emphasises that revenue growth from space applications attracts new players and established companies into commercial services, while it remains a challenge to reliably and affordably place smaller payloads into orbit.
ACCESS:ACCESS is, according to the program description, conceived as a framework for accelerating the commercialisation and competitiveness of European industry in both space and non-space sectors. The emphasis is on European companies being able to exploit the growth and dynamics brought by the commercialisation of space, with support covering all sizes of enterprises—from start-ups to established companies—and various sectors. ESA states that ACCESS is structured around two elements: ScaleUp and Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS), aiming to cover a wide range of business needs. For the director, this means supervising an instrument that is not limited to one technology program, but a system of support and tools helping companies from idea to market.
ARTES 4.0 and partnership projects:The vacancy states that the director will also lead commercial partnership projects of ARTES 4.0 in cooperation with European and Canadian industry and operators, with the task of maintaining and further strengthening the commercial nature of ARTES. In its overview of the ARTES program, ESA points out that satellite communications are the “economic engine” of the space industry and that ARTES seeks to keep European and Canadian industry at the top of the globally competitive market through fostering innovation. The same description states the logic of public support: with ESA's support, industry can carry out research and development that would otherwise be economically too risky, with the goal of gradually turning investments into commercial products and services of varying maturity.
A more detailed presentation of partnership projects within ARTES 4.0 emphasises that this model brings industry together around large programs and develops innovative solutions in partnership with private or public operators. Goals such as increasing industrialisation and strengthening the competitiveness of the European satellite communication industry are described, along with a risk-sharing element: ESA assumes risks associated with developing innovative solutions, while operators assume commercial risks in response to market needs. In practice, this is exactly the area where the director must maintain a balance between technological ambition, deadlines, costs, and actual market fit.
ECSAT in Harwell: operational base and responsibility for the establishment
The position is tied to ECSAT, ESA’s centre at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. ESA states that ECSAT has a strong focus on cooperation and support for activities that cross the boundaries of individual directorates, and that besides being the headquarters of the Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications, it supports teams working on commercialisation, Earth observation, human and robotic exploration, as well as technology, engineering, and quality. In the section dedicated to commercialisation, ESA states that ECSAT supports the goals of the CIC directorate by helping European entrepreneurs develop and commercialise products and services using space capacities, and highlights the role of ESA Space Solutions and the network of incubation activities linked to the location.
For the chosen candidate, it is also important that the announcement envisages the role of official “Head of Establishment” at ECSAT. This means the director leads not only the program strategy but also the management part of the facility: looking after the well-being, motivation, training, and career development of employees, encouraging initiative, transparency, and information flow, and coordinating with other directorates. Responsibilities also include identifying, assessing, managing, and reporting on occupational health and safety risks. Combined with the program portfolio, this is a demanding function involving both “human” and “operational” management, not just strategic planning.
Who can apply: executive-level experience, leadership, and international network
ESA states in the announcement that candidates must have at least a Master’s degree, citing law, economics, business administration, or other technical fields as educational examples. More than 10 years of experience in similar senior management positions at the executive level is required, including managing teams and programs with significant budgets and human resources, preferably in an international environment.
Among technical competencies, the following are highlighted:
- a developed network of contacts and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities of commercialising technological and/or space programs;
- strong knowledge of key space-industrial stakeholders in Europe and globally;
- knowledge of ESA’s institutional framework and the European and international space sector;
- proven experience in business management, developing innovative strategies, and building relationships with stakeholders, along with negotiation skills and the ability to influence high-level decisions.
Human management is particularly emphasized: according to the announcement, the director must know how to set strategic direction for individuals and teams, link team goals with the changing organisational context, foster performance within and between teams, and make timely, pragmatic decisions of high quality and integrity. The emphasis on relationships and leadership is logical given that the director must simultaneously manage internal resources, maintain coordination with other directorates, and build partnerships with industry and member states.
Languages, security clearances, and citizenship requirements
ESA’s working languages are English and French, and according to the vacancy, a good knowledge of at least one of these two languages is required; knowledge of an additional language of a member state is considered an asset. The announcement also states that candidates must be eligible for a security clearance from national security authorities, and part of the selection process may include psychometric testing and other assessments, with the possibility of requesting references in case of an interview invitation.
Applications are considered exclusively from citizens of the states listed in the announcement: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. This criterion, along with language requirements and security clearances, significantly narrows the pool of potential candidates in practice, but simultaneously reflects the institutional rules under which ESA operates and recruits.
How to apply and what to attach
According to the instructions in the vacancy, candidates apply through ESA’s recruitment page, using the “Apply now” option, with a mandatory attached motivation letter and CV. The submission deadline is 13 March 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST. The announcement also provides an email contact for additional information related to director recruitment.
The vacancy can also be read as a signal of the direction in which ESA wants to link its programs more closely with market needs: from stimulating commercial launch services and strengthening European access to space to creating conditions for satellite communications and “downstream” applications to transition faster from the development phase to sustainable products and services. The new director will be one of the key persons tasked with turning that transition into operational programs, partnerships, and market-measurable results.
Sources:- ESA Jobs – announcement „Director of Commercialisation and Industry Partnership” (Harwell, ECSAT), publication date 30 January 2026, job description and application deadline 13 March 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST (link)
- ESA – „European Launcher Challenge”: objectives, timeline, financing, and list of selected service providers (link)
- ESA – „Boost! overview”: description of the commercial space transport program and key elements (link)
- ESA ACCESS – „The ACCESS Programme”: purpose and structure of the program (ScaleUp and BASS) (link)
- ESA – „ESA ECSAT”: description of the Harwell location and center activities (link)
- ESA Commercialisation Gateway – „CIC Directorate”: description of the CIC directorate and its role in industrial policy and commercialisation (link)
- ESA – „About ARTES”: program role in satellite communications and turning R&D investment into commercial products and services (link)
- ESA CSC – „Partnership Projects” (ARTES 4.0): description of the partnership model, industrialisation, and market orientation of projects (link)
- ESA – „ESA top management”: role of the Director General and structure of directors managing programs and administration of ESA (link)
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