Senior Project Manager (Data Centre)

Package Description

What we offer if you join our amazing team:

• Highly competitive salary
• Flexible working policy (hybrid working)
• Comprehensive and competitive benefits plan
• A range of wellness activities and employee assistance programs
• Casual dress code

Job Introduction

Serco has made significant contributions at ESA’s European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, supporting a wide range of space missions and projects. Serco has provided essential engineering, technical, and management services, playing a key role in logistics and operational support for missions. Serco’s expertise in spacecraft management, ground systems and data processing has earned them recognition, including ‘Best in Domain’ awards from ESA. Their long-standing partnership with ESA reflects their commitment to excellence and innovation in the space sector.

ESA plans to centrally govern and manage its data centre spread over multiple sites in Europe. Due to this, Serco has a new opportunity for a Senior Project Manager with a strong background in data centre infrastructure definition and implementation. This person will provide overall support to the data centre consolidation project.

Please note this is a contract role to start ASAP which will finish at the end of 2025.

Main Responsibilities

• Support the ESA-wide Data Centre optimization and rationalization project.
• ESA plans to centrally govern and manage its data centre spread over multiple sites in Europe.
• ESA wants to concentrate its IT Services in three main data centres which shall then also be optimized and modernized to be in line with ESA’s Green Agenda, industry best practices and EN50600.
• For such a plan to be successful, a more detailed analysis is required (i.e. which services can be moved, when can they be moved and what are the implications and dependencies; which services cannot be moved and will need to remain in local computing facilities; and which services could be leveraging a multiple-Data Centre setup in view of increasing resiliency) and a governance model needs to be defined.

Tasks and reporting:

• Understanding of the data centre (DC) optimization project objectives and architecture

Definition and refinement of the resulting project plan:

• Summary of the high-level current and future data centre strategy and approach per directorate
• Identification of Directorate projects and (migration) activities for data centre optimization and rationalization, their dependencies and timeline
• Identification of current and future ESA-wide data centre activities (EFM part), their dependencies and timeline
• Assessment of current DC IT assets and their future (e.g. to be replaced, dismissed, migrated, …) in view of capacity planning and overall roadmap 2025 – 2030
• Consolidated ESA DC capacity management plan
• Analysis and definition of ESA-wide data centre governance, based on Directorate and corporate needs
• Governance model and structure definition and implementation
• Definition and planning of underlying services, SLAs and costs

Monitoring and Reporting:

• On all of the above during data centre coordination group meetings
• In particular with regards to impact on environmental sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions towards ESA’s CCSO.

Successful Candidate

Years of Experience:

• 5-10+ years of project management experience, preferably within the IT or data centre industry.

Educational Background:

• Degree: A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or related disciplines.
• Certifications: Project management certifications such as PMP (Project Management Professional), PRINCE2, or Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) are highly beneficial.

Experience:

• Methodologies: Experience with various project management methodologies, such as Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid approaches.
• Worked to EN 50600 standards covering aspects of design, power, cooling systems, security, and sustainability

Stakeholder Management:

• Client Communication: Experience working with a wide range of stakeholders, including clients, vendors, IT teams, facilities management, and executives.

Soft Skills

• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address the unique challenges that arise in data centre environments.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills to manage stakeholders at different levels, facilitate meetings, and ensure alignment on project goals.
• Attention to Detail: Strong organizational and planning skills to manage the complexities of data centre projects.

Eligibility

• You must hold a valid EU passport and be eligible to work within the Netherlands.