Project Business Controller

Job Introduction

For more than half a century, Serco has walked alongside the pioneers of space. Serco has supported over 50 ESA missions where our teams have helped launch satellites, guide spacecraft across the void and turn data into discoveries that reshape our world. 

As part of our long-standing partnership with the European Space Agency, we’re seeking a Project Business Controller to join us onsite at ESTEC, ESA’s technical heart in Noordwijk. This is the place where Europe’s missions are born, where engineers, scientists and innovators gather to turn bold ideas into the spacecraft that will explore our planet, our solar system and beyond.

The Community You’ll Step Into:

At ESTEC, you will work in the heart of European space science alongside engineers, scientists, controllers, contracts officers, mission planners, procurement specialists and financial experts. You will support multiple missions across different phases, from early studies to operations and post-mission activities. Collaboration is central here, so you will interact with project teams, SCI-M colleagues, corporate finance, ESA procurement, HR, business intelligence specialists and workforce planning teams. It is an international environment where coordination, accuracy and clear communication are essential every day.

The Difference You’ll Make:

In this role, your decisions and analysis will directly shape the financial health and planning of ESA’s missions. You will help ensure that budgets stay aligned with project goals, that procurement actions run smoothly, and that managers have clear and reliable information to support their decisions. Your work will help protect projects from risks, improve planning quality, and provide transparency on costs, schedules and workforce planning. By using ESA’s financial applications and supporting digital tools and business intelligence, you will help improve efficiency and consistency across the directorate.

Your Mission:

In this role, you will become part of the financial and project control backbone of the SCI Directorate. Your work will help ensure that scientific missions are properly planned, funded and tracked, from initial concept to operational delivery. You will support ESA managers by turning complex financial data into clear insights, helping them make informed decisions that keep projects on track.

You will follow the life cycle of the mission, from long-term cost planning and workforce forecasting, to in-year budgeting and cash flow management. You will monitor procurement activities and contract commitments, making sure every purchase, milestone and invoice is properly recorded and aligned with project needs. Using tools such as ESA-P, ECC and SRM, you will contribute to the financial completeness of procurement documents and ensure that no detail is missed.

You will keep an eye on deviations, analyse financial risks and propose corrective actions where needed. As reporting deadlines approach, you will help with in-year and year-end closure activities, consolidating figures and preparing financial and project updates for ESA management. Working with colleagues across procurement, finance and mission teams, you will help keep projects both aligned with ESA rules and financially ready for their next phase.

What You Bring:

You hold a university degree in Business Administration, Finance, Engineering or a related field, and you have gained at least four years of hands-on experience in project or business control, financial planning or cost management. You understand how budgets are built, monitored and adjusted, and you know how to follow contracts, track expenses and support managers with clear reporting.

You are confident working with Excel and familiar with SAP systems such as ECC, SRM or ESA-P. You may have used tools like Power BI and you are curious about automation and new ways to improve reporting processes. You communicate clearly, ask the right questions and work well with colleagues from different backgrounds, cultures and disciplines. If you have worked with ESA before, or you know their financial and procurement rules, that is a strong advantage.

You are fluent in English, both written and spoken and you are an EU national, ready to work in an international and mission-driven environment.

What we Offer: More than just a job:

At Serco, we believe that a career should come with more than just a paycheck, it should provide support, security, and a sense of balance in your life. Your salary will be paid promptly on Fridays before the 28th of each month, giving you peace of mind about your finances. To recognize your dedication over the year, you’ll also receive a Holiday Bonus, calculated as 8% of your basic gross salary, adding an extra boost when you need it most.

We support your daily life and commute in practical ways. If you travel to work, you can claim a travel allowance of €0.21 per kilometre for up to 150 km, or you can have your public transport fully reimbursed. For those working from home, there’s a small daily allowance of €2 to cover extra costs, and new employees can be reimbursed up to €500 for a desk or chair to make their home workspace comfortable.

When your work takes you on missions or travel, all business-related expenses are fully covered, and for peace of mind during tax season, our appointed advisor will assist you in completing your income tax forms. If you enjoy cycling, our bicycle scheme allows you to benefit from a tax-efficient allowance of up to €749, one year of full insurance with an additional €89 per year for accessories.

Serco also cares about your long-term security. All employees are covered under a collective life insurance scheme, and our health insurance partnership with Zilverenkruis Achmea offers discounts of 5% on basic coverage and up to 10% on additional plans. Our company pension scheme, managed via Nationale Nederlanden, follows the Dutch State Pension framework, ensuring you can plan confidently for the future.

In addition, in emergency situations, you may request an advance salary payment of up to one month’s net salary at the discretion of your line manager. To support your wellbeing and daily work, we offer up to €250 reimbursement for work glasses to reduce blue light strain and provide access to Benefits & Work, offering multiple discounts for online shopping. For lifelong learning, all employees receive a 35% discount on programs at Webster University.

At Serco, our benefits are designed to make your life easier, healthier, and more flexible, so you can focus on contributing to ground-breaking space missions while feeling supported every step of the way.

Relocation:

The Netherlands' central location in Europe makes it an ideal base for travel and business within the EU. Major cities are well-connected by road, rail, and air with Amsterdam Schiphol Airport one of Europe's busiest and most well-connected airports, facilitating easy international travel.
Serco offers relocation support for all EU passport holders that are planning to relocate to the Netherlands and work for Serco B.V. 

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 likes of ESA, CNES, EUMETSAT, EUSPA, ASI and NASA. We offer space capabilities 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 55 years history in the space sector Serco is well placed to contribute to National strategies across Europe and the globe We work within the heart of the space sector so understand the challenges our customers face. When it comes to recruitment we are experts in sourcing the very best talent within space engineering, earth observation, satellite communications and cyber security. We have placed hundreds of people from post graduates through to C-suite executives into space agencies, satellite operators, manufacturers, system integrators, consultancies, earth observation/remote sensing, launch providers and much more.