The job responsibilities outlined in this document are not exhaustive and may evolve over time and be reviewed according to business needs.

Program Description

MeoSphere is SES’s next-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite network, designed to significantly expand the capacity of SES’s MEO fleet beyond O3b mPOWER and targeted for operation by 2030. Operating at approximately 8,000 km, the multi-mission constellation will serve fast-growing commercial, government and defense demand for flexible, high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, and is designed for compatibility with the IRIS2 secure satellite constellation. MeoSphere development also supports the IRIS2 program.

The first phase includes 28 high-power satellite platforms from K2 Space, integrating SES-developed software-defined payloads manufactured in Luxembourg. MeoSphere follows an iterative, agile development approach in which the network is built and improved incrementally, with disciplined capital allocation.

As MeoSphere enters its next phase, the MeoSphere finance team is being built to make the product economics and business performance of the program visible. The Junior Financial Controller supports the Director, MeoSphere Business Finance Lead in delivering the program’s financial planning, reporting and control.

ROLE DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

As Junior Financial Controller, MeoSphere, reporting to the Director, MeoSphere Business Finance Lead, you support the financial planning, reporting and control of the MeoSphere program. MeoSphere business and program leadership own the profit and loss (P&L), schedule, Work Breakdown Structure / Organizational Breakdown Structure (WBS / OBS) and delivery; the MeoSphere finance team provides business partnering and independent financial control. You prepare the data, analysis and reports behind the team’s core responsibilities: product cost, margin and development cost recovery; budget, capacity, Estimate at Completion (EAC), cash and performance analysis; pricing and make-versus-buy analysis; and financial planning and analysis (FP&A), forecasts, business plans and investment analysis. You support the monthly forecast, annual budget and long-term plan, and the program’s month-end close, in coordination with Accounting & Reporting, which provides independent International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) accounting, policy, close and audit. You apply the finance methods, controls and Project Control Organization established by the Senior Vice President (SVP) New Space Programs Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and work with the Factory and IRIS2 finance teams and shared functions (Information Technology (IT) / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Procurement, Human Resources (HR), Tax, Legal and Security). You support the execution and documentation of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) controls for the MeoSphere program. This is a development role offering broad exposure to program finance on one of SES’s most strategic programs.

Additionally, you may be asked on an ad hoc basis to support other New Space Programs finance teams.

You will work in an agile project organization where a flexible way of working, and an adaptive mindset is required.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES / KEY RESULT AREAS

Finance Support & Business Partnering

• Support the Director, MeoSphere Business Finance Lead as finance partner to MeoSphere business and program leadership, preparing analysis and materials for business reviews and decision meetings.
• Provide clear, timely and accurate financial analysis, insights and recommendations to program leadership and work package owners.
• Act as the day-to-day finance contact for MeoSphere workstream and work package owners on budgets, actuals, purchase orders and cost questions.
• Apply the common finance methods, controls and systems of the New Space Programs finance organization, and share good practice with finance colleagues on the Factory, IRIS2 and EU Foundation & Techcom teams.
• Build program finance and program controls capability through on-the-job learning, coaching from the Director and continuous professional development.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Performance

• Prepare MeoSphere budget, forecast and long-term plan inputs in line with SES Group processes and timelines.
• Maintain product cost and unit economics models, tracking product cost, margin and return on investment.
• Prepare monthly forecasts of revenue, capacity, operating and capital expenditures, rates, cash flow and cost-to-complete for the MeoSphere scope.
• Track program cash flow and capital expenditure phasing, including supplier milestone payments and foreign exchange impacts, in coordination with Treasury.
• Maintain business plan and investment case models, and update them for scope, schedule or architecture changes under the Director’s guidance.
• Perform monthly variance analysis of actuals against budget and forecast, and prepare clear performance explanations for management reporting.
• Maintain financial key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards and management information to support performance transparency and decision-making.

Program Controls, Cost Tracking & Decision Support

• Track and report costs for the MeoSphere program across the full lifecycle, from pathfinder missions through deployment and operations.
• Monitor program, workstream and work package budgets, capital expenditure (CapEx), operating expenditure (OPEX), supplier and labor costs against plan, and flag deviations early.
• Prepare the monthly EAC and cost-to-complete inputs, collecting progress, schedule and risk data from work package owners.
• Support product cost and margin analysis, including satellite and payload unit costs and development cost recovery.
• Prepare analysis for pricing, make-versus-buy and other commercial decisions, working with the Factory finance team on payload manufacturing costs.
• Track and allocate MeoSphere development costs that support the IRIS2 program, in coordination with the IRIS2 finance team.
• Maintain the program cost baseline and earned value management (EVM) reporting (Cost Performance Index / Schedule Performance Index (CPI/SPI), variance at completion), linked to key technical milestones (e.g., Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Critical Design Review (CDR), pathfinder missions).
• Maintain the financial risk and opportunity register and track the use of contingency and management reserve.
• Track supplier contract commitments, milestone payments and supplier cost performance, working with Procurement, which owns purchasing controls.
• Prepare month-end and year-end close inputs, including accruals, capitalization of assets under construction, reconciliations and Accounts Payable validation, in coordination with Accounting & Reporting.
• Provide supporting data for the accounting of capitalized development and asset costs (International Accounting Standards (IAS) 16, IAS 38) and impairment testing (IAS 36), in coordination with Accounting & Reporting.

Financial Controls, Risk Management & Compliance

• Execute MeoSphere financial controls in line with SES Finance standards, and suggest improvements where gaps are identified.
• Perform and document SOX controls for the MeoSphere program, support testing by Internal Audit and external auditors, and help remediate deficiencies.
• Ensure transactions and reports support auditability, segregation of duties, reconciliations and correct cost allocation, including through controlled interfaces with IT / ERP, Procurement and HR.
• Follow export control regimes (International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), European Union (EU) dual-use regulations) and security requirements when handling program financial data.

Business Intelligence, Systems & Reporting

• Maintain secure finance reports for MeoSphere, ensuring data quality, confidentiality, integrity and appropriate access controls.
• Build and maintain business intelligence (BI) dashboards and reports in tools such as SAP and Power BI.
• Identify and implement improvements in reporting automation, data quality, templates and process workflows.

COMPETENCIES

• Analytical rigor: Turns large volumes of cost, schedule and operational data into accurate, well-structured financial analysis.
• Clear communication: Explains financial results simply and clearly to finance and non-finance stakeholders, in writing and in person.
• Learning agility: Learns new topics quickly, seeks feedback and is eager to grow in program finance and program controls.
• Ownership and accountability: Takes ownership of deliverables, meets deadlines and follows tasks through to completion.
• Integrity and control mindset: Upholds the highest standards of financial integrity, governance and internal control.
• Collaboration: Works well with program, engineering, procurement and finance colleagues in a matrix environment.
• Technical skills: Strong Excel and financial modeling skills, with working knowledge of ERP and BI tools (e.g., SAP, Power BI).

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Solid foundation in accounting, controlling or FP&A, with a strong interest in program finance and the space industry.
• Finance experience in controlling, FP&A, audit or program finance, ideally in aerospace and defense, space, telecommunications or high-technology manufacturing.
• Understanding of, or strong interest in learning, program controls, including EAC, earned value management and cost and schedule tracking.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and financial modeling, including basic investment / business case analysis (e.g., net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR)).
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Exposure to SOX or other internal control environments is an advantage.
• Interest in satellite or telecommunications business models; experience with government and defense customers is a plus.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken), additional European languages are an advantage

OTHER KEY REQUIREMENTS / COMMENTS

• Ability to obtain EU work permit and security clearances are a plus

EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS

• Onboarding: Within 3 months, take over recurring MeoSphere reporting, forecasting and close activities from the interim finance leads.
• Reporting Quality: Deliver accurate, on-time monthly reporting, variance analysis and close inputs with minimal corrections.
• Product Economics: Maintain reliable product cost and unit economics models that make MeoSphere product economics and business performance visible.
• EAC and Cost Tracking: Deliver complete, timely EAC inputs and cost tracking, with all movements explained and supported by work package owner data.
• Controls: Perform assigned SOX and financial controls on time and with complete documentation, with no material audit findings.
• Process Improvement: Contribute improvements to reporting automation, templates and data quality.
• Business Partnership: Be recognized by work package owners and program leadership as a reliable, responsive finance contact.

SES is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

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