I am based in Starion España, where I’m the Contract and Service Manager for Starion employees working at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre.
What’s your role?
I’m the Operations Manager for Starion in Spain, where I’ve worked for more than 8 years. Officially, I’m based at our Starion offices in Las Rozas, Madrid, but I spend most of my working days at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), which is one of the facilities of our main client, the European Space Agency (ESA).
My role as the Contract and Service Manager for more than 60 Starion employees working at ESAC means it is essential for me to remain close to both the client and our teams.
What’s a typical day in your working life like?
As Service Manager for a big client, I am dedicated to optimising ESA´s satisfaction with our services and teams, while at the same time fostering the overall wellbeing of our employees.
In order to do this, I usually divide my day into two parts. Every morning, I go to ESAC for scheduled meetings, which I always prefer to attend in person. Being there also provides opportunities for spontaneous meetings. I sit in an office with glass walls, so everyone can see me; that way, if I’m available, they can come in and talk freely to me if they need to.
In the afternoons, I normally go home, where I can focus on difficult tasks and concentrate with no interruptions. I find this balance very positive and productive.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy the fact that every day brings a new challenge. My role involves a wide variety of tasks, each of them requiring different skills, which keeps my work dynamic and engaging. I am never bored!
Although I sometimes miss the technical tasks – I’m a physicist and have worked as an engineer for many years – I believe that my years of personal and professional experience and my diverse skill set are key to driving success in my current position.
What I specially love are the people-focused tasks: collaborating with other service managers, finding solutions together, listening to employees and understanding what they need – in general, improving everyone’s work experience. This is what I enjoy most.
What has been your most memorable career highlight?
As part of my current responsibilities, I have been the Work Area Manager for the Administrative team at ESAC for the past 3 years. It is a team of six professionals, all of whom are highly competent, hardworking and incredibly committed to their work.
During the last employee performance review exercise, I was pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback I received regarding the team’s good work environment and their satisfaction working within the team, even during times when the workload was heavy and the tasks were challenging. Knowing that I may have contributed to creating such a positive atmosphere filled me with pride.
Do you have any tips for people trying to get jobs in your area of expertise?
I believe that the most important aspect of any management or leadership role is to prioritise people, putting the wellbeing of employees above company or client objectives. When people are happy, engaged and understand the value of their work, goals are going to be achieved naturally.
We work with highly skilled engineers: if they feel supported and respected for what they can accomplish, they will always deliver their best. My responsibility is to create the conditions that enable this.
How do you wind down?
I am fortunate to live near the woods, and I make it a habit to walk there every day, usually for a few minutes before work and again afterwards with my husband. These walks help me clear my mind and relax.
After work, I also spend time with my kids, which I truly enjoy. And I love cooking with music playing, which I see as the creative side of home life.