African Space Agency opens five senior jobs at its Cairo headquarters, with deadlines on 25 November and 10 December

The five roles and their deadlines

All five positions are based in Cairo and are offered on an initial three-year contract, with the first 12 months serving as a probationary period. Applications for the Senior Finance Officer and the Senior Human Resources Officer, both at grade P3, close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 p.m. East African Time. Applications for the three senior roles close later, on 10 December 2026 at 11:59 p.m. East African Time. The five roles are:

• Director General (grade D2) — closes 10 December 2026.
• Director of Corporate Services (grade D1) — closes 10 December 2026.
• Head of Legal Affairs (grade P5) — closes 10 December 2026.
• Senior Finance Officer (grade P3) — closes 25 November 2026.
• Senior Human Resources Officer (grade P3) — closes 25 November 2026.

The Director General role, the agency’s top job

The Director General is the most senior vacancy and the first person to hold the post: the agency does not currently have a Director General, and its 10-member governing body, the AfSA Council, oversees it in the meantime. The successful candidate will lead the agency’s strategic plans, budgets and continental space programmes, mobilise resources and partnerships, coordinate African common positions on space matters, and represent the agency at continental and international levels, reporting to the President of the AfSA Council and serving as Secretary to the Council. Candidates need a Master’s degree in a space-related technical field or in areas such as space policy, space law, public policy or economics, along with at least 15 years of progressively responsible experience, including substantial experience in the space sector. Space in Africa reports that the listing gives an indicative basic salary of USD 100,017 per year, plus allowances, on a three-year renewable contract. Salaries for the other four roles were not stated in the sources checked for this article.

What the other four roles cover

The Director of Corporate Services will oversee human resources, finance, procurement, administration and information technology. The Head of Legal Affairs will advise on the AfSA Statute, the Headquarters Agreement with Egypt and the UN space treaties, and will draft cooperation, satellite and data-sharing agreements. The finance and human resources officers will manage funds and budgeting, and recruitment and performance systems. The legal role’s listing notes that working knowledge of Arabic is a further asset given the Cairo duty station.

Who can apply, and how

All five positions are open to nationals of African Union Member States. Applicants need proficiency in at least one of the African Union’s official working languages — Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese or Spanish — and the agency strongly encourages women and candidates from least represented and underrepresented countries to apply. Applications must be submitted through the official African Union careers portal using the mandatory African Union CV template. Applicants should check the listing on the portal before applying, as postings can be updated or amended.

Why the jobs are in Cairo

The African Union selected Egypt as the agency’s host nation in 2019, and the agency was officially inaugurated at its permanent headquarters in Egypt’s Space City, Cairo, on 20 April 2025. The headquarters is the base from which the agency coordinates Africa’s space ambitions under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, including Earth observation, satellite communications, navigation and space science.