Graduate Trainee in the Academy Satellites Programme

Location

ESEC, Redu, Belgium

The ESA Academy is the agency's overarching programme for university student space projects and training opportunities. Through a tailored transfer of space know-how and interaction with space professionals, the Academy takes students through a learning path that complements their academic education.

The ESA Academy programme comprises of three main segments:
A TRAINING programme, which offers individuals a portfolio of highly qualifying training sessions covering a wide range of space-related topics offered by professional experts;
A PROJECTS programme, allowing teams to design build, test and operate small satellites and payload experiments on space-related platforms, among others through the ESA Academy Experiments programme;
An ENGAGEMENT programme, providing students and young professionals with scholarship, conference and networking opportunities.

Specifically, 'Fly Your Satellite' is a programme within PROJECTS which supports educational satellite teams developing CubeSats and other small satellites, with the design, test, launch and operations of their satellite missions. 'Fly Your Satellite' includes three elements: the full 'Fly Your Satellite' programme supporting teams from consolidated design until operations; 'Design Booster' supporting teams with their early design phase in a fixed duration programme; and 'Test Opportunities' supporting teams with the execution of an environmental test in the Education Office's CubeSat Support Facility. During the programme, a strong emphasis is placed on regular interaction with professional engineers and scientists through engineering documentation, frequent meetings, workshops and technical reviews. The outcome of participation is a unique practical experience and training with ESA and its partners that complements and enhances university students' academic journey.

The ESA Academy, as part of the ESA Education Office, operates in close cooperation with specialists from ESA and industry, from university departments and other research organisations. ESA's ESEC-Galaxia site in Belgium hosts several facilities tailored for the ESA Academy, including the CubeSat Support Facility, a cleanroom hosting integration and test equipment for CubeSats and experiments, and the Training and Learning Facility, a state-of-the art training room also equipped to support Concurrent Engineering workshops. Future expansions are planned, including an Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Antenna Characterisation test facility.

Information on the activities of the ESA Academy can be found at 

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website:

As an ESA Graduate Trainee, you will be involved in the activities related to educational satellite missions, primarily within the Fly Your Satellite Programme.

In particular, under the supervision of the ESA project manager, activities may include:

• Providing support to the university teams participating in the programme by supporting their technical and project development. This may include project planning and progress tracking, as well as participation in systems engineering activities, such as requirements management and system modelling and the review of project technical documentation.
• Supporting the overall running of the programme, including assistance in the preparation and execution of onsite and online training courses and workshops, project reviews, test campaigns, launch campaigns, as well maintenance of programme statistics, online resources etc.
• Liaising with ESA experts for technical reviews of the project teams, in support of test activities and for the delivery of training.
•  Assisting with the development of the programme, including the development of guidelines, documentation and online resources.
• Assisting in the development of test support equipment and/or processes for use in the CubeSat Support Facility and future facilities as well as supporting other laboratory activities.

Along with the student teams you will learn about the processes needed to design, build, test, launch and operate a satellite, including engineering, project and legal aspects. You will also be involved in additional administrative tasks to further develop the programme, and may have the opportunity to contribute to other student activities and projects of the ESA Academy, as required.

Result Orientation

Operational Efficiency

Fostering Cooperation

Relationship Management

Continuous Improvement

Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master' s degree in engineering (or closely related discipline) with a strong background in space technology and/or satellite systems engineering.

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multicultural environment, both independently and as part of a team. Previous experience of working in international teams can be considered an asset. Your motivation, overall professional perspective and career goals will also be explored during the later stages of the selection process.

Noting the location of this role, and the need to be flexible with daily travel due to participation in campaigns and training delivery it is strongly recommended that you have access to a car for the duration of this appointment.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness 
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. 

At the Agency we value diversity, and we welcome people with disabilities. Whenever possible, we seek to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing the necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can also provide assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us via email at
 

Important Information and Disclaimer
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures.

The information published on ESA's careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have. 

Nationality and Languages 
Please note that applications can only be considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia  as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will be given to external candidates from under-represented Member States*. 

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.  

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.