Young Graduate Trainee in Neurosymbolic Computing

Young Graduate Opportunity in the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality

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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

This post is classified F1 on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale .

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands 

The Advanced Concepts and Studies Office ensures the overall coordination, coherence and performance of programme and studies in support to the preparation of the Agency’s future activities, in line with its long-term strategic objectives and priorities. This includes discovery activities (www.esa.int/discovery ) via the Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) and the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), ESA’s in-house research think tank.

The ACT monitors, performs and fosters beyond-the-horizon multidisciplinary research for space, exploring new approaches to space-related R&D (including competitions, prizes, games), research for disruptive innovation, developing an expert network at academic level and providing a capability for fast first look analysis of problems, challenges and opportunities. The ACT engages in collaborative research with university institutes and research centres, focusing on advanced research topics of potential strategic interest to the space sector and in experimenting with new forms of teamwork. To achieve this goal, a multidisciplinary research environment is provided, in which young scientific and engineering post-doctoral and post-graduate researchers carry out work on emerging technologies and innovative concepts. 

More information on the team is accessible on the ACT website (www.esa.int/act ). 

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

As a Young Graduate Trainee, you will develop most of your activity in the field of machine learning and, in particular, neurosymbolic computing. Neurosymbolic AI combines symbolic reasoning with neural networks to enhance artificial intelligence systems' interpretability, reliability, and reasoning capabilities. The scope of this position includes both Symbolic[Neural] AI that equips a symbolic reasoning engine such as Prolog or Answer Set Programming (ASP) with neural models, as well as Neural[Symbolic] AI where a neural network is granted access to another computation model, e.g., neural Turing machines.

While you are encouraged to propose your own projects in the field, you may also choose to work on any of the following projects:

• Declarative and neurosymbolic programming formalisms suited for space applications,
• Probabilistic extensions of neurosymbolic engines that allow probabilistic reasoning,
• Autonomous decision-making in spacecraft operations using neurosymbolic AI,
• Combining grammatical and syntactic knowledge with neural-based semantic tools for robust language-based querying, inference and reasoning,
• Graph representation learning methods for knowledge graph inference and reasoning tasks,
• Neurosymbolic computing to analyse ESAs R&D databases (trends, similarities, clustering …) (https://nebula.esa.int , https://activities.esa.int , https://ideas.esa.int ),
• Open source software development on the team’s projects in optimization, machine learning and others (https://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/resources/software )
• Web-based crowd-sourcing and organisation of space-related competitions (https://kelvins.esa.int/ )

You will be a member of the Advanced Concepts Team (https://www.esa.int/act ) and therefore expected to contribute to the development and the assessment of new concepts and technologies for space applications. This will be done in close interaction with ACT researchers who work on a broad range of disciplines including, informatics, artificial intelligence, climate modelling, energy systems, fundamental physics, biomimetics, computational management science and mission analysis. Based on your detailed background and interests and the opportunities and needs of the team, you will be involved in a number of other ACT initiatives (including studies conducted via the Ariadna scheme, http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/ariadna/index.html ) and participate in reporting and communicating results of the team (internally and externally).

Knowledge of relevant technical domains

Relevant experience gained during internships/project work

Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities

Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

Result Orientation

Operational Efficiency

Fostering Cooperation

Relationship Management

Continuous Improvement

Forward Thinking

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your Master’s degree in artificial intelligence, computer science, informatics or related fields.

You should show a genuine interest in applied academic research, together with sound analytical skills, avid curiosity and a natural aptitude to self-motivation and teamwork.

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multi-cultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.

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.

During the interview motivation and overall professional perspective/career goals will also be explored.

Other information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework .

For further information on the Young Graduate Programme please visit: Young Graduate Programme andFAQ Young Graduate Programme

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 email [email protected] .

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Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as  Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus 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 first be given to candidates from under-represented Member States *. 

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment conducted by an external background screening service. 

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.