Young Graduate Trainee in Space-related Training Sessions for ESA Academy

Updated: about 1 year ago
Deadline: The position may have been removed or expired!

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

ESEC, Redu, Belgium.


Our team and mission

The ESA Academy, part of the ESA Education Office, is the Agency’s overarching programme for space projects and training opportunities for university students. Through a tailored transfer of space know-how and interaction with space professionals, the Academy takes students on a learning path that complements their academic education.

In accordance with the Space for Education 2030 vision approved by the ESA Member States in December 2022, the ESA Education Programme now has an expanded scope and a richer activity portfolio, structured into the following two main activity pillars:

  • The STEM Learning and Inspiration programme, the aim of which is to educate and inspire young people between 3 and 18 years of age, directly or through their educators.
  • The ESA Academy programme for the education and engagement of people aged 18 years and above, up to early career level. 
  • The activities for these target groups are divided into three activity blocks, working in synergy with each other whenever possible:

    • Space to Mind: This will be an evolution of the current Training and Learning programme and will offer an extended and diversified portfolio of training sessions resulting in very useful, practical qualifications provided by professional experts, covering a large range of space-related topics. The aim is to complement academic curricula and better prepare participants for a space-related career.
    • Mind to Matter: An evolution of the ”hands-on projects” initiative, this block consists of space-related projects using ground- and space-based experiment platforms, such as sounding rockets, parabolic flights, CubeSats and the International Space Station, to complement knowledge and offer hands-on experience in an international context through project-based learning.
    • Space to Engage: New and structured collaboration models both within ESA and externally with academia, industry and institutions to make a shared contribution to the preparation of future talent in terms of knowledge, skills and competences through joint training courses, challenges, projects and ESA scholarships.

    The ESA Education Office works in close cooperation with specialists from ESA and industry, university departments and other research organisations. ESA’s ESEC-Galaxia site in Belgium hosts several facilities tailored for the ESA Academy programme, including the CubeSat Support Facility, a cleanroom laboratory with integration and test equipment for CubeSats, and the Training and Learning Facility, a state-of-the art training room that is also equipped to support concurrent engineering workshops.

    Information on the activities of the ESA Academy can be found at https://www.esa.int/Education/ESA_Academy . 

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


    Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

    As a Young Graduate Trainee within the new Space to Mind programme (currently known as the Training and Learning programme), you will be involved in the design, development and implementation of ESA Academy’s training activities for university students.


    ESA Academy’s Training and Learning programme offers a portfolio of space-related training sessions in different fields of ESA expertise, the objective being to complement academic studies and better prepare university students for a space-related career. These include one- to two-week training sessions on various topics including Space Systems Engineering, Earth Observation, Space Debris, CubeSats, Navigation, Telecommunications, Cyber Security, Space Law and Space Medicine. 

    In line with the evolution of the ESA Academy, plans are also in place to roll out a state-of-the-art e-learning platform in support of both the Training and Learning programme and the space-related educational projects and challenges.

    In particular, under the guidance of the ESA Programme Manager, you will support:

    • the interfacing with ESA experts and external experts;
    • the development of training content and material for new training sessions;
    • the preparation of the calls for applications and the coordination of the selection process;
    • the organisation of the training sessions and the related logistics;
    • the delivery of the training sessions by attending most of the lectures;
    • the use and maintenance of the training material database;
    • the use and improvement of ESA Academy’s Concurrent Engineering Facility;
    • the development and rollout of the e-learning platform (optional);
    • use of the ESAT satellite hardware models, including the testing and preparation of the different subsystems and control system;
    • the development of new tertiary education activities, such as challenges or hackathons.

    You may also contribute to other ESA Academy student activities and projects as required.

    Information on ESA Academy Training and Learning Programme can be found at: http://www.esa.int/Education/ESA_Academy/About_the_training_and_learning_programme


    Technical competencies

    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


    Behavioural competencies

    Result Orientation

    Operational Efficiency

    Fostering Cooperation

    Relationship Management

    Continuous Improvement

    Forward Thinking


    Education

    You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your Master’ s degree in a technical or scientific discipline, preferably with a background in one or more space-related disciplines.


    Additional requirements

    Knowledge of, or experience with:

    • new technologies such as Artificial intelligence, Machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, Internet of Things and Cybersecurity; or
    • e-learning systems management is considered an asset.

    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, your motivation and overall professional 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 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 or balanced 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.



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