Location
ESA Headquarters, Paris, France
Our team and mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space, coordinating the continent’s space activities and promoting peaceful collaboration for the advancement of space exploration and technology. The Directorate of Internal Services (D/HIF) is responsible for providing services and support that enable ESA’s core missions with a wide range of operational, development and administrative functions such as HR and workforce management, IT and Digital Transformation, Finance and controlling, Estates and Facilities Management.
The Directorate of Internal Services is looking for a dynamic and motivated ESA Graduate Trainee to support the Director’s Office. This role is ideal for a recent graduate eager to gain experience in public and international administration within a leading space organisation. The successful candidate will provide support in communications, benchmark studies, and project tracking, assisting the Director’s Office in personal branding and promoting effectively the directorates’ activities.
You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int
Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship
Support in Communications and Presentations
Assist with preparing presentations and speeches for high-level meetings, public outreach, and official visits,
Develop social media presence and manage social media posts and public relations content to promote the Directorate’s activities and vision, aligning with ESA’s agenda and strategy,
Review and coordinate inputs and reports for and from external entities,
Collaborate internally to ensure accuracy, consistency and engaging messaging on the Director’s activities.
Support the elaboration of the Directorate Communication Plan.
Research and Benchmarking
Conduct research on trends and best practices in international public administration.
Prepare summaries and reports, identifying potential applications or improvements for ESA’s practices,
Monitor and evaluate best practices within similar organisations to suggest actionable insights for the Directorate and across the organisation.
Tracking and Coordination
Manage and track ongoing requests, actions, and deadlines within the Director’s Office,
Maintain project timelines and regularly update the Director on progress, upcoming deadlines, and outstanding actions,
Assist in developing tools or processes to enhance tracking efficiency.
Technical competencies
Knowledge of relevant technical/functional domains
Relevant experience gained during internships, project work and/or extracurricular or other activities
General knowledge of the space sector and relevant activities
Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects
Behavioural competencies
Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking
For more information, please refer to the ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook
Education
You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master’s degree in public administration, international relations, communication or political science.
Additional requirements
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.
You should also have:
excellent planning, organisational and multitasking skills and attention to detail;
ability to work in an international and multicultural environment both independently and as part of a team;
strong interpersonal and communication skills both in written and verbal formats;
proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications and Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word, Excel);
familiarity with social media platforms and basic graphic design tools is a plus;
demonstrate engagement ability in networks.
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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.
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 contact.human.resources@esa.int.
Important Information and Disclaimer
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.
