ESA Graduate Trainee - Earth Observation Data Science

Job Description:

Location

ESRIN, Frascati, Italy

Our team and mission

The "Enterprise Section" within the Green Solution Division in the Earth Observation Directorate's "Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department" works to develop innovative new applications of EO data. The main activity lines include new data sets (eg satellite video, hyper-spectral imagers), new processing methods (e.g. Inverse SAR, microdoppler, multi-data fusion, ML based pattern recognition) and new opportunities for using EO data.

Activities under the Section are aimed at promoting the European EO service supply sector on a global scale, supporting its growth and competitiveness. The Section implements resilience and security-oriented activities by developing actionable EO-based information through advanced data fusion, AI-driven analytics and integration with non-EO sources, addressing complex and interconnected societal threats, critical infrastructure protection and crisis response.

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

The postholder will contribute to advanced research and development activities in the field of EO applications for security. The traineeship will focus on the design, implementation, and validation of innovative signal processing techniques.

The postholder will be involved in the following activities:

* Development and assessment of advanced signal processing techniques to improve detection of moving targets.
* Research on SAR acquisition configurations and processing strategies to enhance spatial resolution and extract motion-related target parameters.
* Analysis and development of signal processing methods to characterize the dynamic behaviour of targets.
* Integration and fusion of SAR-derived information to support improved target detection, classification, and characterization for security-related use cases.
* Assessment of the state of the art in SAR-based target detection and security applications.
* Interaction with scientific, industrial, and operational stakeholders, including support to end-user consultations.
* Contribution to research dissemination activities, including the preparation of scientific and technical publications and participation in workshops and events.

By the end of the traineeship, the postholder is expected to:

* Acquire in-depth technical knowledge of spaceborne SAR systems and products
* Develop hands-on experience in signal processing techniques for moving target analysis.
* Strengthen experience in collaborative research environments involving academic, industrial, and operational stakeholders.
* Enhance scientific communication skills through contributions to high-quality technical reports and peer-reviewed publications.
* Improve project organization, teamwork, and stakeholder interaction skills in an international research context.

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 ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

You should have recently completed or be in the final year of your master's degree in related scientific or Engineering discipline.

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.

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 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