Intern in the Science Operations Dept., data exploration and optimisation for the Euclid mission
Villanueva de la Cañada | Madrid
- Organization: ESA - European Space Agency
- Location: Villanueva de la Cañada | Madrid
- Grade: Internship - Internship
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Occupational Groups:
- Operations and Administrations
- Statistics
- Information Technology and Computer Science
- Civil Society and Local governance
- Scientist and Researcher
- Innovations for Sustainable Development
- Closing Date: 2025-11-30
Intern in the Science Operations Dept., data exploration and optimisation for the Euclid mission
Villanueva de la Cañada, ES
Location
ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain
Our team and mission
Under the direct authority of D/SCI, the Head of the Science Operations Department is responsible for the development of the science operations infrastructure under the Directorate responsibility, the operation of the Directorate’s missions once successfully commissioned, and the curation of all scientific data in the missions’ legacy phase. These responsibilities are discharged in full coordination with the Directorate’s Departments and Offices and as appropriate, with the Directorate of Operations (D/OPS).
In implementing his/her duties, SCI-S is supported by the:
- mission Management and Science Operations Division (SCI-SO).
- science Operations Development Division (SCI-SD).
- data Science and Archives Division (SCI-SA).
Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int
Field(s) of activity for the internship
Topic of the internship: Data exploration and optimisation for the Euclid mission
For the detailed topics descriptions please go to this web page:
The Euclid space mission is generating petabyte-scale datasets, with a major public release (DR1) of 2 PB planned for autumn 2026. This data will be accessible on the Euclid Data Space portal via the Euclid Science Archives and ESA Datalabs science platform.
To support users in navigating this vast resource, we are developing a suite of official Jupyter Notebooks. This will be complemented by contributions from the Euclid community of users. You will focus on identifying compelling use cases to showcase the data, optimising use cases such as catalogue cross-matching techniques for large tables (using software such as Dask and formats such as Parquet) and curating community-contributed notebooks to ensure a diverse and representative set of examples.
Moreover, you will also assess the performance of Euclid-related workflows on ESA Datalabs, ensuring they are robust, scalable, and responsive across a range of user scenarios. This will involve designing test cases, analysing performance metrics, identifying bottlenecks, and proposing optimisations. Last but not least, you will collaborate closely with the ESAC Science Data Center and Data Science teams, gaining hands-on experience on the Euclid data and contributing to the operational readiness of Euclid DR1 tools. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to one of ESA’s flagship missions and support the scientific community in unlocking the potential of Euclid’s data.
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 must be a university student, preferably studying at master’s level. In addition, you must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.
Additional requirements
The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.
During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.
For this position you should have:
- background in Data Science, Computer Science or Astronomy.
- proficiency with Python programming.
- experience with JupyterLab and Jupyter Notebooks.
- familiarity with software engineering practices and version control.
- experience with astronomical data analysis (for example, using astroquery) would be advantageous, but not essential.
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.
The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship 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
Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.