Our team and mission

The Technology Department is responsible for the technology strategy, the research and technology development programmes, the education programme and the directorates communication activities.

In particular, this includes, together with all relevant directorates:

• Developing and implementing ESA’s technology strategy;
• Organising studies, research and developments to provide an integrated, continuous technology development path from TRL1 to TRL9 according to strategic and programmatic needs, available competences and resources;
• Coordinating and harmonising technology developments with ESA’s application and programme specific technology development programmes, European and national technology development programmes;
• Developing and implementing a resource and competence plan for conducting R&D activities, together with the Management Support Office and the other departments;
• Preparing future missions and their technologies through early phase studies, system analyses, feasibility assessments, and establishing mission baselines for DG, Directorate, and Member State decisions;
• Developing together with the TEC business partners, Senior Technical Authorities and System engineers effective R&D processes addressing user and programme needs;
• Liaising with D/CIC on commercialisation and competitiveness aspects of R&D activities, and ensure the alignment of ESA's technology strategy with the strategies in these domains;
• Liaising with D/OPS on ground system R&D activities;
• Integrating relevant Education activities into the R&D management processes; 
• Communicating the value of ESA’s technical competence, infrastructure and facilities;
• Coordinating in close cooperation with corporate communication at ESA, TEC communication activities;
• Managing TEC internal communication activities.

The intern position concern the ESA Education programme, in particular the STEM Learning and Inspiration programme targeting 3-18 years-old youngsters, directly or through their teachers and educators. 

In particular, the internship falls within this programmatic pillar and activities:

Learn with Space, initiatives to support educators from formal and non-formal education venues, starting from early-ages up to upper secondary age-groups, such as professional educator training, didactics resources, interdisciplinary school projects, thematic workshops and hackathons, and an international community of practice. Such activities are implemented at national level through the ESA ESERO project (www.esa.int/esero), a network of dedicated national offices and consortia of partners established by ESA in its Member and Associate States.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: STEM didactics and e-learning for teachers

You will build experience in the production of STEM didactics resources for early-childhood/school-level education and/or e-learning courses/modules for the training of school-level STEM teachers, for instance by:

• Contributing to the creation of the new didactics activities and resources making use of space examples;
• Contributing to the definition of learning objectives and e-learning products architecture;
• Writing video message scripts, story boards, and developing physical video demonstrations;
• Integrating e-learning content in the ESA Education LMS (Learning Management System);
• Other STEM didactics-related tasks.

Learning areas: school-level STEM education, technology applied to school-level education, inquiry-based/project-based didactics, Instructional Design, Learning Management Systems, e-learning content Authoring Tools

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.

Knowledge of and experience in any of the following areas is a major asset:

• STEM subject knowledge and/or STEM education/didactics and/or Instructional Design;
• Basic knowledge and/or experience in e-learning systems (LMS) and or Content Management Systems (CMS);
• Basic knowledge and/or experience in video/image processing.