Junior Professional in Industrial EO System Engineering
Frascati, IT
This post is part of ESA’s Junior Professional Programme. We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with up to 3 years of relevant professional experience after their Master's degree to join ESA for a four-year assignment. During this time, you will be actively working and learning on the job and will benefit from valuable mobility and developmental opportunities that will prepare you for a successful career at ESA. Subject to performance, it is therefore the intention to offer you an indefinite contract which will start at the end of the four years.
Recruitment will take place at the A1 grade on the Coordinated Organisations’ salary scale. At the end of the fourth year and if you are offered an indefinite contract at the end of your Junior Professional assignment, you will be upgraded to the A2 grade.
Location
ESRIN, Frascati, Italy or other site, as required.
Developmental assignments form an integral part of the Junior Professional Programme and may entail a temporary relocation to another ESA establishment or other location.
Description
You will work in the Invest Office of the ɸ-Lab within the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes (EOP). The Invest Office focuses on commercial aspects of Earth observation (EO) and is in charge of promoting investment in industrial innovation in the EO domain, developing partnerships with new actors entering the EO sector.
Φ-Lab manages the ESA Investing in Industrial Innovation (InCubed) programme. While institutional and private European space actors have created a flourishing EO sector in Earth science, meteorology, environmental and security monitoring, the EO market is undergoing rapid transition, with new implementation approaches, such as constellations of micro-satellites and vertical integration of spaceborne with non-spaceborne data, new industrial players, such as IT companies, and new funding models, for example public-private partnerships and venture capital. It is crucial for Europe to adapt to this rapidly evolving market and seize the opportunities it provides.
Duties
As a Junior Professional, you will be assigned to the Φ-Lab Invest Office and will support ESA’s activities aimed at fostering commercial industrial innovation in EO, with a particular focus on the InCubed programme. During the assignment, you will progressively develop skills and expertise, from market and portfolio intelligence activities to the preparation, evaluation and follow-up of commercially oriented EO development projects, combining system engineering, business development and programme management perspectives.
- Year 1 – Market intelligence and capability-building
During your first year as a Junior Professional, you will focus on building a structured understanding of the commercial EO market, the European EO ecosystem and the InCubed portfolio. This will include monitoring market trends, commercial missions, NewSpace business models, investment dynamics, customer needs and developments across the EO value chain.
You will also support portfolio-level analyses, socioeconomic and market impact assessments and selected reviews of InCubed activities at the proposal and implementation stages. In parallel, you will develop the core competencies required for future project follow-up, particularly in system engineering, business plan assessment, commercial viability analysis and risk identification.
- Year 2 – Support to Technical Officers and first project follow-up
From the second year onwards, you will increasingly support ESA Technical Officers in the preparation, evaluation and follow-up of InCubed activities and will begin to take on the role of Technical Officer for selected activities.
You will contribute to monitoring technical progress, commercial relevance, risks, milestones and deliverables, as well as the contractual implementation of selected InCubed projects. The objective will be to gain practical experience in how commercially oriented EO developments are managed within ESA, ensuring that activities remain aligned with InCubed’s technical and commercial criteria.
The first placement should preferably take place in another ESA site, directorate or department with the objective of strengthening your understanding of system-level aspects of EO missions and developments. This may include exposure to mission architecture, space and ground segment interfaces, system engineering processes, technology development or programme implementation.
.
- Year 3 – Increased Technical Officer responsibility and industrial exposure
During the third year, you will take on increased responsibility as Technical Officer for selected InCubed activities, building on the experience gained during project follow-up and your first placement. You will contribute more actively to project reviews from both technical and industrial/business perspectives, including the assessment of system performance, commercial progress, customer traction, market positioning and follow-on opportunities.
You will also support the consolidation of lessons learned across the portfolio and contribute to recommendations for improving the evaluation, monitoring and implementation of InCubed activities.
The second placement should preferably take place in the space industry, either with an established industrial player or in a NewSpace company, with involvement in a real and challenging development project. The objective will be to gain exposure to industrial constraints, delivery pressures, customer needs, product development cycles and the practical challenges of bringing EO-related systems or services to market.
- Year 4 – Consolidation, industrial strategy and final placement
During the fourth year, you will continue acting as Technical Officer for selected activities and will contribute to the broader industrial and commercial strategy for European ventures in the EO domain.
The third placement should further consolidate your strategic perspective. It may take place in another European agency, a relevant EO-related company, or an organisation closely linked to Φ-Lab priorities, such as an AI-focused company, a venture capital or investment organisation, or another relevant actor in the European innovation ecosystem. The objective will be to broaden your understanding of how EO innovation connects with institutional demand, private investment, emerging technologies and market adoption.
By the end of the programme, you will be expected to have developed the ability to support commercially oriented EO developments from early assessment to project follow-up, outcome review and impact analysis, with a solid understanding of both system engineering and business development aspects. You should also be able to contribute to the strategic positioning of InCubed and Φ-Lab activities in support of European industrial competitiveness in EO.
Development Programme
In addition to your daily work, you will take part in an extensive learning and development programme. From day one, you will learn on the job and benefit from tailored development opportunities, including participation in technical and key skills training courses.
Furthermore, there is a mobility component to the Junior Professional Programme that can take the form of either an internal rotation to another team within ESA, an external secondment outside ESA, or a combination of both. Internal rotations aim to boost your professional experience and knowledge of the European Space Agency, whereas external secondments aim to enhance your professional experience and knowledge of the European space sector.
Potential host entities may include other ESA directorates, such as the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness or the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality, European institutions, investors or organisations within the European space or non-space industry.
This programme represents a significant investment by ESA in your personal and professional development and is designed to provide you with the required knowledge and skills for a career at ESA. You can expect to be given many opportunities to develop your professional experience and competencies, to learn from ESA experts and to contribute to ESA activities.
Technical competencies
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 and professional experience
A master’s degree in engineering, physics, data science or business is required for this post with up to three years of professional experience.
Additional requirements
You should be willing to fill any competency gaps through ESA’s development programme.
Experience in business development and/or analysis, preferably within the commercial space sector, is desirable.
Familiarity with AI applications in EO data is considered an asset.
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 are only 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, the United Kingdom and Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
According to the ESA Convention, staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, taking into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the 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.