Summer Students Chile 2027

For the summer period 2027 starting early January, ESO is offering three projects for the Maintenance and Engineering Department (MSE), one project for the Paranal Science Operations Department (PSO) and one for IT Department. The following section provides brief information about MSE and PSO, along with the list of all available projects. The Maintenance, Support and Engineering Department (MSE): provides technical support to the four VLT 8-m telescopes, to the VLT Interferometer with its auxiliary telescopes and to all instruments available for scientific observations. The MSE Department of Paranal has a total workforce of 80 engineers and technicians distributed in six engineering groups.

References for MSE Dpt.

http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/paranal/paranalenginternship.html. See also the podcast about engineers working at ESO: https://www.eso.org/public/videos/esocast186a/ The Paranal Science Operations Department (PSO) consists of 60 persons of more than a dozen different nationalities. PSO's mission is the production of high-quality astronomical data and to maintain or improve the scientific performance of Paranal's instruments. This includes the VLTI 2nd generation instruments Gravity & Matisse, the Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) on UT4 and the planet hunter ESPRESSO.

Application

We invite students from Chilean Universities, ideally in their last career years to apply. The apprenticeship should be supported by the University, and therefore, it shall be covered by the student accident insurance (Law 16.744). Applications must be completed in English and should include a CV and a motivational letter indicating in the first line/title, the project(s) -name and number- you are interested in. Interviews will be conducted in English.

Closing date for applications is 30 October 2026.

Topics included in this program:

• MSE - BIM Asset Information Integration for Operations
• MSE - Vacuum pump and helium compressor vibration characterization and real-time monitoring dashboard for diagnostics
• MSE - Information management aimed at implementing maintenance best practices and supporting decision-making
• PSO - Development and Evaluation of Atmospheric Nowcasting Models to Support Astronomical Science Operations
• IT - Infrastructure Modernization and Cybersecurity Readiness Program

List of Projects MSE Department:

I. "BIM Asset Information Integration for Operations"

The Paranal Observatory is developing a BIM and Digital Twin initiative and we need support to improve the integration of engineering models with operational asset information. You will work with Autodesk Revit and IBM Maximo to validate asset data, contribute to BIM models used for operations, and support the foundations of future Digital Twin applications.

During this internship, the student will:

• Validate asset information between BIM models and IBM Maximo.
• Work with Autodesk Revit schedules and BIM parameters.
• Learn how BIM supports facility operations and maintenance.
• Contribute to Digital Twin readiness at one of the world's leading astronomical observatories.

Student Profile:

• Architecture, Civil Engineering or Construction Engineering career
• Interest in Data and Computer Science (BIM and asset information)
• Interest in Building Information Modeling (BIM), Digital Twins, and asset information management.
• Basic knowledge of Autodesk Revit is desirable.
• Familiarity with BIM workflows and data management is considered an advantage.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be 5x2 in Vitacura and 1 or 2 shift in Paranal (with accommodation provided on site). The internship will last for two months, January and February.

II. " Vacuum pump and helium compressor vibration characterization and real-time monitoring dashboard for diagnostics"

The Paranal Observatory relies on several vacuum pumps and helium compressors to support the operation of scientific instruments. These systems are known sources of mechanical vibrations that can propagate through the observatory infrastructure and potentially affect the performance of the 8m Unit Telescopes (UT) and the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). At present, when abnormal vibration signatures are detected, identifying their origin requires manual investigation across multiple engineering systems and telemetry sources, making the diagnostic process slow and inefficient. Currently, there is no centralized tool that provides real-time information on the operational status of pumps and compressors together with their characteristic vibration signatures. Therefore, valuable engineering time is invested in correlating vibration events with equipment activity, particularly during observations when rapid diagnosis is essential to minimize operational impact. This internship is proposed to address that operational need by measuring and characterizing the vibrations of each noisy element in the field nd developing a real-time monitoring platform capable of consolidating miscellaneous vibration information into a single dashboard.

The internship is for two students with the following complementary objectives:

• Hardware: measure all vibrating elements (vacuum pumps and he compressors) with accelerometers to create a library of spectra characterizing all sources
• Software: Identify and connect to available databases and telemetry sources, develop scripts to acquire data in real time, and develop a dashboard displaying miscellaneous information in real time

Student Profile:

Student 1: Vibration Characterization of Vacuum Pumps and Helium Compressors

Student profile:

• Mechanical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Interest in vibration analysis, instrumentation, mechanical systems, and diagnostics.
• Basic knowledge of signal processing and data analysis.
• Familiarity with engineering measurements and laboratory work, ideally with accelerometers.
• Basic programming skills (Python) are desirable but not mandatory.

Student 2: Real-Time Monitoring Dashboard Development

Student profile:

• Computer or Software Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Data Science, or a related field.
• Programming experience in Python.
• Familiarity with Visual Studio Code, Jupyter Notebook, and Streamlit.
• Interest in software development, data visualization, and monitoring systems.
• Familiarity with Linux, databases, APIs, and telemetry data processing.
• Basic understanding of data acquisition and dashboard design.

Shift and Duration:

For both students, the schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8x6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will last for three months, January through March.

III. "Information management aimed at implementing maintenance best practices and supporting decision-making."

The Paranal Observatory operates every day of the year and requires a thorough maintenance program for the technical facilities in order to ensure a high degree of availability for science. The internship will focus on taking specific data in the field and analyzing data logged in several of our operational tools to derive parameters like wrench time, mean time between failures and mean time to repair, and other relevant aspects of reliability, availability and maintainability.

Student Profile:

• Student of mechanical, maintenance, industrial engineering in the last year of career.
• Ability to do data analysis (using excel or programming) and knowledge of classical techniques like Pareto and Jack-Knife.
• Good command in English (written and spoken).
• General knowledge of maintenance processes (concepts: Availability, Reliability, Maintainability).

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8x6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will last from January - March 2027, minimum 4 shifts.

Project PSO Department:

I. "Development and Evaluation of Atmospheric Nowcasting Models to Support Astronomical Science Operations"

Accurate knowledge of atmospheric conditions is essential for maximizing the scientific performance of astronomical observatories. While current monitoring systems provide detailed information on existing conditions, science operations can greatly benefit from reliable predictions of how these conditions will evolve over the following minutes to hours.

This internship will contribute to our ongoing effort to develop accurate nowcasting models for atmospheric parameters that are particularly relevant to astronomical observations, including atmospheric seeing, turbulence coherence time, and precipitable water vapour (PWV). The student will work with real atmospheric data and modern data-analysis and machine-learning tools to investigate and develop predictive methods for these parameters. Ultimately, these nowcasting capabilities are intended to support science operations by providing information that can help match observing programmes with the atmospheric conditions expected during their execution.

Objectives:

• Utilize modern tools, including Large Language Models (LLMs), to assist in the development of Python code for applications that predict the short-term evolution of key atmospheric parameters.
• Use the existing Astronomical Site Monitoring database as the primary data source. The student will extract, preprocess, and prepare appropriate datasets for the development and training of the prediction (nowcasting) models.
• Develop tools, with the assistance of LLMs, to evaluate the performance of the prediction models. Model performance will be assessed using a range of appropriate statistical metrics to quantify prediction accuracy and reliability.
• Implement an operational application for continuously running the nowcasting models and presenting their predictions. The application should display the predicted time evolution of the relevant atmospheric parameters, for example through a graphical dashboard and/or other suitable methods for communicating the information to users.

Student Profile:

We are looking for a motivated student with an interest in scientific programming and data analysis, and with good working knowledge of Python. The student should also be interested in using modern tools, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and other AI-assisted code-generation tools, to support the development and implementation of the different tasks of the project. An interest in working with large observational datasets and developing practical solutions to real scientific and operational problems is particularly important. The student should be comfortable learning new methods and working independently while interacting with scientists and technical staff involved in astronomical site monitoring and science operations.

Previous training or experience in time-series analysis, statistical modelling and prediction, machine learning, and the preparation and quality control of datasets would be considered an asset.

Senior undergraduate students (last two years in their university careers) in engineering, computer science, data science, atmospheric sciences, astronomy, or related fields are encouraged to apply.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule be a Vitacura - Paranal split, with 1 full ship in Paranal (with accommodation provided on site). The student will start his internship on Monday January 4th at Vitacura and his single 8x6 shift in Paranal will start on Tuesday January 12th. We expect the student to do 8 weeks of work, with flexibility for a one-week extension.

Project IT Department

I. IT Infrastructure Modernization and Cybersecurity Readiness Program

The IT CL Operations Group is currently working on several strategic initiatives aimed at standardizing and improving the organization's infrastructure management, monitoring capabilities, and cybersecurity posture. Existing monitoring platforms require configuration reviews and alignment to ensure consistency and readiness for future migration activities. In parallel, the department is implementing NetBox as a centralized source of infrastructure documentation and asset management. Additionally, there is an ongoing need to review and strengthen cybersecurity-related processes and configurations to align with operational and organizational requirements. The internship project will provide valuable support to these initiatives while offering students hands-on experience in enterprise IT operations.

Objectives:

• Align and standardize current monitoring system configurations to support future migration projects.
• Implement and populate a NetBox environment that accurately reflects the current infrastructure and is ready for future production deployment.
• Support the review and adoption of cybersecurity processes, standards, and configurations within the Operations team.

Student Profile:

• Undergraduate students pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related field.
• Basic knowledge of Linux and Windows administration.
• Understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, routing, switching, DNS).
• Interest in infrastructure management, monitoring systems, asset management, and cybersecurity.
• Familiarity with scripting (Python, PowerShell, or Bash) is desirable but not required.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a technical team.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be 5x2 in Vitacura. The internship will last for two or three months, January and February/ March 2027.

Contract Allowance and Transportation

ESO offers a special allowance during the period of the internship. Air and ground transportation between Santiago and the observatory site will be provided by ESO.

ESO Values

An important element in any successful employment relationship is harmony in values between an organisation and its people.

The ESO Values are:

ESO strives for excellence through innovation.

ESO provides outstanding services to its communities.

ESO fosters diversity & inclusion.

ESO believes in the key role of sustainability for its future.

Achieving the above are recognized as only possible on the basis of personal values and attitudes that we expect from our employees: respect, integrity, accountability, commitment, collaboration, and clear & open communication.

Applicants to any ESO role are asked to reflect on their affinity with these values and advised they may be asked about them if called for interview.

Diversity

ESO has established diversity as an important value of the Organisation, is committed to providing an equal opportunities environment and is actively seeking to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Please visit https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/sustainability/dei-at-eso/ for further details.