Young Graduate Trainee for Technical and Programmatic Reviews

The Office of the Inspector General is an independent support service. It works across Directorates, under the authority of the Director General. It assists the DG and the Directors by providing independent assessments of programmatic-critical issues and as such guarantees consistent, affordable, technical excellence within the Agency. To this end, the Inspector General and Office are responsible for:

• ensuring that programmes and projects are appropriately reviewed in terms of technical, cost, planning and quality factors;
• planning and organising integrated project reviews and related independent assessments of project plans in close collaboration with Directorates;
• ensuring assessment of project resources and risk;
• ensuring the quality of the system of such reviews, including methods, processes and tools, and proposing improvements as appropriate;
• organising and monitoring all necessary enquiry boards in the event of anomalies and malfunctions

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

Through your involvement in the Office, you as YGT will have an opportunity to gain an insight into the entirety of the Agency’s programme activities across all Directorates. The Traineeship will therefore enhance wide-angle understanding of the Agency’s operations.

More specifically, you will support the Office in:

•     liaising with Programme Directorates for the planning of technical reviews, resource assessments and integrated project plan reviews

•     participating in the organisation and performance of the actual reviews

•     assessing and demonstrating compliance with quality management within the Office (ISO 9001)

•     developing quantitative risk management methodologies to be implemented in the framework of the Project Resource Assessment Review process

•     participating in the generation of reports regarding enquiries and office-internal activities as required and feasible

•     participating in critical assessment of, and improvement proposals for, the Office’s functioning.  

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of a university course at Masters' level (or equivalent) in a technical or scientific discipline.

Preference will be given to applicants graduated from a technical university and completing their education with a business administration qualification or a combined technical / business administration education.

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.

You should demonstrate good interpersonal skills and the capacity to work both independently and as part of a team.

During the interview your motivation and overall professional perspective/career goals will also be explored.