Young Graduate Trainee for Cost Engineering

The System & Engineering Division of the Technical & Quality Management Directorate is responsible for the following main activities:

• providing cost engineering support, tools and estimates to ESA projects;
• providing system engineering support to projects in various phases of development;
• conducting R&D activities related to system engineering methodologies and tools;
• managing and providing technical support to small spacecraft projects for technology demonstration including preparatory activities (feasibility studies, pre-development);
• managing and providing technical support to small projects for in-orbit technology demonstration (instruments, payloads);
• managing the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) and performing Phase 0 and support activities for ESA projects.
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The Cost Engineering Section maintains a technical/economic database that constitutes the backbone of the cost modelling capabilities. It is consequently vital to keep the price and technology references up to date.

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

Your main task involves collecting, organising and implementing in the Section CEDRE database price references for recent spacecraft projects. This will involve:

• gathering and processing all necessary financial, schedule and technical information from available documentation;
• interviewing technical specialists, project controllers and project managers for clarification and additional information and updates to be included;
• organising the review and endorsement of data entered in the database, whereupon it can be used as reference for cost models and estimates by the entire Section;
• possible involvement in the statistical analysis of the new cost data and its implementation in the Section’s cost models.

You may also:

• assist cost engineers in their work for CDF studies;
• provide technical support to other system and project activities in the Division, depending on your specific technical background.

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of a university course at Master's level (or equivalent) in aerospace engineering or related fields (such as electrical engineering, telecom engineering, mechanical engineering etc.), and/or in cost engineering / cost modeling.

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.