Young Graduate Opportunity in the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes

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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

This post is classified F1.

Location

ESRIN, Frascati, Italy 

Our team and mission

The ESA Ground Segment and Data Management Division is responsible for Earth observation (EO) data management through the design, implementation and operations of the Payload Data Ground Segments (PDGS) for a number of Earth observation missions, such as Earth Explorer, Earth Watch, Third Party and Heritage missions, in order to provide high quality scientific data to the Earth observation community.


The Payload Data Ground Segments are made up of several systems and industrial services deployed at a number of facilities and covering different functions, such as data acquisition (from satellite), data processing, data access (to the data users) and data archiving. To best serve the needs of the Earth observation community, the Division is very active in seeking opportunities to innovate in terms of functionalities, services and technologies, while securing the operational robustness of the Payload Data Ground Segments.

The ESA Ground Segment and Data Management Division is responsible for providing data and information to the technical and scientific Earth observation communities, including data generated from the Earth Explorer, Earth Watch, Third Party and Heritage missions and data provided by the Copernicus Contributing Missions.

A vast amount of data is discoverable through the EOP websites (e.g.https://earth.esa.int/) and available online for immediate download.

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

The increase in volume and diversity of satellite data offerings, the variety of systems generating, (re)processing and storing data, the technology evolution, as well as the technical and scientific needs of the user community, call for a streamlined approach to data management based on the data analytics of a set of non­homogeneous information collected from diverse systems and services. The automatic processing of indexes and the consequent generation of reports and statistics are key elements of this approach.

The Division has recently implemented a mechanism to collect, for a limited number of missions, all the necessary information from different sources and have it ingested into business analytics tools for the automatic generation of reports. Next steps will include expansion in the number of missions and the definition of additional indexes capturing the added value of the data in scientific results.

As a Young Graduate Trainee (YGT), you will first familiarise yourself with a significant number of Earth observation missions, instruments and relevant data, and acquire specialised knowledge of a data backend for the processing and archival of, as well as access to, EO data.

You will then help assess the currently implemented index definition and information collection solution and support the technology harmonisation across the different Earth observation missions for definition of a comprehensive reporting system.

Your tasks will include:

  • Acquisition of the necessary knowledge of the index definition and information collection system currently in use
  • Verification of the process by which information is handled and used to generate technical reports
  • Collection of additional technical and operational needs and identification of the necessary sources of information
  • Assessment of technical solutions leading to the automation of analysis and generation of necessary statistics and reporting
  • Identification of the necessary steps to extend the data analytics and reporting to all managed missions
  • Presentation of progress advancement and preparation of a final report showing the main results of the activity.

Technical competencies

Knowledge of relevant technical domains
Relevant experience gained during internships/project work
Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities
Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation

Operational Efficiency

Fostering Cooperation

Relationship Management

Continuous Improvement

Forward Thinking

Education

You should have just completed or be in the final year of your master's degree in a technical or scientific discipline.

Additional requirements

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multi-cultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.

You should also have:

  • Familiarity with modern system engineering and service management is considered an asset. In addition, you should demonstrate experience with data analytics tools and methodology.
  • You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work in a multicultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.
  • 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.

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

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.

Other information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

For further information on the Young Graduate Programme please visit: Young Graduate Programme and FAQ Young Graduate Programme

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 email contact.human.resources@esa.int.

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Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia, as  Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Cyprus and Slovakia as European Cooperating States (ECS).

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States*. When short-listing for an interview, priority will first be given to candidates from under-represented or balanced Member States*. (https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/NationalityTargets.pdf)

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.