Our team and mission

The Copernicus Ground Segment Division and Destination Earth Office are both managing innovative industrial services aimed at facilitating free and open user access to data and services. Copernicus is mainly aimed at providing access to Sentinel data and related access services, while DestinE will also offer access to a framework of data, services, simulations and modelling in relation to digital twins of the Earth. 

Copernicus is the European Union's flagship programme dedicated to Earth observation, jointly funded by the European Union and ESA. It is currently the largest provider of Earth observation data.

Destination Earth (DestinE) is an innovative and ambitious initiative of the European Union aimed at creating a digital model of the Earth to monitor the effects of natural and human activity on our planet on a large scale. ESA is contributing to this initiative by developing and operating an open environment in which related applications and services are made available. DestinE will build on Copernicus and other relevant programmes to deliver analysis derived from digital twin models (or replicas). Using innovative Earth system models, cutting-edge computing, satellite data and machine learning, DestinE will allow its users to explore the effects of climate change on the various components of the Earth system, together with possible adaptation and mitigation strategies.

The Copernicus programme provides Sentinel satellite data relevant to an incredible range of environmental topics. Within the Ground Segment Department, ESA manages a series of operational services (data acquisition, long-term archive, data processing, mission planning, data access services, etc.), enabling delivery of critical images and measurements to users from a fleet of (currently) six in-orbit Copernicus Sentinel satellites.  

Both Copernicus and DestinE make massive data volumes freely available to users through the internet and accessible via cloud computing platforms. Notebook environments, data visualisation tools and software toolkits are provided on an open-source basis and free to users to facilitate access to the data. Digital dashboards are created to enable monitoring of the Copernicus and DestinE operations and associated performance.

Both programmes are managed with common approaches by the ESA staff in the Earth Observation Ground Segment Department and implemented via outsourced contracts to industrial partners.

You are encouraged to visit the following websites:

ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Copernicus Ground Segment activities:

https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Ground_Segment_overview
https://sentinel.esa.int/web/sentinel/home
https://scihub.copernicus.eu

DestinE: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Destination_Earth

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As a Young Graduate Trainee, you will have several opportunities to experiment with the services made available to users for access to and exploitation of the Copernicus data and for the deployment and operations of user applications related to Copernicus and/or DestinE. You will also have the opportunity to gain insight into the industrial processes through which ESA manages large-scale contracts and the behind-the-scenes workings of complex systems that support these programmes, as well as gaining experience in the handling and exploitation of Sentinel and DestinE data and applications.  

As a technologically savvy and motivated user of Earth Observation data, but not yet necessarily a domain expert, you will be asked, based on your profile and self-motivation, to:

• experiment with, validate and benchmark the services and interfaces (web interfaces, APIs, etc.) offered to users by the Copernicus and DestinE programmes;
• provide feedback and propose recommendations on the usability of these services and interfaces; 
• design, propose and implement some demonstrative use cases to illustrate how the available services and interfaces may be used;    
• experiment with different data formats, data conversions and data compression techniques for Sentinel products and for data managed by the DestinE system; 
• design and propose some use cases for the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques in the handling of the data and the monitoring of the operations within the framework of Copernicus and DestinE and define and demonstrate them by implementing a proof of concept, 
• potentially contribute to the enhancement of the open-source software used for these major initiatives.  

Technical competencies

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 a master’s degree in physics, computer science or engineering.

Additional requirements

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

Computer programming skills are required. In particular, a good level of familiarity with Python (with evidence of programming projects) would be advantageous.

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, your motivation and overall professional career goals will also be explored.