Our team and mission

ESA leads in observing Earth’s changing climate from space. The ESA Climate Office is part of the ESA Earth Observation Science, Applications and Climate Department. Its flagship programme, the Climate Change Initiative (CCI), draws together over 40 years of data from ESA’s own satellite missions and those from other space agencies using past as well as currently active in-orbit instrumentation. The CCI science teams focus on R&D activities to generate long-term, global climate data records that describe the evolution of key components of Earth’s climate system, as defined by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) (see The 2022 GCOS Implementation Plan | GCOS (wmo.int)), in support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (see https://unfccc.int/).

To date, more than 20 Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) out of the 54 GCOS-defined ECVs have been addressed by science teams involved in the CCI. Furthermore, a climate modelling user group lies at the core of the programme, bringing together the Earth observation, climate modelling and reanalysis communities. Drawing on multiple ECVs, the CCI includes budget closure projects that address complex science questions. All ECV datasets are fully validated and have high levels of traceability and consistency, including quantitative estimates of uncertainty required by both climate science and modelling communities. In its contribution to climate and Earth system science, this programme has published over 1,000 peer-reviewed articles, and has supported the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) headline statements on climate in its assessment reports.

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the ESA website: www.esa.int/ESA and the ESA Climate Office website: www.climate.esa.int

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will, as a Young Graduate Trainee:

• contribute to Earth Observation (EO) research and applications development in the terrestrial, oceanographic, atmospheric or cryospheric fields in relation to climate. A broad range of project opportunities exist across all domains (terrestrial, ocean, cryosphere and atmosphere), their interfaces (e.g. for carbon, hydrological cycles), and the interface between observations and models at global, regional and local level.
• analyse the outputs from CCI and data from ESA and third-party EO missions.
• conduct a one-year project focusing on one of the areas below. This will involve 1) project planning and definition, 2) acquiring suitable EO data, 3) developing algorithms and exploiting software, e.g. via CCI Toolbox, 4) analysing and validating EO data, and 5) documenting, publishing and presenting results. You may also help to organise thematic workshops, prepare training courses, and be involved in knowledge exchange activities (outreach, education, presentation of programme results, data visualisation).

This traineeship will focus on the following activities:
(a)    Examining the value of combinations of the Essential Climate Variable global datasets generated by the ESA Climate Change Initiative (www.climate.esa.int) in contributing answers to questions about climate and climate change raised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This could, for example, address questions on the interacting links between components of the climate system that trigger abrupt change in other components, linking to ongoing work on climate-tipping elements, such as links between sea surface temperature and vegetation change in the Amazon. This will include analysis of the quality, consistency, uncertainties and interdependencies of the CCI global datasets.

(b)    Examining the contribution of satellite datasets in assessing climate impacts, mitigation and adaptation, for example for developing early warning systems.

(c)    Examining the potential contribution of ESA, other European sensors and non-European sensors, not already covered by the ESA CCI, to Essential Climate Variables.

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 your master’s degree in in a technical or scientific discipline, e.g. physics, electronic engineering, computing, oceanography, atmospheric physics, remote sensing, geophysics.

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.

Knowledge of Earth observation systems, data products and algorithms is required.

Applicants planning to undertake a PhD are welcome to apply.

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.