Esa Graduate Trainee In Space Transportation Strategy, Market Analysis And Engineering
Posted on Feb. 1, 2026 by European Space Agency
- Fond Parisien, France
- N/A
- Internship
ESA Graduate Trainee in Space Transportation Strategy, Market Analysis and Engineering
Job Requisition ID: 20182
Date Posted: 1 February 2026
Closing Date: 28 February 2026 23:59 CET/CEST
Publication: External Only
Type of Appointment: ESA Graduate Trainee
Directorate: Space Transportation
Workplace:
Paris, FR
Grade Band: F1 - F1
Location
ESA Headquarters, Paris, France
Our team and mission
The position is located in the Space Transportation Policy and Communication Office reporting to the Head of Space Transportation Strategy and Institutional Launches responsible for:
- supporting the formulation of the European space transportation sector strategy;
- drafting decision documents for the ESA Council and its delegate bodies, in particular agreements, declarations and programme proposals for Ministerial Council decisions;
- coordinating the Directorate’s relations with Member States, EU institutions and other spacefaring States, conducting
related negotiations and coordinating joint events; - assessing the value of ESA’s space transportation activities to Europe’s citizens and contributing to ESA socio-economic studies and to life cycle analysis;
- assessing the evolution of the worldwide space transportation supply and accessible demand providing regular analysis;
- coordinating the Directorate’s contributions to corporate action plans and advising on matters dealt with by the Executive Board at Director General level;
- leading the ESA Collective Launch Service Procurement and providing mission users with an end-to-end service on all launch service aspects, from mission design definition up to launch;
- acting as focal point for the Directorate’s interface with space transportation service providers;
- coordinating the Directorate’s assessment and coherent implementation of the governance for the new launch system development and exploitation phases;
- leading implementation of the Boost! programme;
- leading the Directorate’s communication activities across sites and establishing the rolling communication plan for the Directorate’s external communication.
You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int
Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship
You will perform interdisciplinary research and comprehensive analysis on specific topics relevant to the global payload market for space transportation services (transport into, in and return from space), the set-up of and developments in the global space transportation sector and related market intelligence activities.
You will learn about and be involved in the following activities:
- Monitoring, collecting and reporting on technical and strategic information related to payload market demand, space transportation systems and services, including micro-launcher developments worldwide.
- Analysing business trends and cases in the space transportation sector.
- Reporting regularly on and performing comprehensive analysis of space transportation systems and spaceports worldwide and keeping related catalogues up to date.
- Supporting systematic approaches for the collection, processing and analysis of market-related information through dashboards and other information tools and coordination of internal users.
- Helping maintain and harmonise up-to-date databases on the forecasting of worldwide payload market demand for space transportation services as well as on actual launches performed worldwide, including technical and financial information, and contributing to the setting up of new supplementary databases as required, including on topics such as space tugs and engines.
- Contributing to the continued implementation of a market intelligence tool, including the definition and processing of queries and maintaining of collected information.
- Performing comprehensive analysis of (i) public policy and strategy for the development and exploitation of launch systems in selected countries, and (ii) launch service provider strategies and trends in space transportation.
- Supporting relevant socio-economic impact assessments and proposing indicators.
- Performing detailed technical analysis of satellite and launcher system characteristics as well as launch service requirements for specific cases (e.g. satellite on-board propulsion, injection strategies, launcher performance, mapping of launcher subsystems).
- Supporting the preparation of Directorate documents for ESA's decision-making bodies related to the above, mainly for the Space Transportation Programme Board.
- Providing support to related communication activities.
- Helping the with other tasks, as required.
Technical competencies
Knowledge of relevant technical/functional domains
Relevant experience gained during internships, project work and/or extracurricular or other activities
General knowledge of the space sector and relevant activities
Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects
Behavioural competencies
Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking
For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook
Education
You should have recently completed or be in the final year of your master’s in engineering or another technical discipline, involving interdisciplinary research.
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. Previous experience of working in international teams can be considered an asset. Your motivation, overall professional perspective and career goals will also be explored during the later stages of the selection process.
You should also have:
- You should demonstrate strong interest in and knowledge of space activities. Prior experience in the space transportation sector is an asset.
- You should be familiar with the use of databases and associated software (e.g. Excel, Access, Power BI, data mining). Experience with conducting economic assessments or carrying out market intelligence surveys is an asset.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
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, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.
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 via email at contact.human.resources@esa.int.
Important Information and Disclaimer
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures.
The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.
Nationality and Languages
Please note that applications can only be considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).
Please note that applications can only be considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta 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 be given to external candidates from under-represented Member States*.
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.
- Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.
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Advertised until:
March 3, 2026
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