Find your path with ESA

My pathway to ESA leads to:

• Student Internship Programme
• Young Graduate Trainee Programme
• National Trainee Programmes
• Junior Professional Programme
• Research Fellowship Programme
• ESA co-funded research
• ESA Academy
• Staff Vacancies

Student Internship Programme

• You are a student preferably in your final or penultimate year of a university course at Master’s level and must be enrolled at university for the entire duration of the internship (placements last between three and six months)
• You are a citizen of one of the ESA Member States, Associate Members, European Cooperating States or Canada as a Cooperating State.
• You have a keen interest in space and can’t wait to launch your career into the stars!
• You are highly motivated to learn from ESA’s teams of experts while being a part of a friendly and multicultural environment.
• You are eager to learn about and to contribute to ESA’s mission of the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone on Earth.

Young Graduate Trainee Programme

• You are a student in the final year of a Master’s degree at university, or have just graduated.
• You have up to one year of professional experience since graduating from your Master’s and would like to join us for a one- to two-year assignment.
• You are a citizen of one of the ESA Member States, Associate Members, European Cooperating States or Canada as a Cooperating State.
• You have strong interest in space.
• You are highly motivated to be a part of a friendly and multicultural environment.
• You are ready to start your career with an on-the-job learning experience on one of ESA’s inspiring missions, joining a team of experts, scientists, engineers or business professionals.
• You are eager to take on new challenges and participate in the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone.

National Trainee Programmes

• You are in the final year of a Master’s degree at university, or have just graduated.
• You have preferably 0-1 years of professional experience since graduating from your Master’s and would like to join us for a one- to two-year assignment.
• You are a citizen of one of the following participating countries, which are currently: Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania and Luxembourg.
• You have a strong interest in space.
• You are highly motivated to be a part of a friendly and multicultural environment.
• You are ready to start your career with an on-the-job learning experience on one of ESA’s inspiring missions, joining a team of experts, scientists, engineers or business professionals.
• You are eager to take on new challenges and participate in the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone.

National Trainee Programmes are similar to the Young Graduate Trainee Programme, however they differ in that they are run by the governments of the participating countries. Candidates therefore do not apply through ESA but via the application process specific to the relevant participating country.

Junior Professional Programme

• You have a Master’s degree.
• You have two to three years of professional experience, gained since completing your Master’s degree.
• You have worked in a relevant field for two to three years and are looking for an opportunity to expand your horizons in a role with potential for permanent employment (Junior Professionals join ESA for an initial period of three years, with the possibility for a permanent position at the end of the JP assignment).
• You are a citizen of one of the ESA Member States, Associate Members, European Cooperating States or Canada as a Cooperating State.
• You have a strong interest in space.
• You are highly motivated to be a part of a friendly and multicultural environment.
• You are eager to learn more about space by working closely with ESA experts on inspiring projects and honing your skills through on-the-job learning and a tailored development programme.
• You aspire to be a part of ESA’s mission of peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone.

Research Fellowship Programme

• You have recently completed or are close to completing a PhD in a relevant technical or scientific discipline.
• You are a citizen of one of the ESA Member States, Associate Members, European Cooperating States or Canada as a Cooperating State.
• You have a passion for space.
• You are looking for a two- to three-year Fellowship during which to pursue your research at the heart of Europe’s space missions.
• You are inspired by ESA’s missions and are highly motivated to support us in our peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone.

ESA co-funded research

• You are a researcher at PhD or post-doctoral level with novel ideas for space activities.
• You are looking to conduct your research activities in partnership with ESA, benefitting from generous co-funding opportunities to support your doctoral degree or post-doctoral investigation.
• You are eager to access ESTEC laboratories and facilities to support your research and receive technical support from ESA experts to discuss concepts and assess their potential for space applications.
• You are interested in collaborating with industrial partners to build “innovation networks”.

ESA Academy

• You are still studying for a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree.
• You are a citizen of one of the ESA Member States, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania or Slovenia.
• You are an enterprising student with an unfettered interest in all facets of the space industry.
• You are highly motivated to learn from ESA experts in your domain of competence, and beyond.

ESA Staff Vacancies

• You have a Master’s/PhD with over three years’ experience.
• You are a citizen of one of the ESA Member States, Associate Members or Canada as a Cooperating State.
• You have experience in engineering, science, and/or business services and are motivated to join a team and work on exciting missions at the heart of European space activities
• You have team spirit, curiosity and a passion for space and are inspired to work in a diverse, friendly and multicultural workplace.
• You would like to learn more about and contribute to ESA’s mission of peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone.

Working life at ESA
Want to learn more about working at ESA? Take a look at our pages on life at ESA and work-life balance. For more information about the different ESA sites, check out ESA establishments.

Join us
Browse our current vacancies on our recruitment site and set up a job alert to stay informed of new positions that match your skills and experience profile.

Learn more about ESA’s programmes and missions
Still have questions? Head to our FAQ page.