General questions
Do you have questions about the ESA Junior Professional Programme that have not been answered on our Careers pages? Would you like to find out more about this new programme? Our dedicated FAQ is here to support you.
30 OKT. 2026
Udgivelsesdato
28234
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Every year sometime between April and June.
To be eligible for the Junior Professional Programme, you must have:
- • Graduated from a relevant Master’s degree programme.
- • Less than three years of professional experience. If you took part in our entry-level programmes (ESA Graduate Trainee Programme, National Graduate Trainee Programme and Research Fellowship Programme), the time spent at ESA counts towards the experience requirement.
- • Citizenship of one of the ESA Member States, Associate Members or Canada as a Cooperating State. The full list of eligible countries is published in the footer of each ESA vacancy.
Like the ESA Graduate Trainee Programme and National Graduate Trainee Programme, you need to be a citizen of an ESA Member State, Associate Member State or Canada as a Cooperating State and have a Master’s degree to be eligible to apply for the vacancies.
However, the Junior Professional Programme is different in that it is open to professionals with less than three years of experience. So, you must have accumulated a certain amount of professional experience after completing your Master's degree before applying to a JP position, which is not the case for the EGT Programme or the NGT Programme.
Another key difference is the employment conditions: the Junior Professional Programme offers an initial four-year appointment, with the perspective of conversion to an indefinite appointment upon completion of the programme.
The basic requirements in terms of professional experience are not the same (see above). Your level of professional experience will determine which programme you are eligible to apply to.
If you have gained up to three years of professional experience after your Master, yes! Your time at ESA as an ESA Graduate Trainee or National Graduate Trainee is considered as valid professional experience and counts towards the experience requirement.
Do you have three years (i.e. 36 months) or less of relevant professional experience by the closing date of this vacancy? Relevant professional experience includes employment and post-Master traineeships but not academic PhD research.
Since this programme targets those in the early phases of their careers, we are unable to accept applications from candidates with more than three years of professional experience. Should this apply to you, we invite you to visit our recruiting site (jobs.esa.int) to browse other ESA vacancies that are better suited to your level of experience. You can also set up a job alert to be informed as soon as a vacancy that matches your profile is published.
The ESA Junior Professional Programme has a forward-looking perspective and it is the intention for successful JPs to have a long-term career at ESA. When they are recruited, ESA Junior Professionals will therefore be offered an initial four-year appointment. An indefinite appointment will be granted at the end of the four years, subject to performance.
Mobility placements allow you to learn from diverse ESA projects. They can be internal rotations within ESA, such as within the directorate you have been assigned to or a different directorate within the Agency. There is also the possibility for external secondments, which could involve a placement in industry or other relevant organisations. The rotation scheme depends on factors such as the area of assignment, the activities, your profile, etc.
Development is a fundamental element of the JPP. On-the-job training is central to the programme and many JPs can gain experience on diverse ESA projects through the mobility scheme (see above). Furthermore, while all JPs participate in courses that are part of a common programme, each JP also receives training tailored to the needs and requirements of their activities at ESA, as well as to their academic and professional profile.
No, there is no age limit to apply. As long as you are a citizen of one of the eligible countries and you have a Master’s degree with less than three years of professional experience, you are eligible to apply to the Junior Professional Programme.
Please check our Junior Professional page for more information about the terms and conditions.
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Recruitment process
As of 2025, a call for applications for the JPP will be published each year. Once the positions are live, you will be able to browse them directly on our recruitment website.
The vacancies are published on our recruitment website. To apply, you need to create your candidate profile, upload your CV and motivation letter, then submit. Once your application is sent, you will be able to track its status by logging into your candidate profile.
Set up a job alert to stay informed of vacancies at ESA.
No, you can send us your CV in your preferred format.
Your motivation letter should be clear and concise. We recommend that you keep this letter to just one page (maximum two) and it should detail any experience that could be relevant to the role you are applying for. Be sure to share your enthusiasm, your interests and your motivation for that particular position.
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive an email from a member of our recruiting team. You will be asked to add some documents to your candidate profile, such as a copy of your diploma or passport/ID card prior to the interview. All the applications receive an automatic acknowledgement of receipt. Once you have applied, you will be able to track the status of your application. All candidates, whether they are selected for interview or not, are informed by email about the outcome of their application.
ESA interviews take place virtually by Teams. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive all necessary information by email.
Please write to us at contact.human.resources@esa.int.
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More information
Check our careers pages to learn more and for news on these programmes.
Please contact us at contact.human.resources@esa.int.
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Relaterede links
Junior Professional Programme
This programme is a unique opportunity to launch your career at ESA and join the future of space in Europe. 15 Junior Professional positions are published each year.
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