Our team and mission

ESA’s Legal Services Department provides a broad range of legal services and advice to support the implementation of ESA’s activities and programmes. Our expertise spans a variety of legal disciplines including, but not limited to, public international law, European law, the national law of ESA’s Member States, the law of international civil servants, litigation and arbitration, intellectual property law and export control regulations. As a Young Graduate Trainee, you will support a team of highly motivated and skilled lawyers in an inspirational, interdisciplinary and multicultural environment.

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

The fulfilment of ESA’s purpose relies primarily on various forms of international cooperation, between Member States as much as with international organisations and institutions and with governments, organisations and institutions of non-Member States. Current developments in the space sector and, more generally, on the geopolitical level bring many challenges about and shed new light on the importance of international law, the effectiveness of mechanisms of international cooperation, regional and global cooperation, safety and security, but also the entry of new non-State actors as drivers of the new space age. The success of ESA as a mechanism and an actor of international cooperation builds on an elaborated legal framework, requires the conception, negotiation and implementation of legal instruments (such as international cooperative agreements, new partnership models or modern procurement methods) and regularly brings new legal questions about.

As a Young Graduate Trainee, you will report to the Head of the International Law Division and support the Division, as well as the Legal Services Department at large, in the field of Public International Law. You will discover the legal architectures of the Agency’s institutional relationships with different actors, get acquainted with ESA’s programmes and activities, conduct background research in contemporary legal areas relevant to the mission of the Department, including in UN matters, commercialisation and space sector regulation, contribute to the development of legal instruments of cooperation and can network with colleagues across the Agency.

As a Young Graduate Trainee, you will provide:

a.    Legal support to the development and implementation of ESA’s cooperation with international partners, including governments of non-Member States, international organisations and New Space actors;
b.    Legal support to the Agency’s programmes and boards and committees within the terms of the Public International Law Division;
c.    Research in fields of public international law and adjacent fields relevant to the programmes and activities of ESA, including supporting preparatory work for the Council meeting at Ministerial Level in 2025;
d.    Research and drafting of legal documents in other areas relevant to the work of the Division and the Legal Services Department at large.

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 law, with a focus on public international law.

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.

You should also have:

• Specific competence in one of the following disciplines shall be considered an asset: public international law; law of international organizations; public administrative law; legal documentation.
• For the purposes of drafting and managing legal documents, candidates are expected to demonstrate a very good command of English (both written and spoken).
• You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multi-cultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.
• 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 motivation and overall professional perspective/career goals will also be explored.

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.