Our team and mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) oversees and manages the Vega and Space Rider programmes. This involves collaboration with a range of industrial partners. The Vega and Space Rider Engineering team is responsible for coordinating activities, ensuring adherence to schedules and budgets, and managing the overall execution of the programmes. This involves a multidisciplinary engineering and technical team. It includes experts in aerospace engineering, avionics, propulsion systems, thermal protection, and other specialized fields. ESA STS (Space Transportation Systems) mission is to provide and implement a space transportation strategy that gives institutional and commercial actors in ESA’s Member States an autonomous gateway to space and all its wonders.

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will support the Vega and Space Rider Engineering team as Mission Engineer, to strengthen the Integrated Programme Team’s independent capability of performing ESA-customer launcher compatibility analyses:

• Performing preliminary payload compatibility analyses with VEGA-C/E launchers (typically, performance, accommodation, and separation analyses) in close interaction with the VEGA-Integrated Programme Team discipline experts;
• Maintaining and expanding the in-house available tools and databases, adapting to new launchers’ characteristics and/or new needs.

Joining the Vega and Space Rider Engineering team will offer you a unique and valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in various aspects of launcher development, space mission planning, and aerospace engineering. You will understand the fundamentals of aerospace engineering, including design, analysis, and optimization. You will learn about systems engineering processes involved in the development of a complex space system.

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 Aerospace Engineering or equivalent

Additional requirements

You should have a structured and self-organizing work attitude including attention to detail, plus the capacity to work under pressure and to cope with stress and deadlines.

Previous experience on launcher activities is an asset for the position.

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.