Location
ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany
Our team and mission
Under the direct authority of the Head of the Near Earth Services Section, you will support the activities carried out by the Ground Facilities Operations Division within the Mission Operations Department. The Division manages, operates and maintains the infrastructure used to support the operations of ESA and external missions. Facilities include the Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) stations in ESA’s ground station network (ESTRACK), the Operational Control Centre located at ESOC and Mission Operations Technical IT.
In particular, the Near Earth Services Section is responsible for providing operations engineering services and ground facilities services to the ESA Earth observation and astronomy mission families, as well as to external partners. The Section is also responsible for providing simulation and training services as well as the scheduling of the ESTRACK ground station network for all missions.
More information at www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/ESA_Ground_Stations
You are encouraged to visit the ESA website:
Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship
You will contribute to the day-to-day operational activities conducted by the Near Earth Services Section in support of Earth observation and astronomy missions, both in flight and in development.
You will support the Training Officer of the ESA tracking network (ESTRACK) ground station. In particular, you will contribute to the creation of a training manual presenting the specific characteristics of ESA missions for new team members:
* Catalogue of coding and modulation used (spectrum shape, performance, pro&con)
* Types of orbit and their operational constraints (Doppler, occultation, round-trip light time, etc.)
* Impact of Doppler and compensation strategies (compensation, ramping, etc.)
* Mission operational specifics (science objectives, safe mode logic, antenna pointing restrictions, occultation, etc.)
* Ground station specifics
* Link budget aspects (band, weather, orbit, pro&con)
* Catalogue of core processes and procedures
In this context, you will liaise with ESOC engineering teams to gather and compile training materials. You will witness the radio frequency compatibility test at the ESOC Reference Station.
Finally, you will have the opportunity to join one of the teams of the Simulation Officer or Operations Manager supporting the preparation of a launch and early orbit phase of a related mission. This will include participation as a trainee in a simulation campaign and final ground station testing.
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 just completed, or be in the final year of your master’ s degree in a technical or scientific discipline.
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.
Specific competence in one of the following disciplines will be considered an asset:
* telecommunications or aerospace engineering
* experience in teaching or in creating training materials
* any artistic skills that could be used when creating technical training materials would be appreciated.
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
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).
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.