German National Graduate Trainee in Direct to Device (D2D) Mission and System Engineering

Join ESA as a National Graduate Trainee in Direct to Device (D2D) Mission and System Engineering within the Direct to Device (D2D) ELEOSYS and SELYCE Partnership Projects Team, under the supervision of the Mission Manager.

As part of the Satellite Programmes Department in the Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communication, the team manages and implements public-private partnership projects with key European satcom operators and industrial partners. As a National Graduate Trainee, you will support the team in implementing the D2D workplan and industry-initiated activities.

Non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity for D2D presents one of the greatest potential growth opportunities in satcom. The objective of the D2D partnership projects is to design, develop, qualify, integrate and validate innovative satellite payload, platform and ground network technologies using ESA Member States’ supply chain solutions in a pre-operational system showcasing emerging D2D services.

The team plays a key role in supporting the development of state-of-the-art, game-changing and competitive innovative solutions in the field of D2D technologies, ensuring the global competitiveness of the European space ecosystem.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As a National Graduate Trainee, you will gradually build up expertise in mission and system engineering and collaborative project work.

Your main activities will include the following:

• Learning to evaluate mission and system design architectures by supporting reviews and understanding how complex architectures are developed and validated;
• Learning to generate link budget and system trade-offs to assess the overall mission and system performances;
• Developing user stories and use cases to capture operational needs and translate them into test scenarios guided by experienced engineers;
• Contributing to the definition of functional test cases that will later be used for verifying the mission and system requirements, gaining insight into verification planning and processes;
• Contributing to the Directorate's D2D workplan and the implementation of industry-initiated activities;
• Developing internal tools to improve collaboration and efficiency within the project team and with external partners;
• Participating in technical discussions and documentation activities, learning how large-scale programmes are managed and delivered.

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

Education

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master’s degree in space systems engineering, telecommunications engineering, computer science or software engineering.

Additional requirements

Experience in telecommunications and 5G/6G networking would be an asset.

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 may be considered an asset.

Nationality and Languages

Please note that applications can only be considered from nationals of Germany or permanent residents of Germany with the nationality of an ESA Member State, Associate Member or Cooperating State.

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.