ESA Graduate Trainee in Market Development Services

Our team and mission

The Market Development Services (MDS) initiative is an exciting new opportunity within the ScaleUp Division, part of the Commercialisation Services department within ESA’s Directorate of Commercialisation, Industrialisation and Competitiveness.

Working under the guidance of the Head of Division for ScaleUp, the selected ESA Graduate Trainee will work on unique commercialisation partnerships with departments from across ESA Directorates. The MDS initiative aims to deploy a radical new approach to commercialising space by carrying out commercial de-risking in parallel to technical de-risking. Traditional approaches have a technology-first methodology which has been shown not to deliver the kind of commercial outcomes that are required in a fast-evolving sector like space.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As an ESA Graduate Trainee, you will help the Head of Division in performing a range of tasks, from organising meetings to coordinating actions between colleagues, to undertaking specific analyses as requested. You will also be engaging with senior ESA colleagues, thus providing you with a close-up view of how commercialisation challenges are being dealt with in ESA.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to contribute to and be exposed to unique scenario development workshops that are foundational to helping ESA programmes stress-test their assumptions and evaluate industry business cases. The traineeship will assist carrying out desk research, supporting contractors and consultants, as well as working with a range of stakeholders - both internally and externally - to develop comprehensive databases that will underpin the development of these commercialisation scenarios.

During your traineeship, you can expect to:

• Carry out detailed analyses of the space operating environment to identity driving forces, industry challenges, policy markers, investment trends, etc.
• Analyse technology roadmaps of programmes to identify gaps in current industrial capabilities and capacities, competitive challenges and investment required to close the gaps.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to start building up a market intelligence function that focuses on critical technologies, costs, competitors, etc.
• Support programmes in driving a technology focus through the ESA BIC network, working with the Head of the Space Solutions Section.
• Support the Head of Division in performing organisation, coordination and ad-hoc research activities as necessary.

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 Engineering, preferably with a strong business/economics specialism.

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.

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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

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.