Junior Professional in AI and Data Science

Join ESA as a Junior Professional in AI and Data Science

This post is part of ESA’s Junior Professional Programme. We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with up to 2–3 years of relevant professional experience after their Master's degree to join ESA for a four-year assignment. During this time, you will be actively working and learning on the job and will benefit from valuable mobility and developmental opportunities that will prepare you for a successful career at ESA. Subject to performance, it is therefore the intention to offer you an indefinite contract which will start at the end of the four years.

The selection process for the 2025 cohort of Junior Professionals will take place during Spring 2025, with a projected start date in October or November 2025.

Recruitment will take place at the A1 grade. At the end of the fourth year and if you are offered an indefinite contract at the end of your Junior Professional assignment, you will be upgraded to the A2 grade.

Developmental assignments form an integral part of the JP Programme and may entail a temporary relocation to another ESA establishment or other location.

Description

The Future Engineering Division, in support of the programme directorates, is responsible for developing and providing the right engineering expertise, tools, methods and standards for the development of future projects. The role of the Division’s AI and Data Science Section is to lead the Agency’s centre of excellence for artificial intelligence (AI). The Section supports the development and exploitation of future space missions focusing on AI technologies and techniques, development and verification methods for AI systems, data science technologies and development methods, identification of future applications of AI, and monitoring evolutions of advanced technologies (such as quantum computing) to explore their suitability for space applications.

Duties

As a Junior Professional, you will be expected to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of the application of artificial intelligence technologies in space systems, and particularly in one or more of the following topics:

• Onboard autonomy: implementing frugal AI solutions to increase the autonomy of spacecraft, rovers and robots, addressing challenges such as robustness, uncertainty control and mitigation while considering onboard deployment limitations.
• Mission design and engineering: developing AI assistants capable of supporting the development of space missions during their entire lifecycle, ensuring compliance with the highest standards.
• Insights from mission data: developing, adapting and deploying AI techniques in space assets to support the analysis of data directly onboard, minimising the time required to extract insights and also minimising the downlink of large amounts of data.

You will use existing laboratory facilities, and potentially the ESA Space High-Performance Computer, to demonstrate appropriate technologies, and will actively look for promising application areas and provide demonstration testbeds and benchmarks for AI techniques and applications.

Development programme

In addition to your daily work, you will take part in an extensive learning and development programme. From day one, you will learn on the job and benefit from tailored development opportunities, including participation in technical and key skills training courses.

Furthermore, there is a mobility component to the Junior Professional Programme that can be either an internal rotation to another team within ESA, an external secondment outside of ESA or a combination of both. Internal rotations aim to boost your professional experience and knowledge of the European Space Agency, whereas external secondments aim to boost your professional experience and knowledge of the European space sector.

As part of the mobility component of the Junior Professional Programme, you may have the opportunity to develop your competencies in AI in an industrial setting or at another team within ESA.

This programme represents a significant investment by ESA in your personal and professional development and is designed to provide you with the required knowledge and skills for a career at ESA. You can expect to be given many opportunities to develop your professional experience and competencies, to learn from ESA experts and to contribute to ESA activities.

Technical competencies

• Experience with artificial intelligence and machine learning frameworks
• Experience of Big Data frameworks (data warehouse and data lake technologies)
• Knowledge of several AI techniques and technologies such as supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement machine learning, model compression, transfer learning, natural language processing, large language models, trustworthiness (explainable AI, uncertainty quantification, surrogate models) and experience in one or more of the aforementioned areas
• Knowledge of space systems and potential applications
• Awareness of space standards

Behavioural competencies

• Result Orientation
• Operational Efficiency
• Fostering Cooperation
• Relationship Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Forward Thinking

Education

A master's degree in computer science or a related discipline.

Additional requirements

You should have between two and three years of professional experience, preferably in a relevant domain, after completion of your Master's degree.

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.

Important Information and Disclaimer

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control.

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.

Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.

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 are only 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, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

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.