Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Curation

Join ESA as a Research Fellow in Curation

Our team and mission

The Independent Safety Office is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation and maintenance of ESA policies, requirements, standards and functional support for ESA projects in:

• planetary protection;
• space debris mitigation;
• nuclear safety for applications in space;
• re-entry safety;
• human spaceflight safety.

The Research Fellow in Curation’s primary role is to propose and articulate a comprehensive, sustainable curation implementation plan to prepare Europe for receiving, curating and handling analogue, simulant and returned samples from space. You will serve as advisor on sample curation within the Agency, providing guidance and technical expertise to projects, missions and activities requiring curation, within and outside ESA, to ensure a standardised and coordinated European sample curation approach for protocols, technologies and ground-based facilities.

Your tasks will include the following:

Supporting the creation of sample curation as a new capability in Europe:

• Liaise with European and global partners involved in sample curation efforts, and study the current status and opportunities related to curation in Europe;
• Coordinate activities for sample curation and characterisation for returned and analogue samples;
• Support the definition and the development of ground-based capabilities for the receiving, handling, curation and analysis of samples;
• Support the development of novel curation technologies and techniques.

Developing curation protocols, hardware and facilities (also virtual) for returned or analogue samples:

• Develop curation standards, procedures, processes and handbook, including safety aspects as applicable;
• Provide support for ongoing sample return missions with ESA involvement (such as Mars Sample Return, MMX), in coordination with ESA programmes;
• Provide support for the preparation of future missions to return samples;
• Study the end-to-end solutions to demonstrate coordination capability among European countries and institutions;
• Define and advise on requirements for curation facilities for samples (returned samples, analogue sample and simulants);
• Define and implement sample management and sample management processes for samples and collections as needed, for ESA sample collections and in collaboration with international partners.

Interfacing with partners, knowledge management and dissemination:

• Support and represent ESA within the external scientific and technological communities;
• Support and represent interests of ESA and of the upcoming sample curation community, including organising and chairing meetings and working groups and coordinating community activities associated with sample curation and analysis;
• Actively pursue personal scientific research, using facilities within ESA centres and those accessed through partnerships with external organisations;
• Participate in relevant scientific associations and conferences.

Technical competencies

• Knowledge relevant to the field of research
• Research/publication record
• Ability to conduct research autonomously
• Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities
• Ability to gather and share relevant information
• General interest in space and space research

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

You should have recently completed, or be close to completion of a PhD in a related technical or scientific discipline. Preference will be given to applications submitted by candidates within five years of receiving their PhD. In particular for this position, the following is required:

PhD in planetary science, Earth science or a closely related discipline.

Additional requirements

In addition to your CV and your motivation letter, please prepare a research proposal of no more than 5 pages. This proposal should be uploaded to the "additional documents" field of the "application information" section.

You should have:

• Experience with extraterrestrial sample curation, including sample handling and storage protocols and sample allocation
• Experience with extraterrestrial and geological sample characterisation including sample preparation, destructive and non-destructive sample analysis techniques and their technical and sample requirements
• Experience with cleanroom operations and cleanroom contamination control procedures and monitoring
• Understanding of sample contamination, contamination sources and the effects of contamination on sample integrity
• Demonstrated ability in bridging science and engineering through effective collaboration with technical scientific and engineering teams
• Knowledge of the activities and priorities of the European Space Agency related to your field of expertise
• Knowledge of national activities and priorities of various Member and Participating States related to your field of expertise

You should also 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. Your motivation, overall professional perspective and career goals will also be explored during the later stages of the selection process.

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.

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 and sanctions regulations.

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 first be given to internal candidates and secondly 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.