ESA Graduate Trainee in Human Resources - Recruitment Support Service (2 posts)

Our team and mission

As part of the Human Resources Department at ESA, you will contribute to initiatives that promote a diverse, inclusive and multicultural working environment. The Department’s mission is to ensure the efficient and compliant delivery of core HR processes that enable the smooth functioning of the organisation. Our objective is to provide high-quality and reliable HR services in the areas of administration, recruitment, contractual management and staff support, in full alignment with the ESA Staff Regulations and Rules.

As an intergovernmental organisation, ESA exercises legal autonomy in defining and interpreting its employment conditions and HR policies in the fields of recruitment and administration. At the same time, HR operations must remain responsive to the expectations of the Agency’s stakeholders, including the ESA Member States and the ESA Staff Association. Our team plays a key role in supporting the Agency in fulfilling this mandate.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As an ESA Graduate Trainee, you will support the HR Department's teams dealing with recruitment and selection activities, contributing to all stages of these processes, with a primary focus on the Agency’s early-career opportunities. These are currently the ESA Internship, ESA Graduate Trainee, National Graduate Trainee, Research Fellowship, and Junior Professional programmes. As a result, you will develop an understanding of the strategic role that these programmes play in helping the Agency prepare its future talent for their careers.

The teams responsible for these activities will ensure that you engage in a diverse range of policy-related, operational, and recruitment tasks, with an appropriate balance between guidance and autonomy. Under the joint supervision of the Head of Recruitment Support Services and the ESA Entry-Level Programmes Coordinator, you will contribute to interviewing and candidate assessment activities for the ESA entry-level programmes. In this capacity, you will conduct structured interviews with the hiring team, coordinate selection processes with hiring managers, and help ensure fair, transparent, and high-quality recruitment outcomes. You will also be given the opportunity to contribute to ongoing and future streamlining and engagement initiatives.

Your main responsibilities will focus on the ESA entry-level programmes and will include:

• Supporting the end-to-end recruitment and selection process, including screening, pre-assessment and participation in final board interviews
• Conducting competency-based interviews and actively participating in the hiring boards
• Contributing to employer branding efforts, including preparing and participating in career fairs, information sessions and other outreach events
• Assisting in initiatives to improve the candidate experience, including enhancing communication, documentation and process clarity
• Supporting administrative aspects of the recruitment cycle, such as maintaining communication with candidates, sharing updates on selection stages, and facilitating pre-employment verifications and the onboarding of newcomers

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 recently completed or be in the final year of your master’s degree in human resources, social sciences, or a related field.

Additional requirements

Ideally, the successful candidate should be available to start the traineeship on 1 March 2026, and must have graduated by the time the traineeship starts.

Knowledge or experience of interviewing, gained in a recruitment, research or other context, is considered an asset. Knowledge or experience of other Human Resources disciplines, as well as an excellent level of English, both written and spoken, are also considered assets.

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.

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.