Intern in the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department - FLEX Mission

As an Intern in the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department - FLEX Mission, you will contribute to the early validation of data products generated by FLEX, a new Earth Explorer satellite mission focused on monitoring photosynthesis and vegetation health.

• Location: ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands
• Type of appointment: Intern

Our team and mission

The Earth Science Division, of the Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department, Earth Observation Programmes Directorate, is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre. The Earth and Mission Science Division provides the creative vision for innovation and new discoveries in Earth system science, using Earth Observation (EO) in close cooperation with the scientific community.

The Earth Science Division team:

• bridges science and technology by translating ideas and concepts into technical reality and scientific success. It does this by defining, consolidating and managing scientific mission requirements throughout all phases of a mission, and by measuring the maturity of the resulting mission concept;
• manages scientific research-based studies, providing the scientific foundation for mission concepts and approval, supports the successful development of space and ground segment, in-orbit satellite commissioning and in-orbit scientific achievements;
• undertakes airborne, marine and terrestrial campaigns contributing to the development of new technologies, mission feasibility assessments, calibration/validation and application development.

You will work within the Earth Surfaces and Interior Section of the Earth Science Division, whose role is to provide scientific support throughout the full lifecycle of Earth Observation missions, from mission concept and assessment studies through development, commissioning and routine operations. The Section contributes to mission requirements definition, scientific performance assessment, calibration and validation activities, product development, mission data exploitation, and the advancement of Earth science through the exploration of emerging scientific questions, novel methodologies and future research directions. The Section has expertise spanning Earth surfaces and interior processes, including terrestrial, oceanic and cryospheric systems, as well as geodesy, gravity and magnetic field observations and solid Earth dynamics. Your activities will contribute to and benefit from a diverse and international team of scientists working across a variety of Earth science disciplines.

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Your activities will span across the early operational phase of the mission, allowing you to contribute to the mission's scientific success from the very onset.

Your responsibilities will include analysing selected satellite products acquired during the FLEX commissioning and early operational phases, investigating potential anomalies, and supporting the benchmarking of retrieval and validation methods. Depending on the progress of the mission and the specific activities ongoing during the internship, you may also contribute to the comparison of satellite products with reference and in-situ measurements. You will document your analyses and communicate the results to scientific and technical audiences, contributing to the assessment and progressive improvement of the mission’s products.

Throughout your internship, you will gain practical experience in satellite data processing and validation, working with diverse datasets and collaborating in an international research environment. You will develop skills in data analysis, scientific communication, and project coordination, preparing you for a future career in Earth observation.

Behavioural competencies

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

Education

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of university course at Master's level. In addition, you must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.

Sound scientific knowledge of remote sensing principles and applications is required.
Demonstrated experience in using Python and C++ is an asset.

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.

Nationality

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).