Intern in the Technology Department - Accelerate and Innovation Technology Team

Intern in the Technology Department - Accelerate and Innovation Technology Team
Workplace: ESTEC, Noordwijk, NetherlandsType of Appointment: Intern

Our team and mission

The TEC-R Team:

• define and maintain ESA’s technology strategy, ensuring alignment with Agency objectives and future programme needs;
• identify, assess and prioritise technology development opportunities across all domains of space activities;
• monitor emerging technologies, technology trends and critical technologies relevant to European competitiveness and non-dependence;
• prepare future missions, programmes and capabilities through studies, concept maturation and technology foresight activities;
• develop and maintain technology roadmaps that guide long-term investments and technology evolution;
• manage ESA’s technology R&D programmes and oversee the full technology lifecycle from early research to demonstration and application;
• coordinate technology development activities across ESA programmes, Directorates and stakeholders;
• interface with Member States, the European Commission, industry, academia and institutional partners on technology matters;
• monitor the execution, performance and impact of technology development activities and programmes;
• communicate technology achievements, results and strategic directions to stakeholders and decision-making bodies;
• promote the transfer, exploitation and industrial uptake of technology developments across the European space sector;
• accelerate innovation through digitalisation, automation, knowledge management and continuous process improvement;
• enable data-driven decision making by integrating technology, programme and performance information across the R&D ecosystem;
• foster innovation, advanced concepts and new ways of working to prepare ESA for future technological challenges and opportunities.

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Your main task will be to support the preparation of the next Technology Strategy at Directorate Level:

• prepare supporting material (data tables, visuals, briefing notes) for TEC management in the context of strategy preparation discussions;
• collect, consolidate, and analyse quantitative and qualitative data from ESA’s technology programmes, Technology domains, and application domains;
• support the creation of guidelines and recommendations to harmonise the use of digital tools (SharePoint, Teams, and IT tools) across the TEC Directorate.

You will belong to the Accelerate and Innovation team:

• supporting initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of technology R&D activities through digitalisation, process optimisation, automation and continuous improvement;
• ensuring the integration of data, knowledge and digital tools across technology strategy, roadmaps, R&D activities and reporting processes to support informed decision-making and organisational learning;
• exploring opportunities for process automation and digitalisation, including the use of AI, with a focus on management reporting and knowledge-sharing tools.

At the end of the Internship, you will:

• gain hands-on experience in the analysis of a large-scale technology strategy, including the collection and synthesis of data across multiple programmes and domains;
• gain hands-on experience in harmonising digital management tools (SharePoint, Teams, dashboards, AI-based reporting) within a large international organisation;
• develop proficiency in structuring and managing technical repositories, including content migration and collaboration with the ESTEC/TEC Communication team;
• acquire skills in data visualisation and smart reporting;
• understand the role of digital tools in supporting strategic and operational decision-making;
• learn how to support high-level strategic activities, such as contributing to ESA’s Technology Strategy;
• build familiarity with knowledge management practices and the integration of automation and AI;
• gain experience in cross-directorate collaboration, working closely with both technical and communication teams across ESTEC and TEC.

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.

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.

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.