Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Digital Twin Spacecraft and Simulation

Join ESA as an Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Digital Twin Spacecraft and Simulation

Our team and mission

Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Digital Twin Spacecraft and Simulation in the Modelling and Simulation Excellence Section, Future Engineering Division, Systems Department, Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

Within a multicultural, dynamic and multidisciplinary team, the Modelling and Simulation Excellence Section is involved in the innovation and application of methodologies and technologies in the following fields:

• model-based engineering;
• modelling and simulation;
• visualisation by means of augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality;
• data modelling and databases, in particular the spacecraft reference database;
• semantic modelling in support of digital continuity and semantic interoperability;
• digital twin spacecraft data management;
• monitoring and control systems, including for pre-launch, and testing procedures;
• electrical ground support equipment and system checkout equipment.

In the context of digital twin spacecraft, the teams foster interdisciplinary collaboration, industry engagement and the adoption of the above-mentioned technologies and corresponding methodologies in order to support the build of the system-level simulators and testbenches, with a view to digital spacecraft engineering and co-engineering.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

In line with the application areas and technology domains, you will be assigned with the tasks of consolidating research and applying simulation and digital twin technologies in the areas below. The topics will be further detailed and consolidated in line with your profile, experience and research proposal.

The areas of interest include:

• development and use of digital twin spacecraft technology for space missions to increase the benefits and lower the adoption threshold, in particular in the area of co-engineering across different stakeholders.
• use of the Space System Ontology as the backbone of the digital twin spacecraft and to support the required semantic interoperability between the stakeholders.

As part of these areas of interest you will contribute to:

• the Rationalisation and Harmonisation of Simulators (RatioSim) Working Group on digital twin spacecraft.
• the Overall Semantic Modelling for Space System Engineering (OSMoSE) Working Group on the Space System Ontology.
• ongoing technology research and development activities, relevant to these lines of applied research. This includes identifying technology gaps and proposing approaches to address these gaps, as input to the relevant future ESA technology roadmaps.
• the state-of-the-art methodologies and technologies from different stakeholders in the field of digital twin spacecraft, in particular ESA/ESTEC, ESA/ESOC and the large space integrators.
• the development and instantiation of a reference implementation of the digital twin spacecraft in the Future Engineering Laboratories.

the dissemination of the achieved results within the Agency and within the European space community.

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 systems engineering, computer science or informatics, and the subject of the thesis should be relevant to the task description provided above (e.g. digital twin, modelling, including data modelling, and/or simulation etc.).

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:

• You should hold a PhD in systems engineering, computer science, informatics or a related field, with relevant research experience in the field of digital twins or modelling and simulation for the design and development of complex systems.
• You should have excellent interpersonal and communication skills (pro-active and positive attitude) to interact with the team members and various communities, and you should be able to work in a multicultural environment, both independently and as part of a team. Good methodological and organisational skills are required.
• You should have interest in space as well as the ability and interest to become actively involved in prospective interdisciplinary research.
• This position combines academic approaches and industrial applications. Moreover, it involves many different, yet strongly interrelated topics in the field of model and simulation-based co-engineering. A semantic interoperability backbone and data management are also required due to the large number of stakeholders and their need to receive or exchange information.
• Experience with modelling, including data modelling, and simulation tools and languages must be demonstrated convincingly as part of the job application. Solid software engineering skills would be considered a major asset for this position, as a significant part of the work will require you to integrate or adopt existing tools to resolve the gaps identified.

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.