ESA Graduate Trainee in Galileo Systems Engineering

About the traineeship

Our team and mission

We are the Galileo System Engineering Service in the European Space Agency’s Directorate of Navigation. We are developing Galileo, the European Global Satellite Navigation System. Our activities cover a wide range of engineering tasks. With our large portfolio of expertise, we are connecting the ground and space segment development activities to user needs and helping to define Galileo services.

We are at the forefront of the development of Galileo and its future. We are the systems engineering team behind the Galileo 2nd Generation, which is under construction. We are also developing new technologies and approaches to improve the quality and use of Galileo services and signals around Earth and in space, from the ground to the Moon and beyond.

Experts in our team work on all aspects of current and future navigation system architectures and of mission design and analysis. We assess the navigation and timing system performance and define the future of the Galileo Search and Rescue Mission. We also support the definition of Emergency Warning Service, Signal Authentication, Open Service Authentication and High-Accuracy Service, and continuously assess the quality of the Galileo provided signals and achieved user performance.

Our team is assessing the current GNSS reality, helping to complete the deployment of Galileo and the roll-out of its services, building the Galileo 2nd Generation and defining the future of the European GNSS.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

We offer you the possibility to work with us on challenging and exciting tasks in one of our newest lines of work: Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) System of Systems and the contribution of Galileo. In Europe, and worldwide, there are important initiatives seeking the fulfilment of position, navigation and timing not only with the classical GNSS systems but with additional systems in different orbits (from LEO to GEO and IGSO). And we believe that Galileo will be an important contributor of this System of Systems.

For this contribution to be effective and quantifiable, we require the application of novel methodologies based on modern Mission Engineering, new system modelling techniques and new methods to compute aggregated service performances; new test beds to validate the service aggregation, and new approaches for a combined constellation management. Ultimately, we will identify new position, navigation, and timing capabilities emerging from the System of Systems, liaise with the other Systems to make them effective, and define and implement evolutions in Galileo making those capabilities a reality.

Opportunities range from application of mission engineering principles and system analyses, to performance analysis, constellation mission analysis and simulations followed by experimentation with prototype elements in the navigation laboratory.

We are looking for motivated, young engineers who are interested in helping us shape their futures and the future of European satellite navigation.

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 just completed, or be in the final year of your master’s degree in engineering or science discipline such as (but not limited to) aerospace or telecommunications engineering, mathematics, geodesy or physics.

Additional requirements

A good knowledge of Global Satellite Navigation Systems and of GNSS performance parameters is required. Experience with astrodynamics software, mission analysis tools and generic engineering tools, as well as a solid background in data processing for GNSS systems and software development, would be highly desirable.

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.

Important information

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations. 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.

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).

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.