ESA Graduate Trainee in the Strategy and Transformation Office

EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY; Darmstadt; Vor Ort; EUR 35.000 - 50.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading space agency in Darmstadt is seeking a Graduate Trainee for the Strategy and Transformation Office. This role involves supporting strategic initiatives, conducting socio-economic analyses, and assisting with innovative projects. Ideal candidates will have a master's degree and strong interpersonal skills. The position offers unique exposure to the space sector and fostering creativity through collaborative efforts.

Qualifikationen

• Relevant experience from internships, project work, or extracurricular activities.
• Understanding of ESA programmes/projects.

Aufgaben

• Contribute to socio-economic impact analysis.
• Assist in formulating communication strategies.
• Support knowledge-sharing frameworks and content curation.
• Assist in organizing Innovation Cafés and workshops.

Kenntnisse

Good interpersonal and communication skills

Ability to work in a multicultural environment

Knowledge of the space sector

Ausbildung

Master's degree in Business Administration or Strategic Management

Master's degree in Economics

Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Jobbeschreibung

ESA Graduate Trainee in the Strategy and Transformation Office

Job Requisition ID: 19254

Date Posted: 10 September 2025

Closing Date: 24 September 2025 23:59 CET/CEST

Under the direct authority of the Director of Operations, the Strategy and Transformation Office is responsible for preparing and formulating strategies in collaboration with the Director and the Management Team and providing the Directorate’s overarching coordination function.

The main responsibilities of the Strategy and Transformation Office, which works directly with the Director of Operations, are: preparing and formulating strategies in collaboration with the Director and the Operations Directorate (D/OPS) Management Team. This includes:

• Formulating, communicating and evolving the Directorate’s overall strategy;
• Leading the Directorate’s strategy evolution;
• Establishing and leading the Directorate Innovation Governance, e.g. through D/OPS-wide innovation cups;
• Coordinating the strategic planning and implementation of the Directorate Research and Technology (R&T) activities, in close cooperation with the relevant other ESA actors;
• Fostering the development and supporting the establishment of the Directorate’s strategic partnerships;
• Coordinating and fostering cooperation and exchange with academia, other space agencies, and industry;
• Developing the Directorate’s Business Intelligence by monitoring and analysing the external and internal environment and overseeing the socio-economic impact of the Directorate’s business;
• Managing the Directorate’s governance process with respect to the Mission Operations Infrastructure (the overall system infrastructure required to operate space missions);
• Investment and Core Technical Expertise strategic planning and budget management.

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will work at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC): the main mission control centre for the European Space Agency (ESA). ESOC’s primary function is to operate unmanned spacecraft on behalf of ESA as well as critical launch and early orbit phases, and is home to the Space Safety Programme. As part of the Strategy Office, you will support key initiatives to enhance the Directorate’s impact, communications, and knowledge management. ESOC is to remain at the forefront of innovation in mission operations and space safety to enable European space industry competitiveness on the global market. As part of the Strategy and Transformation Office, you will contribute to driving key initiatives that foster creativity, collaboration, and the integration of innovative solutions across the Directorate. The following topics represent areas you will contribute to during the traineeship, with coordination within ESOC and beyond and a strong element of content development and curation.

Topic 1: Strategy Implementation

• Socio-Economic Impact Analysis
  • Contribute to the assessment of socio-economic benefits by supporting data analysis and interpretation, and coordinating data alignment and consistency across projects and initiatives;
• Strategic Communications
  • Assist in formulating and refining comprehensive communication strategies to engage stakeholders effectively;
  • Contribute to strategic event planning such as VIP events for satellite launches;
• Knowledge Management
  • Support the optimisation of knowledge-sharing frameworks to improve accessibility and organisational learning;
  • Help curate and organise content for the Knowledge Management system, ensuring valuable documents and resources are easily accessible;
  • Collaborate with internal teams to identify and prioritise knowledge assets that need to be documented or shared;
• Support the development of high-quality reports and presentations for leadership and key stakeholders;
• Special Projects – Visitor Centre
  • Support the development of a strategic roadmap for the design and implementation of an innovative Visitor Centre at ESOC and other initiatives as required.

Topic 2: Innovation Support

• Assist in organising Innovation Cafés – interactive, informal events designed to spark creative thinking and idea generation across teams at ESOC and externally;
• Support capturing and sharing the outcomes of Innovation Cafés, ensuring they are followed up;
• Support the implementation of an Innovation Hub, a space dedicated to fostering collaboration, creativity, and the exchange of ideas;
• Assist in curating content, organising workshops, and coordinating activities that encourage innovation and collaboration;
• Collaboration with the ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) and Startups
  • Work closely with the ESA BIC to identify promising startups and innovation partners;
  • Support engagement initiatives, such as workshops, or joint projects, between ESOC teams and startups to encourage mutual learning and innovation;
• Support ongoing innovation projects by helping to track progress, collect feedback, and document best practices;
• Help organise internal and external events (e.g., hackathons, demo days) to demonstrate new innovations, encourage engagement, and share successes;
• Support the ESOC Innovation Management Committee in prioritising projects and strategic opportunities;
• Help prepare materials for meetings, document decisions, and track the progress of prioritized initiatives.

Knowledge and Requirements

Knowledge of relevant technical/functional domains. Relevant experience gained during internships, project work and/or extracurricular activities. General knowledge of the space sector and ESA programmes/projects.

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master’s degree in Business Administration or Strategic Management, Economics, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Aerospace Engineering or Space Systems Management.

Additional requirements

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work in a multicultural environment, independently and as part of a team. Prior international team experience is an asset. Your motivation, overall professional perspective and career goals will be explored in the selection process.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

ESA values diversity and welcomes people with disabilities. We strive to accommodate individuals with disabilities by providing necessary workplace support. For assistance during the recruitment process, contact the Human Resources Department. If you would like to discuss this further, please email [e-mail]

Important Information and Disclaimer During the recruitment process, applicants may undergo selection tests. Successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, conducted by an external background screening service in compliance with ESA 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 or address all questions you may have.

Nationality and Languages Applications can only be considered from nationals 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, recruitment of staff must consider an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of 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 is an asset.

Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States as applicable.