Intern in the Director General's Cabinet

EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY; Paris; On-site; EUR 12,000 - 18,000; Full time

Job summary

European Space Agency in Paris, France invites applications for an Intern in the Director General's Cabinet. The role supports the Director General’s day-to-day activities, coordinates with Member States, and assists in preparing background inputs and presentation materials for meetings and engagements.

The internship emphasizes political and international relations topics, with a focus on space policy, diplomacy, and ESA-wide coordination.

Qualifications

• Must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of Master’s-level studies.
• Must be enrolled at the university for the entire duration of the internship.

Responsibilities

• Support the daily tasks of the Director General's Cabinet team.
• Assist in preparing background input for meetings with ESA Member States.
• Support the preparation of presentation material for engagements of the Director General.
• Contribute to coordination with the Member States and the Executive Board.

Job description

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Intern in the Director General's Cabinet

Job Requisition ID: 20931

Date Posted: 1 November 2026

Closing Date: 30 November 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Directorate: Director General's Services

Workplace: Paris, FR

Location
ESA Headquarters, Paris, France

Our team and mission

The Director General, Council Support and Member State Relations Division within the Director General's Cabinet is responsible for providing all necessary support to the day-to-day work of the ESA Director General, in particular:

• supporting the Director General’s operational activities in coordination with the Director General’s Office;
• maintaining relations with ESA Member States, including pre-Council consultations, as well as meetings and visits of the Director General. This responsibility includes maintaining briefing notes and up-to-date dossiers on each Member State and ensuring ESA-wide coordinated preparation;
• preparing the Director General’s internal meetings, providing in particular the secretariat of the Executive Board and organising bilateral meetings with Directorates;
• the Director General’s correspondence, speeches, presentations, reporting and contributions to publications;
• the protocol service, in particular maintaining a diplomatic network and managing the VIP participation to launch events with the support of the communication services;
• monitoring subsidies granted to third parties and memberships.

You will put into practice the knowledge acquired during your studies, while supporting the activities of the DG Support and Members States Relations Section within the Director General’s Cabinet.The main tasks will be, in coordination with the other interns in the team, to support the daily tasks of the team and in particular:

• continuous monitoring of space activities and trends, political developments, and policy-related topics of selected ESA Member States;
• contributing to the weekly updating and distribution of the Member States observatory and associated products;
• supporting the preparation of background input for meetings of the Director General with ESA Member States;
• supporting the preparation of presentation material for engagements of the Director General;
• ad-hoc tasks in support of the team’s activities.

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

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.

During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.

Knowledge and background in the areas of political or social science, international relations, space law, policy, politics, and/or related fields 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, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

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 [e-mail] .

Important Information and Disclaimer
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.

The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship 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

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).