Intern in the Director General's Cabinet - Senior Security Coordinator's Office

EU Satellite Centre (SatCen); Paris; On-site; EUR 12,000 - 17,000; Part time

Job summary

ESA Headquarters in Paris invites university students for an internship in the DG Cabinet. The placement focuses on national security policy and space resilience, with topics covering policy review and dual-use space systems involving European and commercial players.

You will assist the Office by mapping national policies, monitoring space capabilities, and exploring cooperation within the European Resilience from Space programme, while developing language skills in English or French.

Qualifications

• Must be a university student, preferably in final or penultimate year of a Master’s program.
• Must prove enrollment at the university for the entire duration of the internship.
• Good knowledge of English or French is required.

Responsibilities

• Support the Office in identifying national policies of European states and allies related to civil security/safety.
• Monitor national space capabilities and assess how they can network to support ERS programme.

Skills

English proficiency

Education

Master's student

Job description

Location
ESA Headquarters, Paris, France

Our team and mission

Compact, proactive and dedicated team embedded in the ESA Director General's Cabinet.

The Head of the Office is based in Paris (ESA Headquarters). The Office comprises one permanent staff member, three supporting staff members and two consultants, with two additional staff members embedded in the ESA Brussels Office.

The Head of the Office is the main advisor to ESA Director General (DG) on matters linked to the use of space assets in support of resilience, crisis management but also defence matters (resolution 11 of outcome of Council at Ministerial level in 2025).

The Office interacts with all relevant ESA Directorates on those topics in particular in reaching out to the European Resilience in Space programme outreach to MoDs of ESA Member States as well as Associated States.

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

You can choose between the following topics:

1) Topic 1: ESA Member States National security policy and capabilities' review in support of DG-OS daily work as well as the EU security, defence and space evolution.

Security from Space aims at defining space contributions to mitigate security challenges on Earth (the impact of Climate Change on land, sea and air and how this affects local populations including but not limited to human migration, human trafficking, illegal activities, border control, conflict areas, etc.). Space supports security crisis response.

You will support the Office to:

• identify national policies of European states and their allies, the EU, as well as competitors regarding civil security/safety/protection;
• monitor existing national space capabilities and their link to security applications and if and how they can network together in support of the European Resilience from Space (ERS) programme. This entails the identification of capability gaps. And potential cooperation (Pooling and Sharing).

2) Topic 2: Space systems and Dual-Use: the case for ESA and commercial companies.
The commercial sector both in the US and in Europe is successfully developing solutions that were previously only pursued by government. This has led the US Space Force to work on fully integrating commercial solutions into the national security space architecture to maintain the US's competitive advantage in the sector.

You will support the Office in investigating key questions, such as:

• How could ESA contribute to creating European commercial space champions in support of European space security and defense for Europe to leverage the use of commercial space solutions in a new "hybrid" architecture?
• How could the US Space Force Commercial Space Strategy be translated into the European context?

Behavioural competencies

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

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

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.

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

Knowledge and background in Space Systems and European Defence current Architecture is 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).