Space Weather Products & Applications Scientist

Starion Group; Darmstadt; On-site; USD 102,716 - 148,367; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Opportunity to work in other countries

Training and development programmes

Flexible relocation support

Job summary

The European Space Agency seeks a Space Weather Products & Applications Scientist to provide technical support for the development, validation, and operation of space weather services. You will act as a bridge between scientists, software teams, contractors, and end users to ensure services meet operational needs.

The role requires space weather expertise, service development experience, and strong requirements management.

Qualifications

• Master’s level degree in a related scientific field.
• 4+ years of professional space weather experience.
• Experience in development/operation of space weather services.
• Experience with requirements engineering and use‑case definitions.
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams and external contractors.

Responsibilities

• Act as SME to define and implement services and products.
• Gather and translate user requirements into system specs.
• Assist with system architectures, roadmaps, and data models.
• Contribute to metadata schemas and information models.
• Support testing, validation, and acceptance of software apps.
• Monitor KPIs and support operational readiness.
• Provide input on international space weather standards.
• Participate in reviews, workshops, and development activities.
• Prepare technical documentation and progress reports.
• Interact with stakeholders, customers and industry partners.

Skills

Space Physics

Requirements engineering

Stakeholder coordination

Software validation

Data modelling

Systems engineering

Analytical skills

Work authorization (Germany)

Education

Master’s degree or PhD in a related field

Job description

Space Weather Products & Applications Scientist

Location: Any ESA site | Application deadline: 11 September 2026 | Reference number: 0535

Are you looking for a new opportunity to take your career to a higher orbit? To join an international group with a successful track record in Space Engineering? A job adapted to your career ambitions and in which you could have an impact for the years to come?

We are currently looking for a Space Weather Products & Applications Scientist to work at one of ESA’s sites.

You will provide scientific and technical support in the development, validation, evolution, and operation of Space Weather services. The successful candidate will act as a technical interface between scientific experts, software and data system teams, industrial contractors, and end users, ensuring that space weather services, applications, data products, and supporting infrastructures meet operational and user requirements.

The role requires a combination of scientific expertise in space weather, experience with operational service development, systems engineering practices, requirements management, data modelling, software validation, and stakeholder coordination.

Tasks and activities

• Act as a space weather subject matter expert, providing technical support to the definition, evolution, and implementation of services and products.
• Gather, analyze, and consolidate user requirements and use cases from stakeholders, workshops, training events, and service users, translating them into system and service requirements.
• Support the definition and review of system architectures, service roadmaps, work plans, requirements documentation, product specifications, and data models.
• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and implementation of metadata schemas and information models for space weather data.
• Support the testing, verification, validation, and acceptance of software applications, data services, and industrial deliverables, including the identification, tracking, and resolution of non-conformances.
• Monitor service performance and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), support operational readiness activities, and contribute to continuous service improvement.
• Provide technical input to the definition of international space weather standards, interoperability approaches, and data exchange mechanisms.
• Participate in technical reviews, network assessments, workshops, and service development activities as an appointed space weather expert.
• Prepare technical documentation, review material, and regular progress reports summarizing activities, findings, and recommendations.
• Interact with different stakeholders, customers and industry partners.

Skills and experience

• University degree (Master’s level, preferably PhD) in Space Physics, Solar Physics, Astrophysics, Geophysics, Atmospheric Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related scientific or engineering discipline.
• Minimum 4 years of professional experience in space weather, heliophysics, solar‑terrestrial physics, upper atmosphere studies, geomagnetism, or closely related scientific domains.
• Demonstrated experience in the development, operation, validation, or evolution of scientific or operational space weather services.
• Background in requirements engineering, including user requirement elicitation, use‑case definition, requirements analysis, traceability, and specification development.
• Expertise in supporting software or data system development projects, including testing, validation, acceptance, and deployment activities.
• Experience reviewing technical deliverables and coordinating technical activities with external contractors or industrial teams.
• Knowledge in preparing technical reports, specifications, validation reports, and review documentation.
• Experience interacting with multidisciplinary teams composed of scientists, software developers, system engineers, operators, and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to support workshops, training activities, outreach events, and user engagement activities.
• Ability to engage effectively with scientific users, operational stakeholders, industrial partners, and software development teams.
• Strong analytical, organisational, and reporting skills.
• Authorised to work in Germany.

Why should you apply?

• You will have the opportunity to work within leading space organisations across Europe.
• You can think outside the box, push the boundaries of traditional knowledge, and join a forward‑thinking organisation, gaining a deeper understanding of the industry.
• You will be part of a company that values integrity, inspiration, care and collaboration.
• Benefits include competitive remuneration packages; unique career opportunities including work in other countries; access to training and development programmes; flexible relocation support.

We are proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We therefore welcome applications from all candidates, irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.

As part of our commitment to providing an inclusive and barrier‑free recruitment process, we will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro‑diverse applicants or those with a disability or long‑term condition can be their best during the recruitment process.