JOB DESCRIPTION

ESA Graduate Trainee in Space Economy and Commerce

Job Requisition ID: 19705

Date Posted: 24 June 2025

Closing Date: 15 July 2025 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication: External Only

Type of Contract: ESA Graduate Trainee

Directorate: Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness

Workplace:

Wien, AT

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Grade Band: F1 – F1

Location

ESA Headquarters, Paris, France

Our team and mission

You will report to the Head of the Industrial Policy and Space Economy Division, and will be hosted at the European Space Policy Institute in Vienna, Austria.

The Industrial Policy and Space Economy Division includes two main teams: the Industrial Policy and the Space Economy teams.
The Space Economy team is in charge of :

Measuring the space economy
Assessing the socio-economic impacts of space activities
Developing partnerships to consolidate the required methodologies (with OECD, Eurostat, etc.)

As a ESA Graduate Trainee, you will support the work of the Space Economy team and of the Commercialisation Department by running the secretariat of the ECSECO, with the support of ESPI.

The main objective of ECSECO is to provide a European platform for interdisciplinary discussions and research on space economy and commerce. Interdisciplinarity lies at the heart of ECSECO. Consequently, ECSECO connects individuals from various professional backgrounds, inter alia, economists, business people, engineers, scientists and lawyers from the private sector, public institutions, international organisations and academia.

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As a ESA Graduate Trainee, you will be responsible for the Secretariat of the European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce (ECSECO), as part of the ESA Space Economy Team and in close cooperation with the European Space Policy Institute.

Your activities will include:

Preparing and supporting the meetings of the ECSECO Board
Preparing and supporting the General meeting of the Members
Managing the applications/renewal of the members
Managing the communication on ESCECO and its events (website and social media)
Preparing and supporting the different events of the ECSECO workplan (networking meetings, workshops, etc.) in close coordination with the hosting partners
Being the point of contact for all members or applicants
Liaising with ESPI on ECSECO matters

Technical competencies

Knowledge of relevant technical domains
Relevant experience gained during internships/project work
Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities
Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

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 should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master’s degree in economics.

Additional requirements

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.

During the interview motivation and overall professional perspective/career goals will also be explored.

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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

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 contact.human.resources@esa.int.

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

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 and may not address all questions you would have.

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).

According to the ESA Convention, the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the 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 would be an asset.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements