Job Description

ESA Graduate Trainee in Space Economy

Job Requisition ID: 20243

Date Posted: 1 February 2026

Closing Date: 28 February 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication: External Only

Type of Appointment: ESA Graduate Trainee

Directorate: Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness

Workplace:

Paris, FR

Grade Band: F1 - F1

Location

ESA Headquarters, Paris, France

Our team and mission

The Industrial Policy and Space Economy Division is in charge of:

establishing and maintaining close relations with Member States regarding industrial policy.
pursuing proactive management of the Agency’s geographical return objectives through its procurement activities, and monitoring/ensuring proper implementation.
contributing to the definition of the geographical return objectives for all ESA programmes and activities.
interacting with non-Member States and European institutions for aspects relevant to industrial policy.
assessing the economic impact of space activities, notably through socioeconomic studies in collaboration with national and international organisations, in particular the OECD.
contributing to the preparation of new programmes of the Agency via assessments of their expected economic benefits with a view to maximising them.

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int and the ESA space economy website: space-economy.esa.int

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will:

support the analysis of the socioeconomic impact of space activities as well as socioeconomic studies.
support studies on various topics related to the space economy.
support the preparation of the ESA Space Economy Report.
support the organisation of space economy events.
support communication on ESA space economy activities.
support coordination with the activities of the European Centre for Space Economy and Commerce (ECSECO) – please visit the ECSECO website: ecseco.org.

Technical competencies

Knowledge of relevant technical/functional domains

Relevant experience gained during internships, project work and/or extracurricular or other activities

General knowledge of the space sector and relevant 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. Previous experience of working in international teams can be considered an asset. Your motivation, overall professional perspective and career goals will also be explored during the later stages of 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 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 contact.human.resources@esa.int.

Important Information and Disclaimer
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.

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.