ESA Graduate Trainee in Artificial Intelligence Applied to Mission Safety-Critical Systems

Our team and mission

The Product Assurance & Safety Offices coordinate and supervise the Product Assurance & Safety (PA&S) activities for the respective programmes and projects in the relevant application directorate and represent the directorate in all corporate activities in the PA&S domain, including Quality Management. The Heads of the PA&S Office report functionally to the respective director of the relevant programme directorate.

The Human and Robotic Exploration Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) Office is responsible for the Quality Management, and Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) function in the design, development and operations of projects in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes (HRE).

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As a Graduate Trainee in Artificial Intelligence applied to mission safety-critical systems, you will contribute to the exploration of how advanced data-driven methods can be safely and responsibly used in space missions where reliability is essential. Your activities will combine research, hands-on technical work, and interaction with engineers and scientists from different disciplines.

You will be involved in the following activities:

• review and analyse academic and industrial literature on artificial intelligence techniques used in safety-critical systems, with a focus on applications relevant to human and robotic exploration missions. You will identify promising approaches, known limitations, and emerging risks, and assess their suitability for use in highly constrained and safety-sensitive environments.
• support the design and implementation of small-scale demonstration models to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance system monitoring, anomaly detection, decision support, or fault management. This includes experimenting with algorithms, evaluating performance, and understanding computational and operational constraints.
• contribute to the preparation of datasets for training and testing artificial intelligence models. This may include data labelling, cleaning, structuring, and documentation, with particular attention to traceability, quality, and reproducibility in a safety-critical context.
• document the performance, robustness, and computational requirements of artificial intelligence approaches under study. You will help identify where such methods add value, where they fall short, and what trade-offs must be considered for operational use.
• organise reviews and studies addressing the challenges of certifying and verifying artificial intelligence in safety-critical systems. This includes understanding regulatory expectations, verification methods, and gaps between current practices and future needs.
• interact with engineers and scientists to collect feedback on artificial intelligence tools, and help translate user needs into technical insights and recommendations for improvement.
• prepare briefing notes, technical summaries, and presentations on opportunities and risks related to artificial intelligence in mission-critical systems. You will contribute to internal knowledge repositories by capturing lessons learned and best practices.
• present your findings to multidisciplinary teams, helping to bridge perspectives between artificial intelligence specialists, system engineers, safety experts, and other mission experts. Clear communication of complex technical topics will be a key part of your role.

Technical competencies

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 recently completed or be in the final year of your master’s degree in computer science, space engineering, applied mathematics or equivalent.

Additional requirements

To be completed by the Manager as appropriate: In addition to your main degree, the following areas of study or experience are considered an asset:

• Coursework or projects in artificial intelligence, data-driven modelling, or autonomous systems
• Knowledge of safety-critical system design, verification, or risk analysis
• Experience with programming, simulation, or data processing tools
• Interest in human or robotic space exploration missions

This position values interdisciplinary profiles, and you are encouraged to apply if your academic background combines artificial intelligence with engineering, science, or system safety perspectives.

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.