Luxembourgish National Graduate Trainee in Technology R&D Management and Strategic Road Mapping

Job Requisition ID: 20905

Date Posted: 24 September 2026

Application Deadline: 15 October 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication Method: External Only

Type of Appointment ( learn more) : National Graduate Trainee

Directorate: Operations

Workplace: Darmstadt, DE

Grade Band: F1 - F1

The ESA National Graduate Trainee (NGT) Programmes offer recent Master’s graduates the opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience at ESA across a range of space-related disciplines. The programmes are essentially similar to ESA’s own Graduate Trainee Programme, notably in offering the same employment conditions. They however differ in one important respect: each NGT Programme is funded by an individual ESA Member State or Associate Member under a bilateral partnership agreement concluded with ESA.
As a result, a representative of the sponsoring State participates in the selection process. In addition to assessing candidates against the requirements of the position, the selection may also include an evaluation of their background and knowledge of the space policies and related activities of the sponsoring State.

Location
ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

Our team and mission
As a Luxembourgish National Graduate Trainee, you will be part of the Ground Systems Engineering and Innovation Department team responsible for the architecture, development and maintenance of the overall ESA operations ground segment, and you will report directly to the OPS Lead Ground System Engineering Architect.

The responsibilities of the Architect include:

• managing the ESA standardisation programme at Directorate level;
• managing the Directorate research and development programme activities, including strategic prioritisation and planning at Department level;
• fostering cross-cutting initiatives between three divisions of the department (system and applications, ground stations and flight dynamics);
• leading commercialisation efforts at Department level.

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website:

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship
The Ground Systems Engineering and Innovation Department is in charge of defining and implementing strategic research and development activities within its area of responsibility, in line with the strategic ground systems development vision and the ESA Vision 2040. To this end, the Department has defined strategic roadmaps for key technologies aimed at developing key capabilities in line with the strategic vision. To achieve this, the Department is making use of the various ESA R&D programmes.

Your task will be to support the strategic R&D road mapping activities by:

• supporting the harmonisation of the various strategic roadmaps;
• supporting roadmap management through assessment and possible implementation of R&D management tools;
• supporting the strategic dimension of the roadmap activities through assessments related to the vision at Directorate- and ESA-level, as well as the commercialisation potential;
• identifying cross-domain R&D topics and fostering their implementation in the roadmaps;
• developing and managing key performance indicators (KPIs) for the R&D roadmaps;
• assessing the use of AI solutions to facilitate roadmap management and development;
• critically analysing trending technologies and their possible spin-in to the Department’s domains of responsibility.

The position offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into the overall ground systems engineering area, touching on all its domains and gaining experience in the setup and maintenance of a strategic research and development programme. You will be exposed to cutting-edge technologies and the assessment of their impact on the future of space operations as well as their commercialisation potential, providing you with a solid baseline for a future career in the space industry

Technical competencies
Knowledge of relevant technical and 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 and 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 recently completed or be in the final year of your master’s degree in computer science, systems

engineering or similar.

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.

You should also have a solid interest in new technologies and related change processes and a passion for space are required. Previous knowledge of model-based systems engineering tools or PowerBI would be 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 Se e-mailadresse på studerendeonline.dk .

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 Luxembourg or permanent residents of Luxembourg with the nationality of an ESA Member State, Associate Member or Cooperating State.

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.