ESA Graduate Trainee in the Strategy and Transformation Office of the Operations Directorate

ESA Graduate Trainee – Strategy & Transformation Office, Operations Directorate

Job Requisition ID: 20177

Date Posted: 1 February 2026

Closing Date: 28 February :59 CET/CEST

Publication: External Only

Type of Appointment: ESA Graduate Trainee

Directorate: Operations

Workplace: Darmstadt, Germany

Grade Band: F1 - F1

Location: ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany

Our team and mission

Under the direct authority of the Director of Operations, the Strategy and Transformation Office is responsible for preparing and formulating strategies in collaboration with the Director and the Management Team, and for providing the Directorate’s overarching coordination function.

• formulating, communicating and evolving the Directorate’s overall strategy;
• leading the Directorate’s strategy evolution;
• establishing and leading the Directorate’s innovation governance, for example through Directorate-wide Innovation Cups;
• coordinating the strategic planning and implementation of the Directorate’s research and technology (R&T) activities, in close cooperation with other relevant ESA actors;
• fostering the development and supporting the establishment of the Directorate’s strategic partnerships;
• coordinating and fostering cooperation and exchange with academia, other space agencies and industry;
• developing the Directorate’s business intelligence by monitoring and analysing the external and internal environment and overseeing the socioeconomic impact of the Directorate’s business;
• managing the Directorate’s governance process with respect to the mission operations infrastructure (the overall system infrastructure that is required to operate space missions);
• investment and core technical expertise strategic planning and budget management.

You are encouraged to visit the ESA website:

Field(s) of activity / research for the traineeship

You will work at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), the main mission control centre for the European Space Agency. ESOC’s primary function is to operate, on ESA’s behalf, uncrewed spacecraft as well as critical launch and early orbit phases, and is also home to the Space Safety Programme. As part of the Strategy Office, you will support key initiatives to enhance the Directorate’s impact, communication and knowledge management. ESOC must remain at the forefront of innovation in mission operations and space safety to support the competitiveness of the European space industry on the global market. As part of the Strategy and Transformation Office, you will contribute to driving key initiatives that foster creativity, collaboration and the integration of innovative solutions across the Directorate. You will have the opportunity to contribute to the following list of topics during your traineeship. Your role will involve coordination within ESOC and beyond on these topics, and will have a strong content development and curation component.

Topic 1: Strategy implementation

Socioeconomic impact analysis

• Contribute to the assessment of our socioeconomic benefits by supporting data analysis and interpretation, as well as coordination to ensure data alignment and consistency across projects and initiatives.

Strategic communication

• Assist in formulating and refining comprehensive communication strategies to engage stakeholders effectively.
• Contribute to strategic event planning such as VIP events for satellite launches.

Knowledge management

• Support the optimisation of knowledge-sharing frameworks to improve accessibility and organisational learning.
• Help curate and organise content for the Knowledge Management system, ensuring that valuable documents and resources are easily accessible.
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify and prioritise knowledge assets that need to be documented or shared.

Official documentation preparation

• Support the development of high-quality reports and presentations for leadership and key stakeholders.

Special projects – Visitor Centre

• Support the development of a strategic roadmap for the design and implementation of an innovative Visitor Centre at ESOC and other initiatives as required.

Topic 2: Innovation support

Innovation Cafés and idea generation

• Assist in organising Innovation Cafés – interactive, informal events designed to spark creative thinking and idea generation across teams at ESOC and externally.
• Support in capturing and sharing the outcomes of Innovation Cafés, ensuring they are followed up.

Innovation Hub

• Support the implementation of an Innovation Hub, a space dedicated to fostering collaboration, creativity and the exchange of ideas.
• Assist in curating content, organising workshops and coordinating activities that encourage innovation and collaboration.

Collaboration with the ESA Business Incubation Centre (BIC) and startups

• Work closely with the ESA BIC to identify promising startups and innovation partners.
• Support engagement initiatives, such as workshops or joint projects, between ESOC teams and startups to encourage mutual learning and innovation.

Innovation project support

• Support ongoing innovation projects by helping to track progress, collect feedback, and document best practices.
• Help organise internal and external events (e.g. hackathons, demo days) to demonstrate new innovations, encourage engagement and share successes.
• Support the ESOC Innovation Management Committee in prioritising projects and strategic opportunities.
• Help prepare materials for meetings, document decisions and track the progress of prioritised initiatives.

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 ImprovementForward 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 one of the following areas: business administration or strategic management, economics, innovation and entrepreneurship, aerospace engineering or space systems management.

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

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.