Noordwijk (Netherlands)
ESA Graduate Trainee in LLM Applications for Technical Management in Sentinel-2 Next Generation
Noordwijk, NL
Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Our team and mission
The Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes runs a wide range of development projects, including projects within Copernicus, meteorology, and Earth observation research missions. Each mission may comprise a set of spacecraft or a standalone instrument, implemented through a dedicated project with defined life-cycle phases up to launch, in-orbit commissioning, and eventual exploitation.
Within this context, the use of artificial intelligence, and in particular large language models, is envisaged to support the technical management of projects. Representative application areas include improved support to project review cycles, generation of technical reporting, analysis of project data to identify patterns and outliers, improved management of meetings and action tracking, enabling a centralised knowledge base of technical data and solutions, and automation of repetitive tasks.
This Graduate Trainee request targets activities for Sentinel-2 Next Generation within Copernicus. Sentinel-2 Next Generation will ensure continuity of the Sentinel-2 mission with some enhanced features with respect to resolution and the number of bands. Further details on the Sentinel-2 mission can be found at:
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-2
https://sentinels.copernicus.eu/copernicus/sentinel-2
You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int
Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship
You will contribute to feasibility and preliminary definition activities for an Earth observation development project within Copernicus, focused on Sentinel-2 Next Generation.
The work will concentrate on the definition and early implementation of large language model applications that enhance the technical management of a space project by improving traceability, consistency, and timeliness of engineering information. Activities will include gathering and structuring user needs and use case scenarios; supporting requirements capture, decomposition and bidirectional traceability; and preparing technical material to enable efficient project reviews and decision making.
You will perform early trade off analyses for candidate architectures and workflows, including options for centralised technical knowledge bases, automated technical reporting, and analysis of project data to identify patterns, outliers and emerging risks.
You will develop and evaluate proof of concept prototypes, define an initial verification and validation approach for model outputs, and propose metrics and test datasets aligned with project management use cases.
You will also contribute to infrastructure concept definition and security considerations for deployment environments, support meeting preparation and action tracking, and maintain concise technical notes to capture decisions and rationale.
The overall objective is to provide review ready, evidence based inputs that accelerate feasibility assessment and preliminary definition while establishing a robust foundation for later implementation and operational use.
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 just completed, or be in the final year of your master’ s degree in engineering with familiarity in using large language models.
Additional requirements
- Experience in the design, development, and validation of large language models.
- Practical software development capability suitable for prototyping and evaluation (for example: structured coding, version control, reproducible runs, and basic testing discipline).
- Ability to define, structure, and verify requirements and acceptance criteria for engineering workflows and tool outputs.
- Experience analysing engineering datasets to identify patterns, outliers, and data quality issues, and summarising findings in written technical notes.
- Working knowledge of computing environments used for modern model development and execution (for example: cloud computing or high performance computing), including basic operational constraints.
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
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.
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