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Earth Observation Future Missions Optical Payload Engineer - Emerging Sensing Technologies

European Space Agency ESA Noordwijk, Nl
Contract Type 4 Years, Extendable To Indefinite
Deadline 9 June 2026

Position details

Reference
1369223933
Last Verified
4 June 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for Earth Observation Future Missions Optical Payload Engineer - Emerging Sensing Technologies at ESA based in Noordwijk, Nl (4 Years, Extendable To Indefinite). The vacancy reference is 1369223933.

Full responsibilities, eligibility criteria, language requirements, and the selection procedure are set out in the official vacancy notice.

  • Contract type: 4 Years, Extendable To Indefinite
  • Duty station: Noordwijk, Nl
  • Vacancy reference: 1369223933

Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 28 May 2026, 6 days ago.

The application deadline is 9 June 2026 — 4 days from today. Late applications are not accepted, so submit through the official EU Careers portal well in advance.

Last verified against the EU Careers feed on 4 June 2026.

Where to learn more

For headcount, mission, and other open vacancies at ESA see the ESA institution page; for the cost of living, correction coefficient, and other postings in Noordwijk, Nl see our Noordwijk, Nl location page.

New to EU careers? Our beginner's guide walks through entry routes, EPSO competitions, and what to prepare. For application logistics see application tips and EPSO competitions.

Career trajectory

Career progression for this grade staff is governed by Articles 44 to 46 of the Staff Regulations (consolidated text on EUR-Lex) and Annex IB on the promotion procedure. Step increases are automatic every two years (Art. 44); grade promotion is competitive, based on the appraisal exercise (Art. 45) and the Career Development Review. For roles at ESA, progression to the next grade typically takes three to five years on merit, with two-yearly step increases in between. Article 46 governs the classification at recruitment, which sets the starting step within the grade (usually step 1 for external recruits without prior EU service, step 2 or 3 where relevant professional experience is recognised).
Mobility within the institutions is encouraged via the inter-institutional and intra-institutional vacancy publication system: temporary agents who pass the probation period and reservists from EPSO laureate lists can typically apply to internal vacancies after one year of service. Lateral moves between Directorates-General reset the seniority clock for promotion only if the new post carries a different grade.

Language profile

Beyond the formal language requirements stated in the vacancy notice, the day-to-day working languages at this employer are English and French in roughly equal measure, with German appearing in some technical files. Internal meetings and most policy drafting in Brussels run in English; French remains the preferred internal language in Luxembourg-based services and parts of DG TRADE.

Application cadence

ESA has not advertised another comparable role with the same grade and subject signature in the past twenty-four months — this opening has rarely been seen on the EU Careers feed and may be the first such posting in our two-year window. Applicants who pass the eligibility checks should not assume the same profile will reopen on a predictable cadence.

Visit the official European Space Agency website

Apply on EU Careers

Source: This job listing was sourced from the official EU Careers portal (EPSO). First published: .

From the EU Jobs Alert guide How to land a job at the EU institutions A walkthrough of EPSO competitions, agency calls, and contract roles — written by our editor. Read the guide →

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