ESA Graduate Trainee in the Earth Observation & Connectivity Contracts Division - European Space Agency (Noordwijk)

About this position

The summary below is published by European Space Agency on the official vacancy notice. Our own analysis — salary realism, comparable openings, career trajectory, language profile — follows further down the page.

Key responsibilities

According to the vacancy notice, the role centres on the following duties:

• Support preparation of requests for offers/invitations to tender
• Participate in evaluation of proposals
• Prepare and negotiate resulting contracts
• Participate in monitoring of contract implementation
• Support handling of administrative, contractual, legal and industrial problems from procurement implementation
• Help organise activities within the Contracts Department or for programme directorates

Are you eligible?

Check these requirements from the notice before investing time in an application:

• Education: Master's degree in law, preferably with knowledge of contracts and/or procurement law
• Languages: English (B2), French (B2)
• Key skills: Result Orientation, Operational Efficiency, Fostering Cooperation, Relationship Management, Continuous Improvement, Forward Thinking, Good interpersonal and communication skills, Ability to work in multicultural environment, Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Eligibility: Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Canada, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, or Malta. Must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware subject to European or US…

Selection process

The notice describes the following selection steps:

• Application submission
• Short-listing for interview
• Selection tests
• Basic screening by external background screening service

Contract and working arrangements

Contract duration: Graduate Trainee appointment.

Working arrangements: On-site at ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands.

Hiring unit: Contracts Department, CIC-CE Contracts Division, Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement Directorate.

Position details

Reference

1288869001

Last Verified

27 August 2026

Position overview

This is the official EU Careers listing for ESA Graduate Trainee in the Earth Observation & Connectivity Contracts Division at ESA based in Noordwijk (Other). The vacancy reference is 1288869001.

ESA Graduate Trainee in the Earth Observation & Connectivity Contracts Division

Job Requisition ID:20238

Date Posted:17 August 2026

Closing Date:7 September 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication:External Only

Type of Appointment:ESA Graduate Trainee

Directorate:Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement

Workplace: Noordwijk, NL

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Our team and mission

Within the Contracts Department, the CIC-CE Contracts Division is in charge of procurement implementation in support of the Earth Observation Programme Directorate’s activities at ESTEC. The complexity of the contracts handled varies greatly, ranging from R&D activities of several hundred thousand euros to large satellite projects totalling hundreds of millions of euros. The Division implements all related procurement tasks, from tendering, planning and issuing invitations to tender through to evaluating proposals, negotiating contracts and overseeing their signature and monitoring. In parallel, the Division contributes to the improvement of the overall regulatory framework in the Contracts Department, while supporting the Department’s general efforts to improve time-to-contract. In this context, the Division pays particular attention to supporting consistency in contract management among the different Programme Directorates as well as in other Procurement Divisions.

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

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

You will receive training in the role of Contracts Officer, encompassing support for the preparation of requests for offers/invitations to tender, participating in the evaluation of proposals, preparing and possibly negotiating the resulting contracts, and participating in the monitoring of the implementation of the contracts. You will also support the handling of administrative, contractual, legal and industrial problems arising from procurement implementation. In addition, you will help organise activities within the Contracts Department or to the benefit of the programme directorates.

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 Improvement

Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer toESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of your master’ s degree in law, preferably with some knowledge of contracts and/or procurement law.

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 [email protected].

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 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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Application timeline

This vacancy was first listed on 17 August 2026, 11 days ago.

The application deadline is 7 September 2026, 9 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 27 August 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 see our Noordwijk 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.