Young Graduate Trainee in Climate Change Science 2022

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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.

Our team and mission

Climate change represents the biggest global threat of the 21st century. This threat has been widely recognised and is currently the focus of major international initiatives targeting the most pressing, globally relevant actions required to address the effects of a changing climate.

The European Space Agency (ESA) plays a leading role in observing the Earth’s changing climate from space. The ESA Climate Office is part of the ESA Earth Observation Science, Applications and Climate Department. Its flagship programme, the Climate Change Initiative (CCI), brings together over 40 years of data gathered in the course of satellite missions conducted by ESA and other space agencies using both previously and currently active in-orbit instrumentation.

The CCI science teams focus on R&D activities to generate long-term, global climate data records describing the evolution of key components of the Earth’s climate system. The CDRs developed at ESA in collaboration with the wider scientific community directly address current challenges in the domain of climate adaptation and mitigation. The R&D contribution ESA provides further supports the development of CDRs and systems used for operational climate services, which directly support climate change-related decision making.

Currently, more than 20 Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) have been addressed by the science teams involved in the CCI. Drawing on multiple ECVs, the CCI includes budget closure projects that address complex science questions.

All ECV datasets are fully validated and have high levels of traceability and consistency, including quantitative estimates of uncertainty that are required by both climate science and modelling communities. As part of its contribution to climate and Earth system science, this programme has published over 600 peer-reviewed articles, and supported the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) headline statements on climate from its recent sixth Assessment Report.

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int/ESA and the ESA Climate Office website: http://www.climate.esa.int

Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship

As a Young Graduate Trainee, You:

• will conduct a one-year project focused on an area of your interest that is related to climate observations from space (details of the current programme can be found at www.climate.esa.int). This will involve 1) project planning and definition; 2) acquiring suitable Earth Observation (EO) data; 3) developing algorithms and exploiting software e.g., via the Climate Change Initiative Toolbox; 4) analysing and validating EO data; 5) documenting, publishing and presenting results;
• may also help organise thematic workshops, prepare training courses, and be involved in knowledge-exchange activities (such as outreach, education, presentation of programme results and visualisation of data), as relevant.

Research projects may take a variety of forms, for example:

• Exploiting existing results of the Climate Change Initiative data, by contributing answers to questions about climate and climate change. You may, for example, address questions on the interactions between components of the climate system that trigger abrupt change or explore multivariate analysis of CCI and other relevant products, such as links between sea surface temperature and vegetation change in the Amazon.
• Examining the contribution of satellite datasets to the assessment of climate impacts, mitigation and adaptation, for example through the development of early warning systems. This would include the use of non-ESA EO missions and ESA Earth Explorers in combination with Essential Climate Variable global data sets generated by the ESA CCI.
• Examining the potential contribution to Essential Climate Variables of ESA, other European sensors and non-European sensors that are not already covered by the ESA CCI.

Technical competencies

• Knowledge of relevant technical domains
• Relevant experience gained during internships/project work
• Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities
• Knowledge of ESA and its programmes/projects

Behavioural competencies

• Result Orientation
• Operational Efficiency
• Fostering Cooperation
• Relationship Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Forward Thinking

Education

You should have just completed, or be in the final year of a university course at master’s level (or equivalent) in a technical or scientific discipline e.g. physics, electronic engineering, computing, oceanography, atmospheric physics, remote sensing, or geophysics.

Additional requirements

A good knowledge of Earth observation systems, data products and algorithms is necessary. Applicants planning to undertake a PhD degree are welcome to apply.

You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multi-cultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.

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.

During the interview motivation and overall professional perspective/career goals will also be explored.

Other information

For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.

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 email contact.human.resources@esa.int.

Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia, as  Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Cyprus and Slovakia 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 first be given to candidates from under-represented or balanced Member States*. (https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/NationalityTargets.pdf)

In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment.

*Member States, Associate Members or Cooperating States.