Junior Professional in Cloud-Native Ground Segment Engineering - Galileo Programme
Noordwijk, NL
This post is part of ESA’s Junior Professional Programme. We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with up to 2–3 years of relevant professional experience after their Master's degree to join ESA for a four-year assignment. During this time, you will be actively working and learning on the job and will benefit from valuable mobility and developmental opportunities that will prepare you for a successful career at ESA. Subject to performance, it is therefore the intention to offer you an indefinite contract which will start at the end of the four years.
The selection process for the 2025 cohort of Junior Professionals will take place during Spring 2025, with a projected start date in October or November 2025.
Recruitment will take place at the A1 grade. At the end of the fourth year and if you are offered an indefinite contract at the end of your Junior Professional assignment, you will be upgraded to the A2 grade.
Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands or other site, as required.
Developmental assignments form an integral part of the JP Programme and may entail a temporary relocation to another ESA establishment or other location.
Description
Junior Professional in the Galileo ground segment team (NAV-PT) to develop expertise in cloud-native ground segment architectures.
If selected for this position, you will become part of the team responsible for modernising the existing Galileo Ground Segment software infrastructure and procuring the next generation of the Galileo Ground Segment.
Using a state-of-the-art layered architecture, it is planned to operate software services from a common platform. This Ground Segment infrastructure is a highly software-intensive system requiring modern software methodologies, tools and processes in view of the complexity of those services.
You will interact with industry partners within the framework of the Galileo second-generation ground segment contracts using Agile methodologies. The goal is to ensure the implementation of state-of-the-art cloud-native architectures and the proper definition and setup of a Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment pipeline.
Duties
- Your primary task for the first year will be to work on an industry project related to platform modernization, advanced cybersecurity management, and the development of artificial intelligence applications. You will initially serve as a software developer, then advancing to roles such as architect or product owner;
- Your objectives will include overseeing the specification, design, and development of the platform, enhancing your knowledge in cloud native technologies, agile methodologies, and industrial processes;
- After the first year, you are expected to reinforce the ESA ground segment team to provide technical expertise at the software level, and take on a key role in coordinating technical work across multiple contracts aimed at developing the Galileo Ground Segment second generation using the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
Development programme
In addition to your daily work, you will take part in an extensive learning and development programme. From day one, you will learn on the job and benefit from tailored development opportunities, including participation in technical and key skills training courses.
Furthermore, there is a mobility component to the Junior Professional Programme that can be either an internal rotation to another team within ESA, an external secondment outside of ESA or a combination of both. Internal rotations aim to boost your professional experience and knowledge of the European Space Agency, whereas external secondments aim to boost your professional experience and knowledge of the European space sector.
You are expected to engage in an external secondment within the industry, working as a Software Developer, fully integrated into an Agile team. Practical experience as developer with these teams is anticipated to be a key asset for your future career at ESA.
This programme represents a significant investment by ESA in your personal and professional development and is designed to provide you with the required knowledge and skills for a career at ESA. You can expect to be given many opportunities to develop your professional experience and competencies, to learn from ESA experts and to contribute to ESA activities.
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
A Master's degree in information technology or another related discipline is required for this post.
Additional requirements
You should have between two and three years of professional experience, preferably in a relevant domain, after completion of your Master's degree.
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, beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. Applications from women are encouraged.
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
Applicants must be eligible for security clearance by their national security administrations.
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.
Note that ESA is in the process of transitioning to a Matrix setup, which could lead to organisational changes affecting this position.
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 are only 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, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.
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 internal candidates and secondly 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.