ESA Graduate Trainee in Copernicus and Destination Earth AI EngineeringJob Requisition ID: 20258Date Posted: 1 February 2026Closing Date: 28 February 2026 23:59 CET/CESTPublication: External OnlyType of Appointment: ESA Graduate TraineeDirectorate: Earth Observation ProgrammesWorkplace: Frascati, ItalyGrade Band: F1 – F1Location: ESRIN, Frascati, ItalyOur team and missionStep into the future of Earth Observation with a YGT on ESA's DestinE Initiative (Destination Earth) and Copernicus Space Component Programme activities. As part of our innovative team, you'll work closely with leading experts and industry partners to develop a next‐generation digital ecosystem designed to optimise Earth Observation and data management. Under the guidance of our team, you'll play a key role in shaping the future of digital Earth systems.As part of ESA's Earth Observation Framework, our team collaborates with European partners, industries, and experts to develop a comprehensive digital ecosystem. This ecosystem leverages Copernicus Sentinels and DestinE data management and modelling services to enable a wide range of user‐driven applications and services. Our mission is to foster innovation, encourage sustainable growth, facilitate access to one of the largest EO data holdings, unlock the use of AI on the EO data and build a dynamic network of services in Earth Observation while maximising the use of Copernicus and DestinE data.You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.intField(s) of activity/research for the traineeshipAs a YGT working with Copernicus and Destination Earth, you will contribute to the design and implementation of innovative data management solutions and gain insights on Earth observation systems and how Earth observation data supports environmental monitoring.Within Copernicus, you will contribute to the data engineering of Sentinel satellite missions, focusing on the design, implementation, and optimisation of scalable data architectures for high‐volume Earth observation data. This includes enabling efficient data ingestion, storage, processing, data flow monitoring, and data access to support large‐scale analytics and AI‐driven applications. You will also support downstream exploitation of Sentinel data by enabling interoperable services and workflows for a broad range of operational and scientific use cases.In the context of Destination Earth (DestinE), you will work on data engineering solutions supporting the development of digital twins of the Earth system. This involves handling heterogeneous, multi‐disciplinary datasets and designing architectures that enable the efficient integration, harmonisation, and fusion of Earth observation data with digital twin components.You will learn how ESA collaborates with industry partners from various sectors to leverage their expertise and technologies, ensuring the effective application of Earth observation data.Your responsibilitiesYour specific activities will include for example:
Actively contributing to activities of Copernicus and DestinEDefinition and engineering of AI‐ready datasets from Sentinel missions and Destination Earth, including data architecture and access solutionDesign, development, and prototyping of AI workflows and modelling approaches applied to Sentinel and Destination Earth dataPilot use of the DestinE Platform servicesContribute to the definition of the roadmap of DestinE and Copernicus service evolutionSupporting outreach and communication activities of DestinE and CopernicusMany more according to your specific know‐how and interests.
Technical competenciesKnowledge 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 OrientationOperational EfficiencyFostering CooperationRelationship ManagementContinuous ImprovementForward Thinking
For more information, please refer to ESA Core Competencies guidebook.EducationYou should have recently completed or be in the final year of your master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science or Physics.Additional RequirementsYou 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 InclusivenessESA 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 DisclaimerDuring 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 LanguagesPlease 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.
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