Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) - Noordwijk, Netherlands

The Industrial Policy and Space Economy Division is responsible for setting up and implementing the proactive return management in view of the geographical return objectives of the Agency, in support of the other Directorates. 

It implements Agency-wide actions on specific supplier issues and the supplier evaluation process, in close coordination with Programme Directorates and the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality (D/TEC). It manages the relations with Members States and industry to foster dialogue and cooperation with industry and industry associations. 

The Division is responsible for the economic research and impact analysis at ESA by developing products and services on economic intelligence of the space sector, socio-economic impact evaluation of space programmes and market analyses. It coordinates and harmonises impact evaluation across ESA and provides additional economic advisory services. 

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Product Mapping

The internship will be focused on the evolution of the supplier performance evaluation process, managed by the Directorate of Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness in cooperation with the Directorate of Technology and coordinated with the Programme Directorates. 

The result of the internship should be a database-like tool for an evolved space product tree to be used in the supplier performance evaluation. The database-like tool shall be exploitable by means of PowerBI, easy to maintain and shall allow for mapping and cross-exploitation with the other product trees used by the different stakeholders, which might have in different formats. 

You will receive the latest evolution of the product tree adapted to the supplier performance evaluation process, including review of flight segment products; improvement of ground segment (processing and operations) products; adaptation of downstream products; definition of additional branches of the product tree (e.g. studies, analysis, …). This evolution is developed in consultation and agreement with all other directorates, particularly with the Technology directorate. 

You will also be given access to the databases with the product trees of the other stakeholders. The result will be cross validated with all the relevant interested parties. 

This exercise will allow you to first learn about the main products currently used in space; secondly, to better know how LSI define their missions and their industrial procurement plans; thirdly to come to know the internal structure of ESA and how the programme directorates use these data (e.g. in the reporting of the so called “ESA best practices”, gap analysis,etc). 

Regarding the background information on the main objective of the activity: 

Widening of the evaluation exercise to all directorates and including products beyond the current ones (focused on the flight segment), requires the enlargement of the current (flight segment) product tree agreed with programme directorates, particularly Science and Earth Observation, and with the Technology directorate.

Additionally, the enlarged supplier performance evaluation product tree, would need to be mapped against the main other existing product trees, particularly with the detailed General Product Tree developed by the Technology Directorate and by those used by the space Large System Integrators (LSI).

It is to be noted that this supplier evaluation product tree exercise should also allow the Directorate to have a better understanding of the capabilities existing in the different ESA Member States and to evaluate in a consistent way the performance of the entities in the activities related to the products, the opportunities existing in the different countries, SWOT analysis, etc. 

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

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

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.

Knowledge and background in aerospace engineering is an asset. 

Good knowledge of IT tools (PowerBI, SharePoint development, Access) would be of great added value. 

Programming knowledge, although not specifically required, could help you to better/faster perform your duties.