Listed on Orbital Diplomat 7 Jul 2026
ESA's Director General's Cabinet drives strategic coordination, decision-making, and institutional positioning at the apex of Europe's space agency. It advises the Director General, manages relations with Member State delegations, oversees the ESA Council and its subordinate bodies, and shapes ESA's engagement with EU institutions, international partners, and the public. This Junior Professional position is a four-year competence-building appointment within the Cabinet, part of ESA's structured Junior Professional Programme, which provides a pathway to an indefinite contract upon successful completion. The postholder will contribute across four strategic workstreams: strategic positioning and institutional content management; AI-based tools and process optimisation; Council and governance coordination including support to interministerial meetings and Member State relations; and protocol services and high-level event management. For early-career space policy and governance professionals with backgrounds in political science or international relations, this is an exceptional entry point into the highest levels of ESA's institutional machinery — with structured developmental rotations potentially including external secondments to Member State delegations or EU-related bodies. Up to three years of professional experience required; master's degree in political science or international relations with a European politics focus required.
Master's degree in political science or international relations with a focus on European politics Up to 3 years of professional experience after the master's degree Ability to analyse policy discourse, map Member State positions, and detect shifts in strategic narratives Awareness of institutional stakeholders and negotiation dynamics in a complex international environment Ability to translate complex space initiatives into clear, audience-oriented messages using digital tools Familiarity with AI/digital innovation and process optimisation approaches Strong interest in European and international governance and public sector processes Experience working in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments Nationality of an ESA Member State required Good command of English or French; additional Member State language an asset Awareness of ESA-EU institutional interactions considered an asset