Listed on Orbital Diplomat 2 Nov 2026
ESA's Strategy Department, part of the Directorate of Strategy, Legal and External Matters, is responsible for turning Strategy 2040 from a vision into reality. It defines and coordinates the Agency's strategic framework, runs the Inter-Directorate Programme Strategy Group, and provides the foresight, strategic intelligence, and analysis that keep ESA's long-term objectives aligned with its short- and mid-term planning cycles ahead of Ministerial Council meetings. It also represents the Agency in relations with external strategy and policy organisations. This internship at ESA Headquarters in Paris offers two topics. In Strategic Initiatives, interns support the team that identifies and coordinates new cross-cutting initiatives between Council meetings, helping to prepare briefing notes and workshop material, track collaborative activities, build monitoring dashboards, and run strategy forums and innovation sprints. In Strategic Coordination, interns support the maintenance of the ESA Long-Term Plan, including a digital tool to monitor its delivery, or join the Basic Activities Office, analysing Member States' strategic positions, preparing intelligence briefings for decision-makers, and contributing to the Director General's proposal on the Level of Resources for Ministerial Council. For Master's students in public policy, international affairs, or strategic planning, this is a rare view into how a major intergovernmental space agency sets its long-term priorities, negotiates resources with its Member States, and plans for the next decade. Interns work in a multicultural environment and take part in strategy-related activities across the Department.
University student, preferably in the final or second-to-last year of a Master's-level course, and able to prove enrolment for the full duration of the internship Good knowledge of English or French (ESA working languages); knowledge of another Member State language an asset Interest in strategic planning, public policy, or international affairs Ability to analyse and synthesise information from multiple sources and prepare clear, structured reports and presentations Interest in digital transformation and data-driven decision-making; software development knowledge an asset Proactive attitude, strong organisational skills, and ability to work independently and in a multicultural team Nationality of an ESA Member State, or Canada (Cooperating State), or Bulgaria, Croatia, or Malta (European Cooperating States) Apply via the ESA careers site; questions to ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int