Intern in the Science Engagement and Oversight Office, CESAR Programme

Job Requisition ID: 19846

Date Posted: 1 November 2025

Closing Date: 30 November 2025 23:59 CET/CEST

Publication: External Only

Type of Contract: Intern

Directorate: Science

Workplace:

Villanueva de la Cañada, ES

Location

ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain

Our team and mission

Under the direct authority of D/SCI, the Head of the Science Engagement and Oversight Office is responsible for overseeing the scientific content of the Programme, interfacing with the scientific community and providing scientific expertise to studies, projects and missions, also in other Directorates as needed.

CESAR (Cooperation through Education in Science and Astronomy Research) is a joint educational programme developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), and the public company ISDEFE. It is based at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain. Its main goal is to provide students and teachers from European schools with hands-on educational materials and resources about Astrophysics and Space Sciences, to be used in the classroom, as well as easy access to ESA’s data archive and to optical and radio telescopes.

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

Field(s) of activity for the internship

You can choose between the following topics:

Topic 1: Support in the pedagogical development of CESAR’s educational activities, with a special focus on the educational campaign for the upcoming solar eclipses.

For the detailed topic descriptions please go to this web page:

www.cosmos.esa.int/web/science-internships/support-in-the-pedagogical-development-of-cesar-s-educational-activities-with-a-special-focus-on-the-educational-campaign-for-the-upcoming-solar-eclipses

The CESAR team carries out continuous work on transforming its activities and educational materials, adapting them to new formats and pedagogical strategies that are more engaging for students. Some examples include the development of new activities such as online labs, VR applications, and e-learning platforms. In this context, we follow the principles and guidelines already established by our colleagues at ESA Education, with whom the CESAR team is in regular contact. These updates are also carried out with the aim of making the materials progressively more accessible, inclusive, and diverse.

In addition to continuing our usual educational activities, in 2025 the CESAR project has launched a specific educational campaign in preparation for the total and annular solar eclipses that will be visible from Europe over the next three years.

Your goal would be:

• to collaborate in the development and revision of CESAR’s educational resources, with a particular focus on inclusion.
• to take part specifically in the design and implementation of CESAR’s educational campaign related to the solar eclipses visible from Europe in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
  
  
  

Topic 2: Support for the operation and educational implementation of CESAR’s telescopes.

For the detailed topic descriptions please go to this web page:

https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/science-internships/support-for-the-operation-and-educational-implementation-of-cesar-s-telescopes

The CESAR Project comprises three observatories: a solar observatory with three telescopes, currently operational; a 0.5 m optical telescope at the Cebreros Observatory, which has been fully refurbished and will be operational from January 2026; and two smaller optical telescopes, which will be upgraded throughout 2026. These telescopes serve as resources for the CESAR project's educational activities.

The main objectives of this internship are:

• support for the educational implementation of the 0.5 m optical telescope at the Cebreros Observatory, by creating observational cases and developing the system that will allow educational institutions to request and carry out their own observations.
• support for the operation of the solar and Cebreros telescopes, as well as the development of software to manage the acquired data. This includes the support in the design of a CESAR data archive, with data curation and search tools.
  
  
  

Topic 3: Design of multimedia, web and social media contents for educational activities, with a special focus on the total solar eclipse of August 2026

For the detailed topic descriptions please go to this web page:

https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/science-internships/design-of-multimedia-web-and-social-media-contents-for-educational-activities-with-a-special-focus-on-the-total-solar-eclipse-of-august-2026

The aim of this internship is the design and development of new multimedia material for the educational activities of the CESAR project, as well as its publication and impact monitoring on the project's website and social media channels. The content will be related to all areas of the project, but the main focus will be on the development of material about solar eclipses, both in preparation for, during, and after the total solar eclipse visible from Europe in August 2026. Materials will be created for all types of audiences, with particular attention to the educational context (children, families, teachers). Efforts will also be made to ensure that the work promotes equality and inclusion across all sectors of society. The work will be carried out in collaboration with the ESAC Communication team.

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 studying at master’s level. In addition, you must be able to prove that you will be 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 ESA Member State language is an asset.

During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.

For this position you should have:

Topic 1:

• good understanding of astronomical concepts.
• pedagological skills, experience working with primary and secondary school-level students.
• experience designing education materials for inclusive and diverse audiences.
• capable of working in international teams.
• fluent in English and Spanish (reading and writing).
• creative, capable to meet milestones within schedules.
  
  
  

Topic 2:

• good understanding of astronomical concepts.
• familiar with the use of telescopes
• programing skills based in astronomical software, like phyton, ASCOM.
• familiarity with all computer parts and hardware, to be able to add new components in case of need.
• pedagogical skills to apply in school observations.
• capable of working in international teams.
• fluent in English (reading and writing).
• creative, capable to meet milestones within schedules.
  
  
  

Topic 3:

• required:
• interest in Planetary Science, Space Science and Communications.
• general multimedia and social media knowledge.
• good level of English and Spanish, spoken and written.
• good communication skills.
• good understanding of astronomical concepts.

• desired:
• knowledge of graphic design and basic HTML.
• good level of editing pictures and videos.
• experience and/or knowledge in UX Design.
• familiarity with inclusive and diverse environments.
• creativity, capable of working in international teams and alone.
• capable of meeting milestones within schedules.
  

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, 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 [email protected].

Important Information and Disclaimer

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.

The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship 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

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, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).





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