Intern in the Quality Department, Artificial Intelligence for safety-critical systems

Intern in the Quality Department, Artificial Intelligence for safety-critical systems

Job Requisition ID: 19967

Date Posted: 1 November 2025

Closing Date: 30 November :59 CET/CEST

Publication: External Only

Type of Contract: Intern

Directorate: Technology, Engineering and Quality

Workplace:Noordwijk, NL

Location

ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Our team and mission

The Product Assurance & Safety Offices coordinate and supervise the Product Assurance & Safety (PA&S) activities for the respective programmes and projects in the relevant application directorate and represent the directorate in all corporate activities in the PA&S domain, including Quality Management. The Heads of the PA&S Office report functionally to the respective director of the relevant programme directorate.

The PA&S Offices are responsible for the assurance of all space relevant aspects within the associated directorates and support the Independent Safety Office regarding Space Debris Mitigation and Safety activities.

Heads of PA&S Offices are the QMS Managers of the relevant application directorate, ensuring maintenance and certification of the QMS and reporting directly to the relevant director on urgent matters.

The Human and Robotic Exploration Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) Office is responsible for the Quality Management, and Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) function in the design, development and operations of projects in the Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes (HRE).

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website:

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Artificial Intelligence (AI) for safety-critical systems and their application to human and robotic exploration missions

As intern in the Human and Robotic Exploration Product Assurance and Safety (PA&S) Office, you are expected to support the following activities:

• review academic and industry literature on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for safety-critical systems and their application to human and robotic exploration missions;
• support the development of small-scale proof-of-concept models;
• work on labelling or structuring data for AI model training;
• document strengths, limitations, and computational requirements;
• collect user feedback from engineers or scientists on usability of AI models;
• support reviews on the certification and verification challenges for AI;
• prepare briefing notes or presentations on AI opportunities and risks;
• contribute to AI knowledge repositories (lessons learned);
• present findings to multidisciplinary teams, bridging technical perspectives.

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.

Knowledge and background in human spaceflight safety is an asset.

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

Important Information and Disclaimer

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

Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.

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.

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