The European Space Agency (ESA) is recruiting an Infrastructure Analytics and Anomaly Detection Intern for its Mission Operations Department at ESOC in Darmstadt, Germany. The internship lasts 3 to 6 months and applications close on 30 November 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the full vacancy and listed every requirement below.
Who Runs This Internship? MOI-IT and the Operational Control Centre
Mission Operations IT (MOI-IT) and the Operational Control Centre (OCC) provide and operate the critical infrastructure, platforms, workplace services and facilities that support ESA's space mission operations at ESOC. Their mission is to lead the evolution of MOI-IT and OCC services, delivering modern, resilient and scalable solutions that enable current and future mission operations.
The team strives to be perceived as an enabler for its customers and colleagues, supporting the deployment of innovative systems, applications and operational capabilities across the organisation. Above all, MOI-IT and OCC aim to remain the home of safe, secure and efficient space and ground operations.
Internship at a Glance
🚀 Organisation: European Space Agency (ESA)
🔢 Job Requisition ID: 21088
🎓 Type of appointment: Intern
🧭 Directorate: Operations
🏢 Department: Mission Operations Department
📍 Location: ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany
⏱️ Duration: 3 to 6 months
🗓️ Start: from February 2027, with the exact start date set together with the ESA tutor
📰 Publication method: external only
🔔 Closing date: 30 November 2026, 23:59 CET/CEST
The Infrastructure Behind the Project
The ESOC environment is a large-scale and highly available infrastructure that supports multiple operational missions. It includes:
💽 Servers
🔌 Network devices
☁️ Virtualised platforms
🛡️ Security services
📡 Monitoring systems
🧰 Operational applications
MOI-IT and OCC continuously evolve this infrastructure and its platform services to provide greater flexibility, scalability and operational efficiency, while maintaining the highest standards of reliability and service delivery.
What You Will Investigate: The ELK Log Platform
As an intern, you will investigate and analyse the data available within the MOI-IT Elasticsearch, Logstash and Kibana (ELK) infrastructure. This platform centrally collects the infrastructure logs across the different operational environments.
The platform currently ingests around 200 GB of log data per day, and data volumes keep growing as additional systems and services are onboarded.
From Data Sources to Dashboards
The objective of the first part of the project is to turn raw logs into something operations teams can use. You will work through three steps:
📚 Understand the available data sources.
🔎 Identify operationally relevant information.
🖼️ Create meaningful dashboards.
These dashboards support the operations teams in three ways:
🩺 Monitoring the infrastructure health.
🛠️ Troubleshooting issues.
📈 Identifying long term trends.
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Anomaly Detection: Spotting Problems Early
Building on the data analysis, you will explore and evaluate anomaly detection techniques. The aim is to identify:
🚨 Unusual behaviour.
🔁 Recurring issues.
🌡️ Early indicators of infrastructure degradation.
Correlating Events and Raising Notifications
The project will investigate how operational events can be correlated, visualised and transformed into actionable notifications. The goal is to help teams react more effectively to potential problems before they grow.
What You Will Implement and Demonstrate
The selected dashboards and anomaly detection capabilities will be implemented and demonstrated using the existing MOI-IT ELK platform. The focus is on improving operational visibility and providing proactive insights, so the work delivers tangible value to MOI-IT operations.
What You Will Gain
Interns joining the team gain exposure to real operational environments and to the following areas:
🖥️ Real operational environments
⚙️ Modern infrastructure technologies
🔐 Cybersecurity
👁️ Observability platforms
🤖 Automation
🧩 The unique challenges of supporting ESA's mission operations infrastructure
The project also offers hands-on experience with:
🗃️ Large scale log analytics
🧮 Data visualisation
🧠 Operational intelligence techniques
Who Can Apply: Education
ESA sets the following education requirements:
🏫 You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of university course at Master's level.
🧾 You must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.
Nationality Requirement
ESA states that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, 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.
Language Requirements
The working languages of the Agency are English and French.
🗣️ A good knowledge of one of these two languages is required.
📖 Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.
Technical Knowledge That Helps
The vacancy lists four additional requirements:
📦 Familiarity with container technologies and Kubernetes orchestration.
🔄 Awareness of open-source GitOps tools such as FluxCD.
🔍 Familiarity with the ELK stack.
🔑 Understanding of RBAC principles.
Behavioural Competencies
ESA assesses candidates against six core behavioural competencies, described in the ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook:
🎯 Result Orientation
⚡ Operational Efficiency
🤝 Fostering Cooperation
💬 Relationship Management
🌱 Continuous Improvement
🔮 Forward Thinking
Selection: Interview and Tests
During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored. During the recruitment process, the Agency may also ask applicants to undergo selection tests.
Export Control and Sanctions
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology and hardware that is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.
Duration, Start Date and Application Limit
According to ESA's announcement for the 2027 student internships, the internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027. The exact start date is agreed with the ESA tutor. One candidate can apply to a maximum of 2 internship vacancies.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness
ESA is an equal opportunity employer, committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. It welcomes applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics.
Whenever possible, ESA seeks 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, and you can contact the ESA student internships team through the email address listed at the end of this post.
Good to Know
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.
How to Apply
Apply online through the ESA careers portal using the Apply now button on the vacancy page, before 23:59 CET/CEST on 30 November 2026. Remember that you can apply to a maximum of 2 internship vacancies. The vacancy page and ESA contact details are listed at the end of this post.
Find more opportunities like this in our internship and traineeship listings on Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the ESA Infrastructure Analytics and Anomaly Detection internship take place?
The internship takes place in the Mission Operations Department at ESOC, in Darmstadt, Germany. The vacancy belongs to the Operations Directorate.
How long is the internship and when does it start?
According to ESA's announcement, the internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027. The exact start date is agreed with the ESA tutor.
What will the intern work on?
The intern analyses the data in the MOI-IT Elasticsearch, Logstash and Kibana (ELK) infrastructure, which collects around 200 GB of log data per day. The intern creates dashboards, evaluates anomaly detection techniques and helps turn operational events into actionable notifications.
Who can apply for this internship?
You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year at Master's level, and you must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire internship. You must also be a national of one of the 27 States listed by ESA.
Which nationalities are accepted?
Applications are only considered from nationals of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, 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.
Which languages do I need?
A good knowledge of English or French is required, since these are the working languages of the Agency. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.
Which technical skills are expected?
ESA lists familiarity with container technologies and Kubernetes orchestration, awareness of open-source GitOps tools such as FluxCD, familiarity with the ELK stack and an understanding of RBAC principles.
How many ESA internships can I apply to?
One candidate can apply to a maximum of 2 internship vacancies.
What happens after I apply?
Your motivation for applying to this role is explored during the interview, and the Agency may ask applicants to undergo selection tests.
What is the application deadline?
Applications close on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST.
Deadline
⏳ 30 November 2026
Links
🔗 Vacancy and application (Apply now): https://jobs.esa.int/job/Darmstadt-Intern-in-the-Mission-Operations-Department-Infrastructure-Analytics-and-Anomaly-Detection/1452801333/
🌐 European Space Agency: http://www.esa.int
📢 ESA Student Internships 2027 announcement: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/ESA_Student_Internships_2027_are_now_open
📨 ESA student internships team: ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int
