The European Space Agency (ESA) is looking for an intern for the Director General's Cabinet at ESA Headquarters in Paris, France. The internship lasts 3 to 6 months, starts from February 2027 and is open to university students. At Youth Works Hub, we reviewed the full vacancy: applications close on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST.
Internship at a Glance
🏢 Organisation: European Space Agency (ESA)
🧭 Team: Director General, Council Support and Member State Relations Division, Director General's Cabinet
🆔 Job requisition ID: 20931
🗂️ Directorate: Director General's Services
📍 Location: ESA Headquarters, Paris, France
🎓 Type of appointment: Intern
⏱️ Duration: 3 to 6 months
📆 Start: from February 2027, with the exact start agreed with your ESA tutor
🌐 Publication method: external only
⏳ Closing date: 30 November 2026, 23:59 CET/CEST
The Director General's Cabinet at ESA Headquarters
The Director General, Council Support and Member State Relations Division within the Director General's Cabinet is responsible for providing all necessary support to the day-to-day work of the ESA Director General. You would join this team at ESA Headquarters in Paris and work in its DG Support and Member States Relations Section.
What the Cabinet Team Is Responsible For
The vacancy lists six areas of responsibility for the division:
🤝 Supporting the Director General's operational activities in coordination with the Director General's Office
🌍 Maintaining relations with ESA Member States, including pre-Council consultations, as well as meetings and visits of the Director General. This includes maintaining briefing notes and up-to-date dossiers on each Member State and ensuring ESA-wide coordinated preparation
🗓️ Preparing the Director General's internal meetings, in particular providing the secretariat of the Executive Board and organising bilateral meetings with Directorates
✉️ The Director General's correspondence, speeches, presentations, reporting and contributions to publications
🎖️ The protocol service, in particular maintaining a diplomatic network and managing VIP participation in launch events with the support of the communication services
📑 Monitoring subsidies granted to third parties and memberships
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Your Role: Supporting the DG Support and Member States Relations Section
You will put into practice the knowledge acquired during your studies while supporting the activities of the DG Support and Members States Relations Section within the Director General's Cabinet. You work in coordination with the other interns in the team and support the daily tasks of the team.
Five Main Tasks of the Intern
The vacancy lists the main tasks as follows:
🔎 Continuous monitoring of space activities and trends, political developments and policy-related topics of selected ESA Member States
📰 Contributing to the weekly updating and distribution of the Member States observatory and associated products
📝 Supporting the preparation of background input for meetings of the Director General with ESA Member States
🖼️ Supporting the preparation of presentation material for engagements of the Director General
🧩 Ad-hoc tasks in support of the team's activities
Who Can Apply: Student Status and Study Level
The vacancy asks for a university student, preferably in the final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master's level. You must also be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.
Backgrounds That Count as an Asset
Knowledge and background in the areas of political or social science, international relations, space law, policy, politics and/or related fields would be an asset.
Languages: English or French
The working languages of the Agency are English and French, and a good knowledge of one of them is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.
Interview: Your Motivation Will Be Explored
During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.
Six Behavioural Competencies Behind the Role
The vacancy lists six ESA behavioural competencies. For more information, it refers to the ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook.
🏁 Result Orientation
⚙️ Operational Efficiency
🫂 Fostering Cooperation
💬 Relationship Management
🔄 Continuous Improvement
🔮 Forward Thinking
Nationality Rules for This Internship
ESA considers applications only from nationals of one of these 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.
Applicants from Canada as a Cooperating State can apply, as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).
Duration and Start Date
According to ESA's announcement of its 2027 student internships, an internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027. The exact start date is determined with the ESA tutor.
Limit: Two Applications Per Candidate
ESA's announcement states that a candidate can apply for a maximum of 2 internship vacancies. Choose the offers that fit your studies best.
Selection Tests
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests.
Equal Opportunities and Support for Applicants with Disabilities
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.
ESA values diversity and welcomes people with disabilities. Whenever possible, it 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 discuss this by email with the ESA internships team (the address is listed in the Links section below).
Does the Vacancy Mention Pay? Conditions and Disclaimer
The vacancy page does not state an allowance for this internship. ESA also notes that the information on its careers website about internship conditions is correct at the time of publication, is not exhaustive and may not address all questions you have.
Find more opportunities like this in our internship and traineeship listings on Youth Works Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the ESA Director General's Cabinet internship take place?
The internship takes place at ESA Headquarters in Paris, France. The role belongs to the Director General's Services Directorate, within the DG Support and Member States Relations Section of the Director General's Cabinet.
What will an intern in the Director General's Cabinet do?
You support the daily tasks of the team, including continuous monitoring of space activities, political developments and policy topics of selected ESA Member States. You also contribute to the weekly Member States observatory and help prepare background input and presentation material for the Director General's meetings and engagements.
What is the Member States observatory?
The vacancy lists contributing to the weekly updating and distribution of the Member States observatory and associated products as one of the intern's main tasks. It does not describe the observatory in more detail.
How long is the internship and when does it start?
According to ESA's 2027 student internships announcement, the internship lasts 3 to 6 months and starts from February 2027. The exact start date is determined with your ESA tutor.
Who can apply for this internship?
You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a Master's level course. You must also be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your university for the entire duration of the internship.
Which nationalities can apply?
ESA considers applications only from nationals of its listed 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. Applicants from Canada (Cooperating State) and from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta (European Cooperating States) can apply as well.
Which languages do I need?
A good knowledge of English or French is required, as these are the working languages of the Agency. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.
Which study fields are an asset?
Knowledge and background in political or social science, international relations, space law, policy, politics and/or related fields would be an asset.
Can I apply for more than one ESA internship?
A candidate can apply for a maximum of 2 internship vacancies, according to ESA's announcement.
Is the internship paid?
The vacancy page does not state an allowance. ESA notes that its published information on internship conditions is not exhaustive.
What is the application deadline?
Applications close on 30 November 2026 at 23:59 CET/CEST.
Will there be selection tests?
The Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests during the recruitment process, and your motivation for applying will be explored during the interview.
Deadline
⏳ 30 November 2026
Links
🔗 Apply now (official vacancy): https://jobs.esa.int/job/Paris-Intern-in-the-Director-General's-Cabinet/1452916833/
📢 ESA Student Internships 2027 announcement: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/ESA_Student_Internships_2027_are_now_open
🌐 ESA website: https://www.esa.int
📧 ESA internships contact: ESA.Student.Internships@esa.int
