Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Space Environments and Effects
Noordwijk, NL
Location
ESTEC, Noordwijk, Netherlands
Our team and mission
The Space Environments and Effects Section supports the development of ESA missions and programmes by investigating the space environments within which they will operate, assessing likely effects and defining mitigation methods. Environments addressed include high-energy radiation from radiation belts; solar particle events and cosmic rays; plasmas encountered in planetary magnetospheres; the solar wind and artificially generated charges and fields on spacecraft; micro-meteoroids and non trackable debris; planetary and lunar dust; and planetary atmospheres. The Section also initiates and manages a wide range of related modelling, software and hardware R&D activities.
You are encouraged to visit the ESA website: https://www.esa.int/
Field(s) of activity/research for the traineeship
A significant number of ESA missions fly in severe radiation environments that can have various effects on the spacecraft and their payload and instrumentation. Such effects include dose degradation in components, displace damage in solar cells, different types of single event effects in electronics, imaging instrument interference, internal charging and biological effects on astronauts. Detailed analyses of such effects, and possible ways to shield and mitigate against them, are typically conducted by using environmental prediction in combination with Monte Carlo radiation simulation toolkits such as Geant4 and its application, GRAS (Geant4 Radiation Analysis for Space).
ESA is a signatory member of the international Geant4 Collaboration together with CERN and a number of other institutes worldwide and has over the years contributed to a number of space-specific physics models and other software capabilities and applications to allow for accurate estimates of such radiation effects.
The goal of this Research Fellow position is to assess, test and further develop ionising radiation transport and effects analysis models and related software capabilities under the Geant4 and GRAS frameworks, together with the application of such developments to real-life cases of ESA spacecraft and missions. As part of this work in ESA's Space Environments and Effects Section, substantial collaboration with other parts of the Agency and with external partners in the radiation physics domain is expected.
Technical competencies
Behavioural competencies
Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking
For more information, please refer to the ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook.
Education
You should have recently completed (within five years), or be close to completion of a PhD in radiation, space physics and/or information technology.
Additional requirements
Experience in key space radiation environments and effects simulation software (Geant4/GRAS), general Monte Carlo techniques and relevant programming languages will be an asset.
You should have good interpersonal and communication skills and should be able to work in a multicultural environment, both independently and as part of a team.
During the interview, your motivation, overall professional outlook and career goals will also be explored.
In addition to your CV and your motivation letter, please prepare a research proposal of no more than 5 pages. This proposal should be uploaded to the "additional documents" field of the "application information" section.
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 contact.human.resources@esa.int.
Important Information and Disclaimer
Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations.
During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Additionally, successful candidates will need to undergo basic screening before appointment, which will be conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with the European Space Agency's security procedures.
The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working 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 and Languages
Please note that applications can only be considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Nationals from Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia, as Associate Member States, or Canada as a Cooperating State, can apply as well as those from Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States (ECS).
According to the ESA Convention, staff shall be recruited on the basis of their qualifications, taking into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the Member States.
The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.