Introducing roster recruitment at ESA

Roster recruitment will be integrated into ESA’s current recruitment approach, meaning individual positions will continue to be published as usual for roles with more specific requirements, while for positions with more generic requirements, ESA will now rely on rosters of pre-assessed, pre-approved candidates to support its recruitment efforts.

How does it work?

If a vacancy is a part of roster recruitment, this will be indicated in the title and noted at the beginning of the vacancy description – you can check out this roster recruitment vacancy, the first of its kind at ESA, to see how this looks in practice. At the end of the selection process, you can expect to be included in a roster of qualified candidates who will automatically be considered for future vacancies in the same professional discipline that have similar requirements.

Overview of roster recruitment at ESA:

• Identification: ESA identifies the skills, qualifications and experience required for generic roles.
• Screening: Throughout the publication period of the roster vacancy, candidates are screened based on predetermined criteria to assess their suitability for future positions. This involves reviewing of CVs, conducting pre-selection tests, live online interviews with the selection board and a background check.
• Roster creation: Successful candidates are placed on the roster, which includes their contact information, qualifications, skills and experience. The roster remains open for a period of 24 months, which may be extended.
• Updates: The roster is regularly updated with new candidates and relevant information. If you are an active member of the job roster, you can expect updates from ESA every 3-6 months.
• Matching and selection: When a vacancy opens, ESA HR reviews the roster to identify potential candidates who match the job requirements. ESA sends the position description as well as the contract terms of the post (e.g. permanent or fixed-term) to potential candidates from the roster. A follow-up interview may be conducted to determine the best candidate for the position.
• Job offer: If you are selected, you will receive a personal notification, followed by an email indicating our intention to offer you the position and requesting additional information. Once we have received this information, we will send you our final ESA contract offer.

The roster recruitment system is explained in full detail on our dedicated FAQ page.

Key points about roster recruitment at ESA

• The standard duration of a roster is 24 months and you will remain on it as long as it is active, unless you accept a job offer through the roster or choose to withdraw from it. If the roster is extended beyond 24 months, you will be informed accordingly.
• You should apply for the vacancy you are interested in as soon as you are able to and, where possible, avoid leaving the application until the last minute, as ESA continuously assesses candidates and upcoming positions may be filled as soon as suitable candidates are identified.
• You can put your roster placement on hold for up to six months. While your placement is on hold, you will not be contacted about upcoming ESA positions.
• You can be included on multiple rosters at once and you can also apply for individual job postings at the same time as being on a roster.
• Inclusion on the roster does not guarantee you a job at ESA: the final decision to recruit a candidate depends on various factors, including the specific requirements of the position, competition from other candidates and our hiring priorities.
• There will be several selection rounds during the time that a roster is open.

Who can apply?

Please note that ESA can only accept applications from nationals of the following ESA Member, Associate and Cooperating States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Click here to learn more about who we are looking for.

We recruit – and not only astronauts!

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that there is currently a major recruitment campaign ongoing at ESA, with over 300 new positions being published over the course of 2023 alone – so now is the time to launch your career with us! Positions are regularly being published on our recruiting site and you can set up a job alert to receive a notification when a job matching your profile is published. You can also subscribe to our careers news to stay informed on the latest news and campaigns from Careers at ESA.