{"id":4064810,"url":"https://alion.io/job/eso-engineering-internship","title":"Engineering Internship","company":{"id":35797,"name":"ESO","domain":"eso.org","url":"https://alion.io/company/eso","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Career sitemap","truth_index":null},"role":"Early Careers","role_family":"Early Careers","seniority":"intern","employment_type":"internship","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Garching bei München, Germany"],"countries":["DE"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Linux","optional":false},{"name":"LLM","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-11T10:47:43Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-11","last_verified_at":"2026-11-13T17:23:34Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"Duration\n\n5 to 6 months.\n\nStarting Date\n\nAny time in 2027 (please state within your application your approximate preferred start date). \n\nInternship Details\n\nESO's engineering internships provide hands-on experience in an international scientific and technological environment and offer exposure to the activities of one of the world's leading astronomical organisations. Interns have the opportunity to support active research and development projects within the directorate, gaining practical skills at the forefront of ground-based astronomy and technology.\n\nWe offer a range of subjects to choose from, in different engineering fields: \n\n Data analysis of telemetry logs coming from our telescopes:\n\n VLT turbulent environment characterisation \n Local Large Language Models for engineering workflows\n\n Real Time Computing (RTC) for Adaptive Optics:\n\n LLM-assisted porting of VLT legacy code (SPARTA) towards the RTC toolkit for the ELT\n Modernisation of RTC data recording technologies\n A neural-network inference core for adaptive optics computers: latency and jitter benchmark \n Using AI (agents) to develop soft-RTC software based on the RTC toolkit\n The RTC toolkit control and monitor engineering GUI\n RTC toolkit distributed timestamp datapoints\n\n Control Software for astronomical instrumentation:\n\n Evaluation of TwinCAT PLC++ and migration to Linux-based PLC platforms\n\n Optical engineering:\n\n Using deep learning for optical misalignment diagnostics in large telescopes\n\n Wavefront control and phasing of the ELT:\n\n Analysis of the first test data from the ELT Phasing and Diagnostic Station\n\n Mechanical engineering:\n\n Mechanical design of the ELT Azimuth bridge carriage\n Modelling, analysis and test support related to vibration and control/structure interaction for the ELT telescope structure and hosted units\n Supporting ESO/ELT digitalisation through automated BIM information management and quality insurance\n\n Radio / sub-millimetre technologies (ALMA):\n\n System-level architectural exploration of future radio astronomy DSP backends\n Python migration of the ALMA bias module Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) software\n Development of cryostat window technologies for ALMA band 10.\n\n More information and detailed descriptions of these subjects can be found here https://www.eso.org/sci/activities/fellowships-and-studentships/enginternships.html\n\nCompetences \n\nThe successful candidate should demonstrate:\n\n Technical background in the chosen field (e.g. software, optics etc.) sufficient to learn the subject quickly;\n\n Proactive attitude and willingness to learn;\n\n Strong analytical and problem-solving skills;\n\n Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in multicultural teams;\n\n Good communication and interpersonal skills;\n\n An interest in astronomy and/or scientific instrumentation is an asset.\n\nQualifications\n\nApplicants should meet the following requirements:\n\n Currently enrolled in a master's degree (or equivalent) in a STEM field;\n\n Academic background relevant to the internship subject area;\n\n Being a national of, or studying in, an ESO Member State (https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/memberstates/)\n\nLanguage Skills\n\nA good working knowledge of English, oral and written, is essential.\n\nDuty Station\n\nThe role is based on-site at ESO - Garching bei München and relocation to the duty station area for the duration of the internship is required. \n\nBenefits\n\nESO offers interns:\n\n A monthly internship allowance to cover living expenses;\n\n Accommodation for the duration of the internship;\n\n Travel to and from the duty station at the beginning and end of the internship, in accordance with ESO rules.\n\nApplication\n\nApplications must be completed in English, and should include:\n\n A cover letter (max one page) detailing your motivation for the internship at ESO, which internship project(s) you would like to choose and why, noting any relevant previous study, experience, or interests, and your desired starting date and duration;\n\n Your CV with an outline of your technical/practical experience and a list of publications, if any.\n\nIf you have any further questions, please contact: .\n\nPlease note that ESO does not sponsor visas for internships. Applicants are responsible for securing their own right to enter, live and work in Germany, which may include obtaining a visa.\n\nESO Values \n\nAn important element in any successful employment relationship is harmony in values between an organisation and its people.\n\nThe ESO Values are:\n\nESO strives for excellence through innovation.\n\nESO provides outstanding services to its communities.\n\nESO fosters diversity & inclusion.\n\nESO believes in the key role of sustainability for its future. \n\nAchieving the above are recognized as only possible on the basis of personal values and attitudes that we expect from our employees: respect, integrity, accountability, commitment, collaboration, and clear & open communication.\n\nApplicants to any ESO role are asked to reflect on their affinity with these values and advised they may be asked about them if called for interview.\n\nDiversity\n\nESO has established diversity as an important value of the Organisation, is committed to providing an equal opportunities environment and is actively seeking to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Please visit https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/sustainability/dei-at-eso/ for further details.\n\nNationality\n\nThe engineering internships are reserved to nationals of our Member States or people having a student visa and registration in a university or engineering school in one of our Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, irrespective of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5881,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":true},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"English","level":"All levels","optional":false}]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Ammunition","Data Entry & Processing","Research Institutes","Website Monitoring"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-11T10:47:43Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":27,"reasons":["conf:1","win:early","comp:junior"],"computed_at":"2026-11-12T10:38:37Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/eso-engineering-internship","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/eso-engineering-internship.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-13T19:41:22Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":39337,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-14T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":35797},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=35797"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Feso-engineering-internship"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"free","price":{"credits":0,"usd":0},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Feso-engineering-internship"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Feso-engineering-internship"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/eso-engineering-internship\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Feso-engineering-internship"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":4064810}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"eso.org","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":4064810},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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