Earth Observation Application Specialist

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Job Requisition

Date Posted: 2 February 2026

Closing Date: 23 February 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Directorate:
Earth Observation Programmes

This is a fixed-term appointment with an initial duration of 4 years. Depending upon performance and organisational needs, the appointment may be extended up to a possible maximum duration of 8 years.

The Earth Observation Applications Specialist will report directly to the Head of the Long-term Action Section of Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Department. The Long-term Action Section is responsible for leading new, cross-disciplinary initiatives that aggregate capabilities from various EO thematic domains and projects. The goal is to migrate these capabilities into large-scale, external programmes, co-designed with and led by international user communities and stakeholders.

The focus is on initiatives with potential to significantly enlarge the scientific and societal impact of Earth observation in accordance with the Earth Action vision described in the EO Science Strategy 2024.

In the framework of its cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), ESA implements the Regional Copernicus Centre in Panama (Copernicus

LAC). The main objective of Copernicus

LAC is to facilitate the uptake of Copernicus data in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region with an initial thematic focus on disaster risk reduction and recovery. The Copernicus

LAC initiative will rely on cooperation between DG INTPA, ESA and the Government of Panama as partners. Copernicus

LAC is an integral part of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance and is part of the Global Gateway strategy of the European Commission.

You will report to the Head of the Long-term Action Section and will contribute to the implementation of cross-disciplinary initiatives co-designed and conducted in partnership with international user communities and stakeholders.

The activities to be performed form part of the cooperation between ESA and DG INTPA, in particular regarding the implementation of the Regional Copernicus Centre in Panama.

Your responsibilities will include the following:

• Working in close cooperation with key external stakeholders/user communities in the LAC region to capture and consolidate their main operational requirements for geospatial information with a view to establishing longer-term adoption and acceptance and EO-based information in large-scale operations;
• Together with the key partners and end-user communities of the Copernicus
  
  LAC centre, co-designing, defining and implementing dedicated activities to expand significantly the uptake of EO-based information for climate adaptation and in particular for disaster risk management, as well as agriculture monitoring;
• Managing and supporting ESA activities to implement the main tasks of Copernicus
  
  LAC:
  • Stakeholder engagement and awareness-raising for EO in the LAC region;
  • Development and demonstration of pre-operational public EO services;
  • Knowledge and skills transfer to national and regional stakeholders;
  • Supporting the establishment of a Regional Copernicus Data Centre in Panama;
• Supporting the communication of achievements using suitable communication and education channels.

Knowledge of environmental, institutional and socioeconomic settings in the Latin American and Caribbean region, in particular for the space sector and the thematic fields referenced above

Knowledge of ESA Earth observation policies and programmes

Good understanding of the global sustainable development context (applications, capacity development and policy) and development cooperation principles

In-depth understanding of the Copernicus Space Segment and programme

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

A master’s degree in remote sensing, geospatial sciences or international cooperation is required for…