Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in xAI and Decision Intelligence for EO Resilience applications

Internal Research Fellow (PostDoc) in xAI and Decision Intelligence for EO Resilience Applications

Job Requisition ID: 20323

Date Posted: 13 May 2026

Closing Date: 17 June 2026 23:59 CET/CEST

Position Overview

As an internal research fellow within the Phi-lab, you will devote most of your time to agreed research topics while supporting the Phi-lab’s industrial and internal activities, mentoring members of our research network, and participating in outreach activities generally related to your research topics.

About the Phi-lab

Reporting to the Head of the Explore Office in the ESA Phi-lab, the lab accelerates the future of Earth observation by embracing disruptive innovation and acting as the catalyst for transformative innovation in the sector. The Phi-lab aims to become an EO innovation hub connecting EO with a growing ecosystem of AI, ML, quantum computing, edge computing, metamaterials, photonics, and other emerging technologies.

Benefits

• A stimulating multinational, interdisciplinary and open work environment
• Access to high-performance computing infrastructure and unparalleled EO and technology expertise
• A unique opportunity to work on innovative solutions to address global challenges
• Freedom and focus to conduct creative research while making an impact in relation to ESA’s strategy
• A wide network of relationships and collaboration with top academics, industry and research centres
• The opportunity to contribute to the Phi-lab strategy and activities

Main Research Topics

• EO‑driven threat detection and situational awareness: develop innovative methods to exploit multi‑sensor EO data (e.g. optical, SAR, thermal, or hyperspectral) for detecting anomalies, emerging risks and defence‑relevant activities. Emphasis will be placed on transparent, interpretable models that provide evidence‑based reasoning for mission‑critical decisions.
• Explainable AI for mission‑critical decision support: design interpretable machine learning architectures capable of offering clear, auditable explanations of assessments and predictions, ensuring analysts and operators understand model outputs in time‑sensitive security scenarios.
• Real‑time intelligence fusion and rapid response: investigate methods to fuse EO data with auxiliary information - including environmental simulations and open‑source intelligence (OSINT) software - to generate timely, reliable intelligence for crisis monitoring and threat evolution analysis.
• Resilience and responsible use: develop techniques to embed safeguards into EO+xAI and decision intelligence systems, addressing bias, uncertainty quantification and operational risks, ensuring outputs meet ethical and security requirements within European contexts.
• Prototype development and strategic integration: build demonstrators, validation pipelines and simulation testbeds to evaluate the performance, explainability and physical consistency of EO+xAI+decision intelligence systems, contributing to ESA’s strategic roadmap for secure, resilient and trustworthy space‑based intelligence.

Responsibilities

• Undertake advanced research activities exploring and expanding the use of disruptive and transformative innovation to develop new frameworks and solutions. Your research may cover a wide range of innovative topics:
  • Exploring innovative methodologies and technologies;
  • Developing novel methods, new technology implementations (such as ML models) and high‑level products;
  • Contributing to the development and curation of open data sets and tools enabling the community to develop its own AI for applications and research.
• Support the definition and implementation of rapid prototyping activities, research sprints and open challenges of innovative EO solutions addressing upcoming lab activities and the wider strategy.
• Engage with the innovation ecosystem to promote the uptake of new techniques and capture the latest developments in EO and disruptive/transformative innovation.
• Publish the research project outcomes in high‑impact journals.
• Drive collaboration within the Phi‑lab community and ESA internal teams to promote the uptake of these new techniques and solutions.
• Contribute to the Phi‑lab strategy, activities and outreach on disruptive technologies for EO.
• Maintain a continuous dialogue with the scientific community, including major international programmes and initiatives in the field.
• Participate in internal research sprints to explore, test and validate novel EO concepts, algorithms and workflows in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.
• Support the Phi‑lab’s daily activities and research network of European graduate trainees, interns and visiting researchers, as applicable.
• Advance multi‑sensor EO threat detection and real‑time intelligence fusion using transparent, interpretable AI to support time‑critical, defence and crisis decision‑making.
• Develop and validate EO+xAI decision intelligence demonstrators with built‑in resilience, ethical safeguards, and operational robustness aligned with European and ESA strategic priorities.

Application Materials

In your application, please provide a research proposal (no more than five pages) answering the following questions:

• What core research questions will you investigate, and which approaches – EO analytics, explainable AI and decision intelligence – will you use to address emerging resilience challenges?
• How can explainability techniques enhance user trust, accountability and operational uptake of AI‑based threat detection, anomaly monitoring and resilience‑relevant situational awareness?
• In what ways can EO+xAI+decision intelligence frameworks support reliable decision‑making in dynamic or high‑risk scenarios where ground truth is limited or unavailable?
• How will the integration of multi‑sensor EO data and real‑time environmental signals increase the accuracy, interpretability and operational value of security‑relevant analyses?
• What are the main technical, ethical and operational challenges involved in deploying transparent decision AI systems for security and defence, and how can uncertainty estimation, constraints and traceability be embedded?
• How will your proposed research contribute to ESA and, more generally, Europe’s long‑term security resilience and strategic autonomy, as well as the future development of explainable and trustworthy EO‑based intelligence capabilities within ESA’s mission portfolio?

Technical Competencies

• Knowledge relevant to the field of research
• Research/publication record
• Ability to conduct research autonomously
• Breadth of exposure from past and/or current research/activities
• Ability to gather and share relevant information
• General interest in space and space research

Behavioural Competencies

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

Education

You should have recently completed, or be close to completion of a PhD in a related technical or scientific discipline. Preference will be given to candidates within five years of receiving their PhD. In particular for this position, the following is required: PhD in data science, AI, computer science, machine learning, Earth system science, climate, etc., with a thesis subject relevant to the tasks outlined above.

Additional Requirements

• Sound knowledge of themes of interest, such as EO, AI, ML, quantum computing, ICT revolution technologies and edge computing;
• The ability to think outside the box and explore new avenues, with natural curiosity and a passion for new subjects and research areas;
• Experience with one or more general purpose programming languages, for example Python, and general purpose deep learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow or PyTorch;
• Interest and ability to share knowledge with other ESA organisational units.

Additional documents: research proposal (no more than 5 pages).

Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness

ESA is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to achieving diversity within the workforce and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, disability or other characteristics. We welcome people with disabilities and will provide necessary support at the workplace. The Human Resources Department can supply assistance during the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact us at [email protected].

Nationality and Languages

Applicants can only be considered from nationals 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, Canada as a Cooperating State, and Bulgaria, Croatia and Malta as European Cooperating States, may also apply. The working languages of the Agency are English and French; a good knowledge of one of these is required, and knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Important Information and Disclaimer

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Successful candidates will undergo basic screening before appointment, conducted by an external background screening service, in compliance with ESA security procedures. The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication and may not be exhaustive.

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