Paranal Engineering Internships

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Paranal Observatory Engineering Internships  

The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere has as primary mission to build and operate state-of-the-art facilities for the advancement of astronomical research. The Paranal Observatory hosts 10 telescopes and about 20 scientific instruments. The Department of Maintenance, Support and Engineering (MSE) is responsible for the technical operations and maintenance of that infrastructure. MSE is composed of about 85 people in a combination of technicians and engineers. Every year, we run an engineering internship program with the order of 9 positions.

 

Who are we looking for?

  • University (or engineering schools) students from Chile and ESO member states (although we can exceptionnally accept from other countries too). Students should be near completion of their degree, typically with 4+ years of studies at their Institution, in order to have a minimum knowledge in fields we can apply to our work.
  • Hardworking students with good marks at the University in general and in particular the courses relevant to engineering at the Observatory.
  • Dynamic individuals with a good deal of team spirit, curiosity and eagerness to learn. English is not essential but very welcome in our international environment.

What are we offering?

  • We offer two types of internships: short ones in southern summer (January-February) and long ones in southern 'winter' (June to December).
  • The summer internship is reserved to students from Chilean Universities because it matches the vacation period normally used for internships. We offer up to 6 positions. The duration is 2 months, extendable to 3 months depending on results, availability etc... Advertising of the positions happens in September.
  • The winter internship is open to students from both Chilean and European universities. We offer up to 3 positions. The duration is minimum 3 months, extendable to 6 months. Starting time is usually around June. Advertising of the positions happens in December.
  • Every student will be mentored by a supervisor (or a combination of supervisors depending on the period) during the internship.
  • The positions are normally on shift of 8 days at the observatory and 6 days off. Some positions (usually for SW) can also be based partially in Santiago at our headquarters in Vitacura. The positions include the following benefits:
    • A monthly stipend (typically 300 euros for summer internships and 600 euros for winter internships)
    • Round-trip travel from Santiago (or Antofagasta) to Paranal Observatory
    • Round trip air travel from Europe if the student resides/studies abroad (winter internship)
    • Board and lodging at the Observatory during the shift period
  • The students must be covered by their own insurance (and provide a justification), usually from their University, or have their own health/travel insurance if coming from overseas.
  • Students must also pass a medical exam to demonstrate they are fit for working at altitude (2700m).

What kind of internships are offered?

 

We typically recruit students from one of the following engineering careers: electronics, mechanical, computer/software, optical, systems, industrial (processes, quality etc...), instrumentation (cryogenics, detectors, etc...).

We post very specific topics for each position and ask the students to select acording to their interest and competences. The work is a combination of theoretical study, hands-on applied work, data analysis usually in a project-type environment, and a report is expected at the end of the internship. In addition to the work in the field at the telescopes, we have multiple laboratories for the various engineering disciplines.

Examples of past internships:

  • Local Computer Unit monitoring with Raspberry Pi (electronics)
  • Predictive maintenance technical for mechanical systems (mechanics)
  • Cooling leak detection system (mecatronics)
  • Wavefront sensor characterization (instrumentation)
  • Technical data archive (software)
  • Warehouse management processes (industrial)
  • Quality management survey SW application (software)

 

Applications

If you are interested in enhancing your early career through an ESO internship, then please apply by completing the web application form available at recruitment.eso.org

 

Include the following documents in your application:

●      a cover letter describing why you wish to join one of the above-mentioned ESO projects (maximum one page).

●      a curriculum vitae with a list of your courses and technical/practical experience.

●      the names and contact details of two professors willing to provide a recommendation letter (in case we need to request them).

 

The closing date for applications is stated in the recruitment portal, usually end of September and end of January every year.

 

Contact                                

For any additional questions please contact:

Maxime Boccas,

mboccas@eso.org    Tel. +56 55 2435208

 

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