Share
Working at ESO
Are you interested in working in areas of frontline technology and in a stimulating international environment? Do you feel your profile matches our requirements? Learn more about our current vacancies and apply online. Read more..
The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries.
ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in northern Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor (home to ALMA), and the ESO Headquarters are located in Garching, near Munich, Germany.
At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory, and will host and operate the southern array of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, the world's largest and most sensitive high energy gamma-ray observatory. ESO is a major partner in ALMA. On Cerro Armazones, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky" and whose operations will be fully integrated into the Paranal Observatory.
The ESO Systems Engineering Department (SEN), within the Directorate of Engineering (DoE) at its Headquarters in Garching, near Munich, Germany, is advertising the following opportunity:
The Systems Engineering Department comprises a team of 30 engineers, distributed over 3 groups. The department provides Systems Engineering expertise to ESO's projects, in particular for the development of the Extremely Large Telescope and its sub-systems and for the design and development of advanced optical and infrared instrumentation for the telescopes of ESO's La Silla-Paranal Observatory.
We are looking for a highly motivated and experienced instrumentation engineer / physicist with a strong background in system alignment and optical testing. You will be integrated in a team of experts responsible for the development, integration and verification of astronomical instrumentation from the first concepts, to the final product delivered to and tested at the observatory. The instruments span optical to thermal infrared wavelengths, a variety of world-class technologies, and may be deployed at La Silla, Paranal (VLT, VLTI, VISTA) or Armazones (ELT) observatories.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
You will have the following main duties:
- Ensure the feasibility of instrument alignment approaches with respect to performance targets, cost, and manufacturability.
- Contribute to the definition of requirements and verification plans, ensuring comprehensive test coverage across development phases that balances risk mitigation and cost.
- Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of performance deviations during integration and verification.
- Collaborate closely with key stakeholders, including systems engineers, AIV managers, and specialists in optics, mechanics, cryogenics, detectors, and software.
- Provide training and mentoring to junior engineers in alignment and optical test methods, fostering knowledge transfer and appropriate documentation. Contribute to lessons-learned exercises and improving systems engineering processes.
Reports to:
The Head of the Instrument Systems Group.
Experience:
You shall have at least 5 years of experience in:
- Alignment and testing of optical instruments, including hands-on work in clean-room environments.
- Applying systems engineering good practices in the development of optical instruments or test equipment, especially in the verification activities.
- Working in multi-disciplinary and multi-national teams within large scientific or engineering projects.
Key competences:
- Proven experience with metrology techniques, in particular laser tracker, theodolite, auto-collimator, and wavefront sensing with Shack-Hartman and interferometry techniques.
- Broad knowledge of optical & mechanical manufacturing, optical technologies, opto-mechanical engineering, testing / characterization / calibration methods used in optical and infrared instrumentation. Experience in the context of cryogenic instruments, mechanisms and/or seismic/vibration-prone environments is an asset.
- Proven ability in building strong, effective relationships across cultures and disciplines, both within and outside the organization, and to foster consensus while keeping the project objectives in focus. Very good communication skills.
Desirable competences:
- Familiarity with AIT activities at astronomical observatories or large-scale integration facilities.
- Ability to analyse instrument performances and develop supporting tools.
- Experience with scientific programming languages (e.g., Python, R, Matlab) for data analysis and test automation.
- Experience with optical simulation / modeling tools (e.g. Zemax OpticStudio, Code V, FRED) is an asset.
Qualifications:
- MSc or PhD in Physics, Optical Engineering, Astronomy, or a closely related field.
- Additional training or certification in systems engineering or project management is an asset.
Language Skills:
ESO is an international organization where the official language is English. The position requires excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
Remuneration and Contract:
We offer an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary, comprehensive pension scheme and medical, educational and other social benefits, as well as financial help in relocating your family and the possibility to place your child/children in daycare.
ESO aims to support members of personnel in maintaining a good work-life balance (https://www.eso.org/public/jobs/conditions/intstaff/#work-life-balance) between their professional and private life. ESO is also committed to offering family-friendly support (https://www.eso.org/public/jobs/conditions/intstaff/#family-friendly-support), creating a work environment and policies which allow staff to balance their professional and private responsibilities through flexible working arrangements and financial support for families.
The contract is for a fixed term duration of three years and is subject to successful completion of the probation period. There may be a possibility of extension(s) subject to individual performance and organisational requirements, in particular for the ELT Programme, and as defined in the applicable policies and staff rules and regulations. For any further information, please visit ESO's conditions of employment (https://www.eso.org/public/jobs/conditions/). Please note that the contract policy and in particular the regulations concerning fixed-term and indefinite contracts are currently under review which may lead to changes in the contractual conditions applicable to this position.
Duty Station:
Garching near Munich, Germany with regular duty trips to ESO sites in Chile. Frequent travel to scientific institutes and companies within Europe and to the observatories in Chile will be necessary. Temporary transfer or / and long missions to Chile might be needed.
Career Path: V
Application:
If you are interested in working in areas of frontline technology and in a stimulating international environment, please visit (http://www.eso.org) for further details.
Applicants are invited to apply online at http://recruitment.eso.org/. Applications must be completed in English and should include a motivation letter and CV. Within your CV, please provide the names and contact details of three persons familiar with your work and willing to provide a recommendation letter upon request. Referees will not be contacted without your prior consent.
Closing date for applications is 19 January 2026.
Interviews are expected to start soon after this date.
ESO Values
An important element in any successful employment relationship is harmony in values between an organisation and its people.
The ESO values are:
ESO strives for excellence through innovation.
ESO provides outstanding services to its communities.
ESO fosters diversity & inclusion.
ESO believes in the key role of sustainability for its future.
Achieving 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.
Applicants 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.
Diversity
ESO 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.
Nationality
No nationality is in principle excluded from employment at ESO, however, recruitment preference will be given to nationals of our Member States, host states and strategic partners: Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Chile, irrespective of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion.