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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 APEX), 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, the largest astronomical project in existence. And 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.
ESO has established diversity as an important value of the Organisation and is committed to providing an equal opportunities environment and is actively seeking to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. For further information about working at ESO, see the podcast 'Engineers at ESO' at: https://www.eso.org/public/videos/esocast186a/
Within the Directorate of Programmes, at Cerro Armazones and Paranal Observatory close to Antofagasta, ESO is advertising a local staff member position of
As the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) project progresses towards the Assembly, Integration and Verification (AIV) phase, an increasing number of technical activities will take place at Cerro Armazones and Paranal Observatory, involving international project teams, contractors and different ESO departments. We are looking for an AIV Project Assistant to provide administrative and organisational support to the AIV Manager and the AIV team. The successful candidate will play an important role in supporting the coordination of daily activities, meetings, travel arrangements, documentation and administrative processes, contributing to the smooth operation of the team during this important phase of the ELT project. This includes the preparation and follow-up of meetings, coordination of visits and missions, travel and accommodation arrangements, management of correspondence, follow-up of actions, administrative support for procurement and contractual processes, and coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide administrative and organisational support to the AIV Manager and the AIV team.
- Organise and coordination of meetings, including the preparation of agendas, meeting material, minutes and follow-up action.
- Coordinate visits, missions, travel, accommodation and other logistical arrangements for AIV staff, contractors and visiting project teams.
- Prepare and follow-up of correspondence, presentations, reports and other AIV documentation.
- Provide administrative support for procurement, contractual and financial processes in coordination with the relevant ESO departments.
- Maintain and organise AIV administrative records, contact lists, calendars and shared information.
- Follow-up on administrative actions and facilitate coordination with other ESO departments and external parties.
- Support onboarding, team events, training activities and other organisational matters related to the AIV team.
Reports to:
ELT AIV Manager
Key Competences and Experience:
Essential Competences and Experience
- At least three years of professional experience in administrative or project support functions, preferably in a technical or project environment.
- Previous experience in an international or multicultural working environment.
- Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative and follow up on assigned tasks.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills, with a service-oriented approach.
- Experience in preparing and following up purchase requests, travel arrangements, meetings and other administrative processes.
- Good computer literacy, particularly MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Ability to work effectively in a team and coordinate with different departments and external stakeholders.
- Ability to work under pressure in a remote environment while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
Desirable Competences and Experience
- Knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP or similar applications.
- Experience with electronic document management and archiving systems
Qualifications:
Essential educational level
- A technical qualification in Administration, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
Qualifications which would be an asset
- Additional training in project administration or project coordination.
- Training in procurement or financial administration.
Language skills:
ESO is an international organization where the official language is English. The position requires excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Spanish
Remuneration and Contract:
We offer an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary and educational benefits, as well as financial help in relocating the candidate's family, where applicable. ESO aims to support its members of personnel in maintaining a good work-life balance (https://www.eso.org/public/archives/static/jobs/conditions/brochure-lsm-updated.pdf) between their professional and private life.
This is a project-related position. The initial contract is for a two-year fixed term, subject to medical clearance and successful completion of the probation period. The contract may be extended for an additional period beyond the initial two years, depending on the duration of the project. The title or grade may be subject to change according to qualification and the number of years of experience.
For further information, please visit https://www.eso.org/public/archives/static/jobs/conditions/brochure-lsm-sp-updated.pdf
Duty Station:
Paranal Observatory located 120 km south of the city of Antofagasta, Chile. The working schedule will be 5 days on duty and 2 days off duty (5x2) with accommodation provided on site, after a probation period with the appropriate shift scheme.
The role is based on-site at ESO and relocation to the duty station area (Antofagasta) is required. Staff at ESO benefit from a mobile working policy that allows for limited hybrid working for work-life balance purposes.
Career Path: II
Application:
If you are interested in working in areas of frontline science and technology and in a stimulating international environment, please visit http://www.eso.org for further details.
Applicants are invited to apply online at https://recruitment.eso.org/. Your application should be in English and include your curriculum vitae (CV) and a letter of motivation. All interviews will be conducted in English.
Deadline for applications is 8 December 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.
Nationality
No nationality is in principle excluded from employment at ESO. However, non-Chilean applicants must hold a valid Chilean permanent residence at the time of application.
ESO is committed to equal opportunities. The post is equally open to suitably qualified candidates irrespective of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion.