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 operates three world-class observing sites in northern Chile - La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor (home to ALMA) - while its Headquarters are located in Garching, near Munich, Germany. For its IT Department, in the IT Projects and Security Group within the Directorate of Engineering, ESO is opening two positions of Cybersecurity Specialist.
As part of the IT Projects and Security Group, the successful candidates will support the protection, resilience and continuous improvement of ESO's IT environment and services, contributing to the delivery of ESO's cybersecurity programme across cybersecurity operations, security engineering, resilience capabilities and the secure onboarding of new IT services. Working closely with other cybersecurity specialists, internal stakeholders and external providers, they will help ensure cybersecurity requirements are effectively integrated into operational activities, projects and new services.
Main duties - Position 1 (Cybersecurity Operations): support cybersecurity monitoring, threat detection, investigation and incident response; contribute to threat hunting and analysis with internal and external partners; support vulnerability management including identification, prioritisation and remediation follow-up; contribute to implementation and continuous improvement of cybersecurity controls and operational processes; support the operation and optimisation of cybersecurity tools.
Main duties - Position 2 (Cybersecurity Engineering, Projects and Resilience): contribute to cybersecurity improvement projects; support secure onboarding of new services, technologies and solutions in on-premises and cloud environments; participate in security assessments; support identification, assessment and management of cybersecurity risks; contribute to disaster recovery, backup and resilience capabilities; support security controls, standards and governance practices. Both roles collaborate with technical and non-technical stakeholders and prepare documentation, reports and recommendations. The post reports to the Head of the IT Projects and Security Group.
Essential: professional experience in at least one of cybersecurity, IT operations, IT infrastructure, cloud services, technology projects or a related area; understanding of cybersecurity principles, security controls and common threat scenarios; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; effective communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders; ability to work independently and in multidisciplinary teams; structured approach and ability to manage multiple priorities. Desirable: experience in security operations, incident response, threat detection, vulnerability management, security engineering, cloud/on-premises onboarding, risk management, resilience, disaster recovery or business continuity; familiarity with ISO 27001, NIST or CIS Controls; experience in international organisations.
Qualifications: university degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Engineering or a related field; equivalent professional experience also considered. Recent graduates with relevant practical experience, internships or academic projects are encouraged to apply. Certifications are an asset but not required. Excellent command of English is essential; working knowledge of German and/or Spanish an advantage.
Remuneration and contract: attractive package including a competitive salary (free of income tax for applicants from ESO member states), comprehensive pension scheme, medical, educational and other social benefits, relocation support and daycare support. Both positions are in Career Path V. Contracts are fixed term for three years, subject to successful completion of the probation period, with possible extension. Duty station: Garching near Munich, Germany, with occasional duty trips to Chile; the role is on-site and relocation is required, with a mobile working policy allowing limited hybrid working.
Closing date: 2026-09-20
HOW TO APPLY:
Applicants are invited to apply online at http://jobs.eso.org/. Applications must be completed in English and should include a motivation letter, clearly stating which position is of interest, and a 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. Deadline for applications is 20 September 2026. Interviews are expected to start soon after this date. For queries: vacancy@eso.org
https://recruitment.eso.org/jobs/2026_0051