Recruitment at the European Space Agency: how strategy meets operations

Edit Kosaras looks back on an impressive career in international HR management and, as Head of the Recruitment Support Service at the European Space Agency (ESA), is responsible for operational talent acquisition at one of the world’s leading space organizations. In this highly demanding role, she drives the recruitment of highly specialized professionals and researchers from all ESA member states, actively steering the staffing of pioneering space and science missions. Her focus lies on designing efficient, transparent recruitment processes to successfully secure the brightest minds in STEM disciplines within a highly competitive global market.

Lucy van der Tas has worked in the HR Department of the European Space Agency for over 40 years and has held a variety of roles in recruitment and training, including leading the ESTEC Training Service from 1995 until 2010, after which she became an HR Advisor. In this role, she was responsible for recruitment and career management for one of the largest ESA engineering directorates. Since October 2020, she has led ESA’s Talent Acquisition Team. She and her team market ESA as an employer with a view to attracting candidates from a wide range of backgrounds to apply for its vacancies.