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Project Assistant (Traineeship)

Brussel, Belgium

Employee

Debating Europe is the citizen engagement & democracy unit of Friends of Europe, the think tank designing a Renewed Social Contract for Europe by 2030. We want to contribute to reimagining a democracy fit for the 21st century, one that:

Encourages and empowers people to play a greater role in the big strategic and policy decisions that affect their lives, and the lives of future generations.
Fosters dialogue through which people can develop the skills and confidence needed to involve themselves in the decisions that shape their lives.
Nurtures a healthy public space to enable democratic change to happen by connecting citizens and policymakers.

By rebalancing the relationship between political institutions and citizens we aim to ensure that decision-making processes and policies align with the needs and aspirations of the people they serve, creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and forward-thinking Europe.

We're looking for a Project Assistant for a six month paid (CIP) Traineeship, starting in early May.

This is a great opportunity to understand the workings of an independent, influential think tank and develop your skills and experience. You will gain an understanding of multiple policy areas and have an opportunity for self-development and learning – as well as a chance to contribute to the dissemination of information through debates, working groups and publications.

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY TRAINEESHIP?

At Friends of Europe, we see traineeships as a way of combining initial full-time work experience with hands-on training. That’s why our traineeships are for people who have recently finished studying and are eager to acquire a first work experience.

WHAT WILL I BE DOING?

You will get great experience in project management and communications for citizen engagement in a small, open-minded, and dynamic team. You will assist Debating Europe project management (70%) and social media/content creation/communications (30%) – in particular, you will:

Support with the planning and delivery of our core activities, mostly debates, podcasts, focus groups with citizens, social media and website content.
Regularly ensure a modern, catchy, and meaningful presence of Debating Europe on social media to increase our visibility, generate impact, and expand our network of citizens and partners.
Support with website updates
Conduct research to identify potential VIPs, politicians & experts to be invited as speakers for our podcast series and debates.
Assist in the organisation of – and facilitate - citizen focus groups (recruit, set up, facilitate, draft reports & follow up).
Assist in the organisation of debates.
Whenever appropriate, represent Debating Europe at external events and report back.
Assist the team with other tasks when necessary.

WHAT SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED TO HAVE?

Profile – behavioural competencies
- A highly-motivated personality, hands-on and well-organised
- ‘Can do’ / ‘solution-oriented’ mentality
- Able to meet deadlines while maintaining attention to detail
- Able to work in a multicultural team and with minimum supervision
- A particular interest in working for a think tank
- Interested in event organisation
- Flexibility to occasionally work at morning & evening, weekend events
Education, Experience / Skills
- Demonstrable knowledge of and interest in EU policy and public affairs, with particular interest in democracy and citizen engagement through a relevant degree or equivalent experience / self-learning
- Interest in project management
- Very good organisational skills.
- Good writing, research, analytical and editing skills.
- Good knowledge of and/or interest in democracy, citizen engagement, European and global affairs.
- Fluency in spoken and written English; other languages are an asset
- Good knowledge of Microsoft Office tools, Wordpress, social media and information platforms to gather key content. Familiarity with Salesforce is a plus.
- Ability to work independently and within a multicultural team

COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Friends of Europe is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants, by providing equal treatment of all job applications received, regardless of applicants’ ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or health status. We especially encourage applications from those who have been historically excluded or not had fair and equal job opportunities.

Friends of Europe expects all staff to demonstrate their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in their work and their conduct.

HOW DO YOU APPLY?

To apply, please upload a cover letter explaining your motivation and outlining how you meet the skills and experience required and your CV (pdf format, no longer than two pages) on our website (CV Warehouse tool).
The closing date for applications is 21st April at 23:59 CEST.
Next steps include a one-hour online test followed by an interview for shortlisted candidates.
Please note that due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
For any questions regarding to this vacancy, write to jobs_archive@friendsofeurope.org.

The expected start date is asap and ideally early May.

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