Jobs/traineeships

Are you currently affiliated with a university, where you share our ambitions for impact and change at the local, regional, and municipal levels? CEMR offers internship opportunities to motivate students interested in gaining hands-on experience in European policy, project management, and advocacy. We are open to receiving students’ expressions of interest throughout the year, nonetheless, interns are hosted for 3-6 months starting either in January or September.

Here’s what you can expect to learn and be doing throughout your internship depending on the team you’ll be part of:

• Policy Intern:

The intern will support the Policy Team working on a range of issues such as environment & climate issues, energy transition, mobility, cohesion policy, gender, migrations, democracy and more.  S/he will support expert groups’ work on policy and advocacy, the work on research and studies, and the exchange of good experiences both from a content and communication perspective and will have the opportunity to work with the policy officers and advisors. S/he will contribute to the wider policy activities which include engaging with external stakeholders and players.
Whenever needed, s/he will support some policy-related project implementation such as the Local, Social, Digital project or Living-in.EU and twinning activities.

• Projects & Programmes Intern:

The intern will support the Projects & Programmes Team in implementing activities on a range of issues such as climate, energy, twinning and partnership building. S/he will support with the preparation and organisation of events, and working group meetings including identification and dissemination of funding opportunities from various donors open to local governments and their associations.

When needed, will assist in drafting reports, publications, and surveys and collect best practices in the framework of the ongoing Projects & Programmes activities.
Currently, the team is delivering on the main following projects: Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities, Covenant of Mayors, Living-in.EU, Bridges of Trust, Sun4Ukraine and a sub-grant promoting twinning and partnership building.

• PLATFORMA Intern:

The PLATFORMA Intern will support the PLATFORMA Team with communications, administration, project management, and thematic activities such as working groups, publications, surveys, etc. in the field of decentralised development cooperation, localisation of global agendas at local and regional levels, as well as development education and awareness-raising (Global Citizenship Education).

The intern will get involved in the work of the team, attend, and contribute to weekly team meetings, and other team coordination moments, support and participate in meetings and events, support media monitoring and coverage of events, follow the legislative agenda and attend EP Committee meetings, draft policy briefs and newsletters, support project monitoring and implementation, and assist in drafting articles, reports, publications, studies, or good practices.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• An interest and a good understanding of EU affairs and implications for the citizens.
• Good communication and drafting skills
• Very good command of English; French desirable; other languages a plus.
• Efficient user of IT tools: MS Office (Outlook, Word; Excel, PowerPoint), Google Suite, and teleconferencing software (Zoom, WebEx, MS Teams).
• Knowledge of online graphic design tools (Canva, KapWing, etc.) is considered a plus.
• Ability to effectively use social media.
• Motivated team player with a willingness to learn.

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• The internship is unpaid. However, interns will receive daily meal vouchers (8 euros) and reimbursement for Brussels public transport monthly tickets.
• CEMR interns are also entitled to ½ off per week, to allow them to keep up with their university commitments while they complete their internship.
• As a general rule, interns are required to work from the CEMR office and only telework occasionally (with prior approval), from their residence in Brussels. Our office is based in a modern, well-situated office in the European Quarter.
• Read more here

APPLICATION PROCESS

We accept internship applications year-round. Interns will start their roles every 3–6 months, depending on the organisational needs and the internship cycle.

To apply, please send the following to application@ccre-cemr.org:

• A cover letter (in English or French) stating your motivation, availability, and any university requirements.
• Your CV in English.

If applying for a specific internship, please indicate “Policy Internship”, “Projects & Programmes Internship” or “PLATFORMA Internship” in the subject line. If you are open to any role, simply write “Internship Application.”

If you are interested in being considered for any internship available, please include in the subject email simply “Application for Internship”.
Please note that only students currently enrolled in a university programme can qualify for an internship opportunity. An internship agreement with the University (“Convention de stage”) is mandatory.
Every application receives our dedicated attention as we believe in giving each candidate the consideration they deserve. However, given the large number of applications we usually receive, unfortunately, we will only be able to respond to the shortlisted candidates.

CEMR seeks a Project Officer to implement activities related to the project “Local and Regional Government Social Dialogue Capacity Building” funded by the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission.

The project aims to strengthen social dialogue capabilities in Eastern European countries, candidate countries, and Southern European islands. Current disparities in engagement create an uneven playing field across the EU, hindering cohesive and effective social dialogue initiatives. The project seeks to promote effective social dialogue at both national and EU levels by identifying common objectives and fostering commitment to achieving meaningful outcomes for the benefit of all.

• Read more here

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan, implement and monitor the delivery of the project activities.
• Ensure compliance with grant agreements and align project objectives with donor requirements.
• Coordinate, build and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders, project partners, beneficiaries, and donors.
• Cooperate with internal teams, including Communications, Human Resources, and Policy, to create synergies and effectively deliver results.
• Prepare narrative and financial reports in collaboration with the CEMR team on Finance and Administration.
• Provide support to the CEMR Statutory Affairs team for presenting project information during key meetings.
• Design and develop new initiatives in alignment with organisational goals.
• Perform related duties as assigned by the Director of Projects and Programmes.

MAIN REQUIREMENTS

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Political Science, Public Administration, or Project Management.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in the fields of social dialogue and/or industrial relations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Excellent computer proficiency (MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, Google Office – Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms).
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary member service.
• Ability to work independently and to carry out assignments to completion.
• Languages required: English proficiency and at least one additional language: French or German.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates are invited to send their application, including a CV and a cover letter before February 21, 2025, at midnight to application@ccre-cemr.org, with “Project Officer – Social Dialogue” in the subject line.
CEMR is an equal opportunities employer, fostering an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued and can thrive.

CEMR is looking for a Projects Lead who will oversee, implement and expand our Twinning & Partnership Building portfolio to achieve the CEMR impact goal – society, currently including flagship programmes such as the Bridges of Trust (BoT) and Twinning.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong project management and coordination skills, a result-driven professional with a passion for promoting and fostering partnerships amongst local governments and for driving impactful programmes.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in strengthening CEMR’s projects and programmes, fostering collaboration and sustainable partnership among local and regional governments across Europe and enabling them to learn, exchange, and work together on specific challenges they face.

The Projects Lead will be instrumental in expanding projects and the organisation’s network, securing resources to support impactful programmes, and building partnerships that advance sustainable development and effective governance at all levels.

• Read more here

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan and coordinate the implementation of activities with team members within the Twinning & Partnership Building portfolio.
• Build and nurture relationships with members, donors and other stakeholders to strengthen and expand cooperation and partnerships delivering on current commitments.
• Drive the development of new projects to expand the Twinning & Partnership Building portfolio.
• Internally, coordinate and streamline the work of the “Twinning and Partnership Building” team.
• Work closely with the CEMR colleagues across teams (Communications, the Policy Team, Platforma, Finance/ Administration, and HR) to achieve results.
• Draft and deliver high quality project related narrative and financial reports, the latter in cooperation with the Finance/Administration team.
• Perform related duties as assigned by the Director of Programmes & Policies.

MAIN REQUIREMENTS

• A university level of Master’s degree in International Cooperation, Political Science, Public Administration, Project Management or similar.
• At least 5 years of professional experience managing and developing projects in the areas of twinning and international municipal cooperation.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Experience in grant proposals writing & fundraising.
• Solid experience in dealing with budget monitoring and management, with ability to anticipate and address possible over and under spending.
• Excellent computer proficiency (MS Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, Google Office – Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms).
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, while maintaining a positive and cooperative attitude.
• Excellent team player, with ability to work independently, prioritise tasks effectively, and thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Excellent coordination and negotiation skills.
• Languages required: English as principal working language. A working knowledge of French and other European languages are an asset.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates are invited to send their application, including a CV and a cover letter before the 14^th of March 2025, at midnight, to application@ccre-cemr.org with ‘Project Lead‘ in the subject line.
CEMR is an equal opportunities employer, fostering an inclusive workplace where every individual is valued and can thrive.