Project Assistant - Debating Europe

Project Assistant Traineeship - Project Management & Communications for Citizen Engagement

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.

Debating Europe is recruiting a Project Assistant for a paid six-month traineeship (convention d'immersion professionnelle) starting early June, to provide support in the project management of some of our core activities and help us promote our work on social media.

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'll 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 and social media/content creation/communications– 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?

• Demonstrable knowledge of and interest in EU policy and public affairs, with particular interest in democracy and citizen engagement and/or space through a relevant degree or equivalent experience / self-learning Excellent level of spoken and written English; another EU language is highly desirable.

• Strong project management and organisational skills.

• Very good writing, research, analytical and editing skills.

• Good knowledge of and/or interest in democracy, citizen engagement, European and global affairs.

• A highly-motivated and pro-active– well-organised with a hands-on working attitude and able to meet deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.

• Ability to work in a team and independently with minimum supervision.

• “Yes I can” mentality, flexible and solution-oriented.

• A people-person, with very good interpersonal skills.

• Good knowledge of Canva, Wordpress, social media and information platforms to gather key content. Familiarity with Salesforce is a plus.

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 answer the relevant questions and upload your CV (pdf format, no longer than two pages) on our website which shows your motivation, skills, and experience. We know why generative AI wants to work with us - we'd love to know why you would!
• The closing date for applications is 9th May at 23:59 CEST.
• Next steps include a one-hour online test followed by an interview for shortlisted candidates.