Vacancy: Trainee (March-July 2026)

The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung is a German political foundation affiliated with the German Green Party (Alliance 90/The Greens). Its primary task is political education and advocacy in Germany and abroad. Our main tenets are ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, non-violence and justice. In our work, we place particular emphasis on gender democracy, equal rights for minorities and the political and social participation of migrants.

Our namesake, the writer and Nobel Prize laureate Heinrich Böll, personifies the fundamental principles we stand for: defence of freedom and human dignity, civic courage, open debate and the acknowledgement of art and culture as independent spheres of thought and action. As a think tank for green visions and ideas, we are part of an international network with over 30 offices worldwide and with partner projects in more than 60 countries.

We are currently recruiting two Trainees – one trainee for our Green Transformation programme area, one trainee for our EU and International Politics programme area. The selected Trainees will also work together with all our EU | Global Dialogue office team, learning by doing, and supporting the implementation of our office projects. Read the traineeship testimonial by Sinéad Thielen.

Responsibilities:

• Supporting organisational coordination, incl. catering, bookings and calendar management for the director
• Assisting in the preparation of events and publications for the respective programme areas (Green Transformation, EU and International Politics)
• Attending relevant events and meetings and supporting with note-taking
• Research and analysis as well as monitoring EU policies and political developments relevant to the respective programme areas
• Assisting in project management tasks such as project planning, implementation and reporting
• Communications and outreach tasks (incl. content management support for our website)

Requirements:

• Masters graduate in Political Science, International Relations, European Affairs, Economics or Law, or another field intersecting with those fields
• This is an early career opportunity, therefore priority will be given to candidates with up to 2 years max of experience (incl. internships)
• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail
• Ability to perform tasks independently and responsibly, set priorities and meet deadlines
• Hands-on team player willing to actively contribute to all aspects of day-to-day operations, including organisational and administrative tasks
• Oral and written fluency in English (German language skills are an advantage)
• Gender and diversity awareness
• Genuine interest in the values and mission of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung

Our offer:

• A Convention d’Immersion Professionelle (CIP) contract with a monthly allowance comparable to Bluebook traineeships, from 9 March to 31 July 2026, with a possibility of extension
• The traineeship is designed as a unique learning opportunity to gain experience working at an organisation with a global reach and with committed colleagues and partners.
• A chance to be integrated into the work of a political foundation, interacting with colleagues in Europe and around the world, and with diverse project partners and stakeholders & networking opportunities
• A working space in our EU office, a laptop, access to our internal training offers, and mentoring opportunities

Learning, mentoring and supervision:

• Each trainee will be supervised by a designated programme lead and work closely with the entire team, including the director
• Regular check-ins and feedback sessions to reflect on learning progress and professional development
• Clear learning objectives defined at the beginning of the traineeship and reviewed mid-term
• Support in developing and delivering an individual capstone project aligned with the trainee’s interests and the office’s work

Application:

• Please send us:  your CV (1 page max) and motivation letter (1 page max) by e-mail to Anna.Mes@eu.boell.org, with email subject "Green Transformation CIP 2026" or “International Politics CIP 2026”.
• In your motivation letter, please outline a brief idea for a capstone project you would like to develop during the traineeship. This could take the form of, for example, “3 Questions” interviews https://eu.boell.org/en/3-questions, a blog contribution (e.g. for the Energy Transition Blog https://energytransition.org/), or another editorial output.
• The deadline for applications is Sunday 25 January 2026, 23:59 CET.
• As much as we acknowledge AI as an enabling tool, we encourage candidates to write their CV and motivation letter by themselves.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Receipt of applications will not be acknowledged. Thanks for your understanding.
• Interviews will take place during early to mid-February 2026.
• We are committed to non-discrimination, diversity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will be considered, regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, nationality, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability and minority status.