Strategic Communications Intern, Europe

The European Climate Foundation (ECF) was established in 2008 as a major philanthropic initiative to help Europe foster the development of a low-carbon society and play an even stronger international leadership role to mitigate climate change. The foundation works through several sectoral, cross-cutting and regional initiatives and collaborates with a wide network of partners to advance progress towards this shared goal.

The ECF team is a highly dynamic group of individuals, combining ambition and passion with a rigorous, results-oriented and analytic approach to the work. The ECF’s culture is one of intensity, enthusiasm and mutual support.

About the role

The ECF’s Strategic Communications Team is the outreach unit of the Foundation. The team acts as a centre of expertise on climate communications and seeks to help create more political, media and public endorsement for action on climate change at an international, European and sectoral level. The team delivers strategic advice, communications and outreach services to ECF programmes and grantees and helps build strategic communications capacity in the wider climate community.

The ECF’s Strategic Communications Team currently accepts applications for an enthusiastic and highly driven individual to join its Brussels team as Strategic Communications Intern, Europe and gain professional experience in strategic climate communications.

This is an exciting opportunity for a graduate / career starter with a sincere interest in climate and energy issues and the ambition to make a difference, to play an active role in helping speed up the low carbon transition in Europe and avoid the worst impacts of global climate change.

Key responsibilities

Reporting to the Strategic Communications Manager, Europe, the Strategic Communications Intern will be responsible for:

• Working with the team to support the communications- and media needs of the ECF, its programmes, grantees and the wider climate community;
• Contributing to the development and delivery of outreach strategies that help build political, media and public endorsement for action on climate change at international, national and sectoral level;
• Working with the ECF Corporate Communications Associate to help design outstanding communications material;
• Helping to design images and creating videos for digital media tools to disseminate messages and raise awareness of ECF-supported initiatives and outputs;
• Monitoring the news agenda and public debates;
• Maintenance and development of in-house media- and outreach databases;
• Planning and coordinating conferences and events;
• Other ad hoc outreach, research and administrative tasks.

Experience and competencies

• A genuine interest in the mission and values of the ECF;
• An excellent command of graphic design and video editing software;
• Fast-learning self-starter comfortable to work in a fast-paced international environment
• Professional experience or academic background in the fields of communications, graphic design, public relations, energy or environmental issues or EU / international affairs;
• Media and social media-savvy with proven experience in writing / editing;
• Up to speed with online communication tools and social media;
• Enthusiasm to help frame public and media debates around the issue of climate change;
• Superior English language skills, both written and verbal; knowledge of other European languages welcome;
• Flexible, with the ability to work independently and in a team;
• Appreciation of the vital role of administrative tasks;
• The disposition to work with colleagues in a high-trust international community of peers with a spirit of generosity and mutual support.

What we can offer you

• The unique opportunity to work as part of a highly dynamic, international group of individuals who combine their passion to make a difference with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work;

• On-the-job mentoring and a space to develop and challenge yourself;
• Introductions to the ECF’s vast network of stakeholders in the climate- and energy field;
• A 6-months fixed term contract;
• A salary in line with internships in the EU institutions.

Location

Brussels, Belgium

Start date

ASAP

How to apply

Please send your CV and a short cover letter in English, along with your response to the below exercise, to the following email address:

apply-InternStratComms@europeanclimate.org

Please, indicate ´Recruitment – Strategic Communications Intern´ in the Subject line. Candidates need to be in the possession of a work permit for the work location in case applicable.

Exercise: Create two tweets to summarize the recent IPCC report on 1.5°C of global warming in a way that is easy for the general public to understand. Please include both tweet texts and social media images of your own creation in both tweets.

All applications will be treated confidentially. We will store your information in our internal database unless you specifically request otherwise.