Policy Intern

Position description

IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by more than 1,000 professional staff in 50 offices worldwide and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. Its headquarters are based in Gland, Switzerland.

IUCN’s European Regional Office represents 357 members, including 32 governments. We provide regional and global services to the Union, providing vital linkages to stakeholders in Europe and EU institutions in Brussels. Our primary role is to provide knowledge and advise decision makers to improve conservation policy and action, connect and engage in policy dialogues with European institutions, governments, civil society, NGOs, science and the business communities. 

The Policy and Programme Team at IUCN’s European Regional Office leads IUCN’s engagement in EU policy, and coordinates and leads on the elaboration and implementation of the IUCN European Regional Work Plan. Over recent years, the European Office has been increasingly engaged on key issues such as sustainable agriculture, circular economy and biodiversity conservation, contributing and fostering the dialogue towards the transition to sustainable agriculture, as well as other key policy areas for nature conservation.

Important information about the position

Please note that an EU work permit is an essential requirement for this position and that applicants must have a student status and be enrolled at a university for the entire duration of the internship. 

The internship is unpaid, but expenses for public transport and lunch are covered (monthly MOBIB card + 5 EUR/day for meals). Students are encouraged to apply to their University for an Erasmus+ internship grant: https://erasmusintern.org/content/scholarships.

The possibility to work remotely, if desired by the applicant, can be considered but with previous agreement from the supervisor. 

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Job Description 

The IUCN Brussels team is looking for a highly motivated intern for a period of up to 6 months to provide support to the EU policy work of the Office. Under the supervision of the Senior Manager: Policy & Programme, the intern will assist the Policy and Programme team with the implementation of IUCN Europe’s current work programme and support the activities related to European Policy and Programme. The intern will also support the organization of meetings and events internally and in collaboration with the EU Institutions -the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council-, as well as external communication activities of the office related to EU policy. 

This assignment will include the following responsibilities: 
 

• General support to the activities of the Senior Manager: Policy and Programme and other team members of the Policy and Programme team, including some project- and policy-related activities (assisting with the implementation of IUCN Europe’s current work programme);
• Carrying out research on EU policies and processes as well as latest developments related to nature conservation and sustainable development, especially regarding biodiversity policy, sustainable agriculture and circular economy;
• Monitoring the latest EU policy developments and producing communication materials such as newsletters, web stories, articles, brochures, fact sheets;
• Monitoring the relevant activities of the EU institutions (e.g. major announcements, upcoming events and policy calendars, public consultations etc.), and preparing regular briefings;
• Attending (virtual) meetings and conferences and reporting on the outcomes;
• Support with the organizing (virtual) events and meetings, including speaker liaison, logistics and onsite support;
• Assisting in the preparation of speeches, PowerPoint presentations on a variety of topics related to IUCN’s mission.
• Assisting in the liaison with EU Institutions, IUCN members and partners; 
• Providing a range of administrative support functions on a day-to-day basis, including assisting with project management activities and logistics for meetings. 

REQUIREMENTS 

• Applicants must have a student status and be enrolled at a university for the entire duration of the internship;



 
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• Be studying towards a relevant Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with a focus on environmental policy, sustainable development, international relations - or another discipline relevant to nature conservation, natural resources management, sustainable development or international policy;



 
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• An affinity with the vision and mission of IUCN and a strong interest in and good understanding of European environmental policies, in particular for biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and circular economy;



 
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• A proficient level of written and spoken English, other languages are an asset;



 
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• Good organizational, administrative and reporting skills;



 
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• Strong writing skills and IT literate: MS Office;



 
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• Experience and knowledge of social media outlets is an asset;



 
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• The ability to work independently and on multiple tasks simultaneously;



 
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• The ability to meet tight deadlines without compromising the quality of outputs;



 
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• Be highly motivated to learn and develop new skills, keen to bring in own ideas;



 
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• A team player with a strong interest to work in an international environment;



 
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• Be an EU national or holder of an EU work permit.

Application instructions

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