Position description
Are you curious about international affairs and keen to understand how diplomacy works in practice? Do you enjoy communication, teamwork and learning by doing?
UK's diplomatic Missions would like to recruit several trainees for 6 months to join teams across the three diplomatic Missions in Brussels (UKMis, the British Embassy, and UKDEL NATO). Trainees support policy and administrative work (e.g. organising events, social media campaigns, and preparing briefing and reports), gaining experience of work in a diplomatic mission.
Who are we?
The UK diplomatic Missions in Brussels:
- The British Embassy Brussels, representing UK interests in Belgium;
- The UK Mission to the European Union (UKMis), working across the full breadth of the UK–EU relationship;
- The UK Delegation to NATO (UKDEL NATO), representing the UK at the heart of Euro‑Atlantic security and defence.
Together, our teams work on a wide range of political, economic, security, trade and policy priorities, supporting Ministers and shaping the UK’s international engagement. Our staff come from diverse backgrounds and departments, and we are proud to be an inclusive and supportive workplace.
Our daily work relies on the input of dedicated individuals who engage on many different topics and activities. We seek to employ a diverse range of candidates who bring their own talents and perspectives to the role. We have a strong corporate agenda that ensures we create a positive and inclusive working environment where everyone is valued for their contribution.
You might join one of the following teams:
British Embassy Brussels
You may work with teams such as:
- Department for Business and Trade (DBT), supporting UK trade, investment, and business interests overseas; or
- The Political Section, providing analysis and advice on Belgian politics and supporting the UK–Belgium bilateral relationship across areas such as economics, migration, foreign and security policy, and communications.
UK Mission to the European Union
You could join policy‑focused teams working on the UK–EU relationship, including:
- Economic Affairs, covering areas such as finance, tax, customs, innovation, and culture;
- Goods, Health and Environment, spanning agriculture, health, competition, environment, and food standards;
- Trade, Sustainability and Markets, working on trade policy, energy, climate, transport, labour policy, and competitiveness; or
- Foreign, Security and Development Policy, engaging with EU institutions and international partners on foreign policy, defence, and development priorities.
UK Delegation to NATO
Opportunities may also exist in teams supporting the UK’s work at NATO, including:
- Strategic Communications, shaping UK‑NATO messaging, media engagement, and public diplomacy;
- Operations, supporting NATO missions, deterrence activity, and crisis response;
- Political Affairs, leading on NATO foreign policy, partnerships, and human security;
- Innovation & Industry, focusing on emerging technologies, defence innovation, and industry policy;
- Defence Planning & Policy, covering capability development, defence planning, and military policy; or
- Resilience and Strategic Threats, addressing issues such as cyber, space, energy security, climate, and hybrid threats.
Roles and responsibilities:
Traineeships vary according to the team you are allocated to, but typical work involves:
- Supporting team policy and administrative work (organising events; running social media campaigns; preparing briefing and reports);
- Building relationships across the Missions and with external stakeholders;
- Contributing to visits and high-level meetings logistics and communications;
- Undertaking programme/project support tasks as required;
- Other duties as agreed with the line manager;
- Participate in wider Mission’s initiatives as required, including engaging in a corporate role.
What will you love about this opportunity:
- A unique insight into diplomacy, policy‑making and international relations;
- A supportive learning environment, with training and development tailored to your interests;
- The chance to work with diverse, international teams in the capital of Europe;
- Exposure to a wide range of policy areas and professional networks;
- Flexible working arrangements (subject to operational needs);
- A welcoming and inclusive workplace where difference is valued.
Qualifications
Our Ideal Candidate shows:
- Full professional proficiency in English (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework*), and French and/or Dutch where required (C1 CEFR);
- Experience of collaborating with diverse teams in an academic, voluntary or professional setting;
- A clear interest in politics and international relations;
- Organisational skills, including experience supporting or coordinating activities such as events, conferences, university initiatives or similar;
- Personal or professional experience of diversity, or a strong interest in inclusive and respectful workplaces;
- Motivation to learn, develop new skills and gain professional experience;
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills;
- Flexibility to work on a variety of tasks and collaborate with different teams
Experience note:
Experience may come from volunteering, community involvement, student initiatives, lived experience or supporting/leading projects. Candidates should have no more than one prior professional internship, or less than one year of professional experience. Formal work experience is not essential. Experience in similar roles and/or completed university degree are not a requirement. We are not looking for a perfect candidate, we are looking for individuals with the right attitude because the relevant skills can be taught on the job.
We will support you throughout your time in the UK Missions with training, considering your future ambitions and aiming to provide relevant exposure to the areas that interest you.
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
Nice to have:
- Knowledge or experience of creating, editing and disseminating multimedia content, such as social media posts, newsletters, graphics, videos or other digital communications.
Required behaviours
Communicating and Influencing, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
Other benefits and conditions of employment
These are full-time professional immersion traineeships with a duration of 6 months, 36.25 hours net for 5 working days a week.
The professional immersion indemnity for this position is €1.500. Additional benefits including commute refund and luncheon vouchers of €8 per workday are also provided.
This traineeships provide a professional immersion outside of any educational programme. Therefore, no paperwork with a university or school can be signed.
Trainees have access to 1 day of paid annual leave and 1 day of unpaid leave per month of Traineeship.
Please note that Belgian nationals will be paid their salary gross and are expected to comply with their tax obligations through completion of a tax return to the Belgian authorities. Non-Belgian nationals will receive their salary net, minus the deduction of an equivalent level of Belgian tax retained at source. Further information on this will be given to candidates during the recruitment process.
Please be advised that the British Diplomatic Missions will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered an Traineeship offer.
Professional Immersion Traineeship Requirements:
- Be a minimum of 18 years old;
- Proof of valid medical coverage for the period of the Traineeship (European/Global Health Insurance Card).
Staff recruited locally by the British Diplomatic Missions in Belgium are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Belgian employment law.
The successful candidates will be subject to professional background checks and security clearance.
Visa/work permit requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Belgium and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the legal requirements to live and work in this country.
Application instructions
Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on Globaljobs.org