Traineeship Programme
EPHA is a change agent – Europe’s leading NGO alliance advocating for better health. We bring together the public health community to provide thought leadership and enable change; to build public health capacity to deliver equitable solutions to European public health challenges, such as air pollution, more affordable medicines, and the need for health-enabling food systems, to improve health and reduce health inequalities. As a member-led organisation made up of public health NGOs, patient groups, health professionals and disease groups, we work with relevant policy and decision makers to strengthen the voice of public health in Europe. Twice a year, EPHA welcomes motivated master’s students and recent graduates passionate about gaining hands-on experience in advocating for better health within the NGO environment in Brussels.
We offer 6 months placements in the following areas:
Communications Trainee
You will support the day-to-day management of EPHA’s communications streams and internal team activities. You will contribute to social media strategy implementation, assist in editorial tasks such as blogging, writing newsletters and weekly feeds, help with event organisation and management, and support the implementation of communication activities.
Policy Trainee
You will carry out daily monitoring and research on policy developments within the EU. You will attend meetings and support the team in writing reports, preparing briefs, and helping to organise and attend events. You can choose one of the following policy areas to focus on:
- Health Equity
- Politics & Health and Health Systems & Economy
Organisational Development Trainee
You will gain experience in the day-to-day operations of a leading NGO in Brussels. You will support with tasks related to organisational growth, talent development, fundraising and office management. You will learn the skills to confidently communicate with a range of people, understand business strategy, and keep a workplace functioning at a high level.
Legal Requirements
We offer two types of traineeships:
Student traineeship
- The traineeship at EPHA needs to be held in the framework of their studies and the training agreement is done with the University;
- Foreign students who intern in Belgium should be covered by insurance from their home country;
- Remote working is possible, but legal eligibility to work in the EU is a must;
- This traineeship is unpaid, but we support students in Erasmus+ and funding applications.
CIP traineeship for recent graduates (La convention d’immersion professionnelle)
We provide the opportunity for recent graduates who possess a strong passion for public health in Europe to join our CIP traineeship programme. Eligible candidates should be residents of Belgium for the 6 month duration, and hold a valid work permit (if applicable). The traineeship is paid according to Belgian government requirements (€977.50).
Current CIP Traineeship Vacancies
The following trainee positions are now open for applications, to join our team as soon as possible after the application deadline. Click on each title to see the detailed job description:
- Healthy Environments Policy Trainee
- Health Equity Policy Trainee
- Politics & Health, and Health Systems & Economy Policy Trainee
- Organisational Development Trainee
Application deadline: 1 November 2024 (23:59 CET).
Application Process
Please send your CV and the application form to jobs@epha.org.
In the subject line of the email, please state for which traineeship you are applying.
Due to the high volume of applications, only successful candidates will be notified of the outcome of the selection process and invited for an online interview.
FAQ
What is the recruitment process like?
We follow a three steps recruitment process:
- Applications form and CV: all the applications will be reviewed within 2 weeks of the application deadline.
- Interview: selected candidates will be invited for an online interview with the HR manager and the lead of the specific area you are applying for.
- Writing task: those who wowed us at the interviews will be invited to complete a short writing assignment based on the materials we send you. There is no need to prepare anything in advance.
Our goal is to finalise the recruitment process and invite trainees to work with us within a month of the application deadline.
Can I send my application at other times than the recruitment window?
We receive a lot of emails! If you want a guarantee that your application is considered, you must apply within the recruitment window:
- For Autumn/Winter traineeship apply between the 16th – 30th of April
- For Spring/Summer traineeship apply between the 16th – 31st of October
Your application may be missed if you apply at any other time.
What is the exact starting date?
We aim for all our trainees to start during the same month to give them the best experience and a sense of community. However, we do appreciate that availabilities may vary, and we can discuss it on a case-by-case basis.
How long is the traineeship?
From experience, we know that 6 months is the minimum time to get the best value from a traineeship. Some masters programmes ask for a shorter placement which we can consider. However, we do not accept candidates for a period shorter than 4 months.
Will I work from the EPHA office or from home?
The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that remote working is possible. At the same time, being at the office, getting to know colleagues and learning from them is the best part of any traineeship. We offer both options and we can discuss them on an individual basis.