Looking for a career with Oxfam? Our humanitarian, development and campaigning projects change lives around the world. Thousands of people already commit their time and talents to make this happen. Now we're looking for yours.
Current positions available at the EU office
The Oxfam EU Traineeship Scheme
The Oxfam EU office offers four different types of traineeships at our Brussels office.
You can find a description of the different positions we offer as well as the frequently asked questions below.
The assistant supports the work of the EU policy advisors working on climate, agriculture and food and economic justice – Marc Olivier Herman, Hanna Saarinen and Julie Bos.
Your role will include monitoring EU policy-making and legislative processes in the areas of corporate accountability and governance, agriculture and food systems, and climate. You will strengthen your analytical and advocacy skills and knowledge of the EU institutions and policy-making processes through hands-on experience working with the climate, food and economic justice staff of a leading international NGO.
The assistant supports the migration and humanitarian policy advisors – Stephanie Pope and Vittorio Infante.
Your role will include assisting in implementing strategies and tactics to influence EU policies for migration and asylum, protracted conflicts and humanitarian aid. You will strengthen your analytical and advocacy skills and your knowledge of the EU institutions and policy-making processes through hands-on experience working with the humanitarian staff of a leading international NGO.
The media assistant works with the media team – Jade Tenwick and Julia Manresa - to create strategies around key EU media moments (e.g. a new EU law) to communicate Oxfam’s position in the media.
Your role will include managing and creating content for our social media accounts, drafting press releases, organizing events like the Spark EU climate action event, conducting media analysis and monitoring, and our media calendar up to date.
The Partnership Management Assistant works with the two Partnership Managers (and broader account teams) – Nils Rocklin and Irene Hernandez Andres.
Your role will be to support the Partnership Managers in their overall objective to maximize current income levels from the European Commission and the UN. You will work on influencing key policies and practices to ensure stronger alignment with Oxfam’s work and priorities and improve the overall quality and efficiency of our partnership.
The experience was a deep dive into the work of an NGO working on influencing decision-makers in the EU institutions. I had the opportunity to explore and strengthen various skills, from media to policy, and to get an in-depth and critical understanding of the topics Oxfam’s experts work on. Learning about how NGOs use media to influence positive policy changes was extremely enlightening, and a knowledge I will bring with me in all my future career steps. It was really a 360-degree growth experience!
FAQs
How can I apply?
We will post vacancies on this page and on our social media platforms when they open. Please note that, unfortunately, we are unable to consider spontaneous applications.
Where is the position located?
The Oxfam EU office is based in Brussels, Belgium.
What does the daily work consist of?
This depends on the type of traineeship, but in general, our traineeships are an opportunity for young professionals to gain an insight into the world of an NGO in the EU bubble.
How many colleagues will I be working with?
This depends on your team. The Oxfam EU office hosts approximately 30 colleagues. Learn more about our colleagues here.
Tell me more about the contract?
It is a 10 months long paid traineeship - approx. 1350 euro a month. The contract is in the form of a Convention d'immersion professionnelle (CIP) according to Belgian law. Contracts tend to be for 36 hours and offer paid holidays.
Please note that the CIP contract is not compatible with a traineeship convention from a university.
Does the Oxfam EU office sponsor visas for non-EU citizens?
Unfortunately, no. To apply for these traineeships, you have to have the right to reside and work in Belgium.
What if my question was not answered by these FAQs?
If you have any more questions, contact us at eu@oxfam.org.
Our commitment to equality and diversity
Oxfam is committed both to promoting equality and diversity within the organization and to Equal Opportunities in employment. We believe in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. All employment decisions are made entirely on merit.
Our commitment to safeguarding
Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.
Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam International Secretariat also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, if a job applicant has been employed by another member of the scheme, we will request information from that organization about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
This position was a great entry point into the aid sector. I could work on funding cycles and Oxfam's response to global calls for proposals and be involved in sector-wide strategic discussions, for instance, on localisation or the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. I learned about the EU and the UN's aid delivery policies and mechanisms and honed my analytical and coordination skills. My favourite part of the job has been liaising with many different teams and stakeholders, from Oxfam colleagues implementing projects in various countries to European Commission officials. This taught me a lot about communication and gave me a good overview of jobs in the humanitarian and development sector.
Our trainees created this Career Advice Guide based on a Q&A session in our office.
