Trainee on EU (forest) governance

The European Forest Institute (EFI) is an international organisation with 30 member countries and around 125 member organisations. EFI undertakes forest research and policy support at pan-European and global level, with headquarters located in Joensuu, Finland. EFI has its other main offices in Bonn, Barcelona and Rome. Further information about the organisation is available at www.efi.int.

We are offering one traineeship on the topic on EU (Forest) Governance as part of the Policy Support Facility and hosted by the Bonn office. The Policy Support Facility works at the interface of science and policy-making by aiming to understand policymakers' questions and identifying and synthesizing scientific/expert knowledge to provide answers, foster dialogue and close knowledge gaps. In addition, we are preparing high-level policy-support events and communication activities.

Currently, we are monitoring and analyzing all forest-related EU policies to identify trade-offs in EU forest governance systematically to inform decision-makers about this complicated policy landscape. In this regard, we are interested in understanding what initiatives are planned, how they develop, and when windows of opportunity open to provide scientific and expert knowledge to support decision-making.  

Your tasks will include:

• Support the systematic monitoring of EU forest-related policies (document analysis, documentation and write-up)

• Support the development of communications materials (e.g. graphics design, videos editing, infographics etc.) and content related to current policy support topics.

• Support the organisation of high-level policy support events and related activities.

• Other activities as agreed during the traineeship period.

Traineeship conditions:

• Duty station: EFI Bonn, Germany and in person only

• Paid monthly traineeship allowance

• Duration of both traineeship is for a period of 6 months

• Starting date: mid-May 2026 to mid-November 2026

Interested candidates are requested to send (in English) a CV with a motivation letter outlining how you fulfil the requirements for the position using our online application form. 

For more information about the post, please contact Helga Pülzl, helga.puelzl@efi.int.

Closing date for applications is 22 April 2026 23:59 CET.

• Studying for a higher education degree (MA or MSc). Academic background in EU studies, political science, and communication science or similar is encouraged, but not limited to.

• Strong knowledge of EU policies and institutions

• Excellent written and spoken English

• Ability to work with Microsoft Office and familiarity with AI tools

• Hands-on, proactive, independent

• Experience in graphic designing and video/ photo editing using Adobe Creative Suite is an asset