Policy Trainee for Culture, Education and Anti-Discrimination (CULT committee) for the Volt Europa delegation in the European Parliament (f/m/d)

Volt Europa is looking for a trainee to support our MEP Nela Riehl in her work as Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education. 

In her role as Chair, Nela has an important formal and institutional role, in which you will support her. In particular, you will work closely with the policy team and Policy Advisors, to ensure Nela’s priorities are well represented in all her activities as MEP and Committee Chair. This includes engaging with relevant stakeholders, supporting the team and the MEP in representational contexts and institutional capacities. 

In this position, the successful candidate will be responsible for a variety of tasks in the areas of drafting, research, briefing and stakeholder engagement, as well as communication and event organisation. While a large proportion of this work will be desk work, this position will allow you to develop a professional network of political and social actors in the field. Most importantly, this is an opportunity to gain first-hand experience learning about the role of an MEP and the workings of the EU institutions in a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment.

Do you want to contribute to Europe's future?

Volt stands for a united and federal Europe, where everyone has equal opportunities to fulfil their unique potential. We strive to achieve the highest human, environmental, social, and technological development together. We are a pan-European political movement with 200 elected representatives across Europe, including 5 members of the European Parliament, over 30,000 members and hundreds of volunteers who work hard to make our vision a reality. 

Volt is an inclusive movement that wants to provide space for everyone to thrive. We believe the power of diversity achieves better results for our society at large. We can only be the inclusive political movement we aspire to be, if we represent different voices and perspectives in our society. Your skin colour, gender identity, disabilities, sexual orientation or religious belief do not matter. You are welcome in our organisation, and we want to work together with you to create a better Europe for everyone. 

What will you do?

  •   Research and produce briefing notes, speeches, speaking points and explanations of votes for use by Nela and/or the wider Volt EP delegation;

  •   Attend meetings and prepare meeting notes for meetings of the Parliamentary Intergroups, Group meetings and Committee meetings;

  •   Think strategically and future oriented about engagement with key stakeholders for Nela as CULT Chair as well as on her ongoing dossiers and policy work; 

  •   Draft amendments and consult with the stakeholders to ensure civil society perspectives are considered in our policy work;

  •   Support communication colleagues with information on the policy issues under your responsibility;

  •   Help organise events and related outreach activities on relevant topics.

What skills do you need to excel in this role?

Research shows that (oftentimes) female candidates only apply when they meet 100% of the requirements, while male candidates do so when they meet just 60%. We explicitly encourage everyone to apply: you don’t have to tick every box to apply. We also consider your potential and motivation! We value equity of opportunity and do not expect a trainee to arrive with 10 years of working experience.

  •    Good interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written, demonstrating accuracy and attention to detail;

  •    A proactive approach, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment;

  •    Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously;

What requirements do we ask for this role?

  •   English language competence at CEFR level C1 or above. The Volt Europa delegation’s working language is English;

  •    Knowledge and passion for European politics, policy issues, and current events, and a commitment to progressive values and principles.

  •    First experiences in civil society engagement or cultural and/or media organisations would be an asset

  • Please note that this role requires residency in Brussels or a willingness to relocate

What do we offer?

  •    Monthly gross salary of €1.675 (highest possible trainee allowance from the European Parliament)

  •    First-hand experience in the office of a Parliamentary Committee Chair and Volt Europa MEP;

  •    Experience and training working on policymaking and driving a progressive agenda in an EU context; 

  •    The opportunity to develop your expertise on culture-, education- and anti-discrimination related topics within and outside of the EU legislative process;

  •    A purpose-driven work environment, underpinned by our shared commitment to the European project;

  •     A fun, young, and international team.

How to apply: 

Does this opportunity excite you? We want to hear from you! 

To ensure we assess all applications objectively, we are not asking you to apply through a cover letter, but to provide us with a CV and answer the following questions through this form before 23:59 (Brussels time) on 28.06.2026. We ask all applicants the same questions so we can get an impression of what they have to offer to be successful in the position. Please ensure your answers are well-prepared and that you submit the form correctly. This is the only information from which we will select the applicants that will be interviewed for the position. 

We aim to finalise the interviews & selection procedure around mid-July, with a start date foreseen for unsuccessful candidates will be duly notified.

Please note: whilst we would love to retain every great trainee, budgetary constraints for the Volt delegation mean there is unfortunately no pathway to offer continued employment after the traineeship. We prefer to be upfront about this from the start. 

Any questions about the vacancy, or if you have any trouble accessing the form, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] .