**Position:** Communications Intern
**Location:** Brussels, Belgium
**Purpose of the role:** To help Fern initiate, develop and disseminate its content and increase Fern’s reach
**Focus of the internship:** Writing, dissemination, social media, design, events, and communications strategies
## About Fern
Fern is a European NGO with a global focus. We hold the EU to account for its impact on forests and the communities living in and around them, worldwide. We influence and improve EU policies, always informed by those on the ground. We are a small organisation spread between three offices (UK, France and Belgium) and we work horizontally, meaning we take decisions by consensus.
The communications team ensures that Fern’s research, policy proposals and campaign messages reach the right eyes and ears and make a difference. Fern showcases original research and videos highlighting the voices of communities in forested countries and the impact EU policies have on climate change and forests. Our material also explains the problem with deforestation-driven commodities (such as soy, palm oil, cocoa and beef) and monoculture plantations; and explores new ways to mitigate climate change such as continuous cover forestry and sustainable food and mobility. We constantly produce new content, but older content remains relevant, and we don’t want all our previous products to get swept aside.
## About the internship
Fern’s communications internship programme is an opportunity for an individual hoping to work in NGO communications to gain experience of writing, dissemination, social media, design, strategy and non-hierarchical management structures.
We are therefore looking for a creative and detail-oriented intern to join the team for six months, to help us implement our dissemination plans and transform our publications and videos into content that will reach the target audiences.
## Responsibilities & tasks
– Responsible for working with the team to disseminate communications materials (publications, videos, newsletters, etc)
– Responsible for supporting the implementation of Fern’s communications strategies (website, social media, newsletter)
– Responsible for co-managing Fern’s website and social media pages
– Responsible for producing compelling visuals and videos
– Responsible for keeping mailing lists up to date
– Responsible for supporting target audience and stakeholder mapping, analysis and outreach
– Responsible for investigating ways to improve dissemination by reaching new audiences and allies
– Responsible for supporting the development and dissemination of campaign videos
– Responsible for supporting the development of search engine-and artificial intelligence-optimised content
– Responsible for supporting the production and dissemination of Fern’s Forest Watch newsletter
– Responsible for supporting webinar and event logistics
– Responsible for supporting the communications team with ad-hoc requests
– Responsible for participating in communications and other relevant internal meetings
## Skills & qualifications
### Essential:
– Must have relevant academic qualification or experience in a communications environment
– Must be interested in environmental and/or social justice issues
– Must have a solid understanding of core design principles and how to apply them
– Must have a good understanding of and previous experience with social media
– Must have strong attention to detail
– Must be capable to work well both independently and in a team
– Must be proficient in English , with a high-level of English writing and editing skills
– Must be eligible to work in Belgium (see more below)
– Must not have already completed an internship through a “Convention d’immersion professionnelle”
– Ability to begin the internship during the week of 22 June or thereafter
### Desirable:
– Knowledge of an additional language; French writing and editing skills are a plus
– Knowledge of image editing or video editing software (we mostly work on Canva)
– Knowledge of content management systems (we use Typo3)
– Knowledge of customer relationship management and email marketing systems (we use HubSpot)
– Basic understanding of how the EU institutions work
_If you are excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply._
## What will Fern offer you?
This is a Brussels-based full-time internship. Although the initial internship is six months, there may be the possibility to renew the contract for a second six-month period, depending on performance.
It is an exciting paid opportunity to gain strong work experience in a campaigning organisation and learn how to promote material to different audiences.
We offer €1094.91 monthly compensation, plus additional working-from-home (€160.99) and internet (€20) allowances. We also support home-office travel costs, a computer and a desk to work from at our Brussels office.
You will also get an overview of our campaign areas and the opportunity to join team meetings, influence Fern’s communications, and learn about our non-hierarchical structure. We will support you to get the most out of your time with us.
## How to apply
**Candidates must be eligible for a Belgian [Convention d’Immersion Professionnelle (CIP)](https://www.bruxellesformation.brussels/services-aux-employeurs/recruter/cip/) contract.**
To be considered for the internship, your application should contain:
– Your CV
– An email explaining your interest in working with Fern
– Confirmation of your eligibility to work in Belgium: _To be eligible for a CIP contract, you must be an EU citizen or a non-EU citizen with a work permit. Please note that if you are a non-EU citizen with a work permit, your work permit must be valid for the full duration of the six-month contract. Please note that this internship is not open to students as part of their studies._
– An indication of your availability to start the internship during the week of 22 June or thereafter
– _Optional:_ A portfolio of your previous work related to writing/editing, design and social media
### Deadline
Please send your application to [email protected] with “Communications internship” in the subject line by **23:59 CEST** on **Sunday 10 May 2026**.
_Please note that due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted._
## Timeline
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in an online interview (45 minutes) on Tuesday 26 May or Wednesday 27 May. Interviewed candidates will be asked to complete a short assignment (1 hour) on the same day as their interview.
Ideally, the selected candidate would be available to start during the week of 22 June; however, the exact start date will be discussed with the selected candidate.
The duration of the internship is six months, with the potential possibility of a six-month extension for non-Belgian nationals.
## Diversity, equity, and inclusion statement
Fern values a diverse work force and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We strongly encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.
If you have any reasonable adjustments you need Fern to take into consideration for either the application or the interview process, please get in touch with Aislin Ryan, [email protected].
