About us

Founded in Brussels in 1983, CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) is a leading think tank and forum for debate on EU affairs, which has been consistently ranked among the world’s top 10 best think tanks. One of CEPS’ distinguishing features is its strong in-house research capacity and an extensive international network of partner institutes. CEPS’ funding comes from a variety of sources, mainly research grants and service contracts, but also from membership and conference fees.

CEPS is currently seeking an intern to join our Partnerships, Development and Intelligence (PDI) Unit. Reporting to the Head of Unit (Head of Development and Strategic Partnerships) and working closely on a daily basis with the Membership Coordinator, the intern will play a valuable role in supporting the team ’ s efforts to engage, understand and grow CEPS ’ s membership and partnership community. This position presents an excellent opportunity to develop stakeholder engagement, research and coordination skills within a dynamic, international environment.

The ideal starting date for the internship is mid-September 2026.

Main tasks

As an intern in the Partnerships, Development and Intelligence (PDI) Unit at CEPS, you will support the Membership and Partnership Coordinator and the Head of Unit across the full membership engagement cycle. Your responsibilities will include:

Supporting member research and profiling: help identify priority members and prospects, and gather background on their profiles, past interactions and policy interests ahead of meetings.
Assisting meeting preparation: help prepare objectives, agendas, briefing notes and presentation content for member meetings and recruitment calls, in coordination with the Membership and Partnership Coordinator and relevant Units.
Providing logistical support: coordinate scheduling and confirm practical details and expectations with members ahead of interactions.
Supporting note-taking and follow-up: attend member meetings where relevant, take notes, and help synthesise feedback into clear, prioritised follow-up items for the Membership and Partnership Coordinator and Head of Unit.
Helping track commitments: support the Membership and Partnership Coordinator in following up with Units to ensure agreed actions (event invitations, briefings, research inputs) are delivered on time.
Assisting with knowledge circulation: help scan CEPS ’ s research outputs to flag content relevant to specific members, and support targeted outreach to them.
Contributing to onboarding and member recruitment support: help prepare outreach materials, identify potential new members, and support the onboarding of newly recruited members.
Supporting communications and events: help draft newsletters and member updates, and assist with the organisation of member meetings, networking opportunities and community-building events.
Maintaining databases: support the Membership and Partnership Coordinator in keeping CRM systems and membership records accurate and up to date.
Supporting reporting and institutional memory: help document meeting outcomes, feedback and relationship decisions so that key insights are captured and shared with the team.
Other relevant tasks, as and when required.

Your background and qualifications

You have finished, or are close to finishing, your tertiary education, with at least a bachelor ’ s degree in European affairs, international relations, business administration, public policy or a related field.
You have a good understanding of, or strong interest in, EU policy debates and the work of think tanks and knowledge-based organisations.
You are comfortable working with digital tools and databases; familiarity with CRM systems (especially Salesforce) is an asset.
You have an excellent command of English, both orally and in writing (C1 level).

Your profile

You have strong active listening and note-taking skills, and can synthesise discussions into clear, actionable points.
You are organised, proactive and able to manage multiple small tasks and deadlines at once.
You are comfortable liaising with different internal teams and enjoy supporting relationship-building with external stakeholders.
You have good written communication skills and enjoy helping prepare creative, visual and engaging briefing notes, outreach materials and member updates.
You are curious, eager to learn, and motivated to contribute to the growth and stewardship of CEPS ’ s membership community.
You are comfortable working in an international team, can take ownership of tasks, and are equally happy working independently.
You have an inclusion-oriented mindset and absolute respect for diversity.
You are enthusiastic about contributing to the success of the PDI Unit and to CEPS as a whole.

What CEPS can offer

We offer a full-time internship opportunity for a duration of six months, starting in mid-September 2026. The selected candidate will join under the CIP scheme and receive a CIP allowance of EUR 1,200 per month. The internship is based in Brussels and will take place in-person, but some teleworking might be possible for a limited period. Candidates must be legally entitled to undertake an internship in Belgium for the duration of the placement.

Career development prospects

This internship offers hands-on experience in stakeholder engagement, partnerships and membership coordination -key skills for a successful career in the Brussels policy environment, working closely with both the Membership and Partnership Coordinator and the Head of Unit.

More information

Further information about the position can be obtained from [email protected].

Application and deadline

Applicants are requested to:

Complete and submit this recruitment form by 16 August 2026, 23:59 CET;
Send their CV (in English) to [email protected] by 16 August 2026, 23:59 CET. We kindly requdest that you use the following subject line for your email: ’ M&P Intern 2026 -PDI '. For the CV, please use the Europass template (<https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/>).

Applications received after the deadline, incomplete applications, or applications that do not follow the above instructions will not be considered.

Pre-selected candidates are invited to a short online interview in the week of 24 August 2026. Based on these first interviews, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person or online interview in the week of 31 August 2026.