Press & Communication intern The Council of European Municipalities and Regions

In preparation of the CEMR international “Conference on citizenship and twinning” to be held in Italy by the end of 2014, we are looking for a native or near-native Italian-speaker with an excellent command of English and good command of French (spoken and written).
The candidate must be a student in a European university and able to set up a trainee agreement between him/herself, the university and CEMR.
1. Main tasks and responsibilities
The trainee will work within CEMR’s Secretariat General, in its Brussels office. She/he will:
a) Press and communication

• Support in the development of CEMR website
• Maintenance of CEMR website
• Research, write and translate topical news stories for CEMR’s bilingual (FR/EN) website
• Help handle queries from CEMR’s members, the media and other stakeholders. Search for photos to accompany articles and adapt using Photoshop
• Regular monitoring of press and institutional activities
• Create press reviews
• Contribute to the production of CEMR’s publications: find graphic elements, draft and proof-read content, liaise with graphic and printing agencies

b) Events

• Assist in the organisation of CEMR international Conference on citizenship and twinning to be held in December 2014 in Italy
• Write, edit and translate texts (English and French into Italian) and assist in the coordination of translations and linguistic versions
• Update content in the CEMR conference website
• Help with overall organisation of different events
• Undertake a range of administrative tasks

2. Person specification
The successful candidate will have:

• Previous experience in press, communication or relevant field (preferable)
• General knowledge of EU affairs
• An understanding of local and regional government issues in Europe
• Knowledge of and ability to use new technology (website, video, etc.)
• Knowledge of social media tools (preferable)
• Ability to use IT tools and software such as Word, Excel (knowledge of Photoshop would be an asset)
• Preferably native or near-native Italian. Good written and spoken English and French.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills
• Ability to work effectively as a team member in a multicultural and multilingual environment

3. How to apply for this position
Please send us the following:

• A response of maximum 200 words per question, in English or in French.

1) Explain why you are interested in this position?
2) In what way could you best contribute to the work of the press and communication team? What particular strengths would you bring to your work?

• A curriculum vitae, including employment history, secondary/higher education and professional qualifications.

Please send your application to the Press and Communication Department, at CEMR (Square de Meeûs 1, 1000 Bruxelles) or by e-mail to pierre.vanderauwera@ccre-cemr.org and georgina.mombo@ccre-cemr.org
The deadline for application is Sunday, 17 August 2014.
The traineeship will start as soon as possible, preferably from the 1 September 2014.
4. Additional information on traineeship
Please, note that the traineeship is unpaid
The post is based at CEMR’s Brussels office; currently Square de Meeûs 1, 1000 Brussels. The duration of the traineeship is of minimum three months.
Office hours are between 9.00 and 18.00 (Monday-Thursday); 9.00-16.00 (Friday). Some flexibility in working hours will however be required.