Jobs

Internships and Traineeships

My eleven months as trainee and part of the FSFE's international team, have been full with new things to learn, great people to meet, challenges to overcome and opportunities to grasp. There was never a boring day. I was involved in high-level legal and policy work as well as community building and awareness-raising activities. I was in the core preparation team of short and long-term campaigns.

Olga Gkotsopoulou, Intern 2017

The FSFE is looking for smart, motivated interns and trainees to join our team. We offer:

• A truly challenging and exciting time with a dynamic NGO working internationally
• A close-up view of organisational and community processes
• A chance to take the initiative and put your ideas into practice
• The opportunity to meet and work with Free Software advocates across Europe

What you will do

• Contribute to FSFE's ongoing projects, working with one or more of our staff and volunteers.
• Communicate with contacts from the FSFE community, NGO, industry, and public administrations.
• Coordinate volunteers and others in the work on various projects.
• General office tasks.
• Find your own strengths, and do something you care about.
• Other tasks outlined in the job description when an opening is announced (see below).

Being part of the FSFE team has not only contributed to my professional development, but also to my personal development. Professionally, I have improved my research, communication, writing, planning, and digital skills through the various tasks I have completed during my internship. On a personal level, I have enjoyed working and interacting with the diverse and international nature of the staff, improving my knowledge of politics, culture, food, to name a few. I am glad that I got to share the day with such an amazing staff.

Evelyn Kwarteng, Intern 2023

Basic internship facts

We are generally open for applications throughout the year. Sometimes we offer longer internships and traineeships, and other times we seek applicants with a specific focus (for instance students for summer internships). These will be announced separately in our news and newsletter. Here are the usual specifics:

• Duration: 6 months, full-time. If you have less time available, let us know, we might find a way.
• Location: Berlin, Germany.
• Compensation: Interns receive a compensation corresponding to the currently applicable statutory minimum wage for a full-time job (~1880 € gross as of 1 June 2024. Subject to change). The specific current amount is announced when an opening is published.
• Requirement: The internship is open to EU citizens, and anyone else holding a residence permit and a work permit for Germany.

With my internship at the Free Software Foundation Europe, I was given the opportunity to work together with amazing and highly motivated people. I could bring in my existing skills in a meaningful way, as well as learn a whole lot of new technical methods and ways to enthuse people. In my usual field of statistics and data analysis, Free Software and Open Data becomes increasingly important and is a key to privacy-friendly and ethical Data Science, which is why I am so delighted to be able to contribute to the work the FSFE is doing.

Jan Weymeirsch, Intern 2018

Who we're looking for

The FSFE interns come from a variety of backgrounds, all sharing a passion for technology, policy, and the legal issues surrounding them. If you're interested in diving into these topics, you've come to the right place. You're fired up about a free information society, and you've already done something to tell others why freedom matters? Then this internship is for you. Your academic background and qualifications matter less than your experience, your will to learn, and your ability to get things done. We expect:

• Solid basic knowledge of and strong interest in Free Software (required).
• Fluent in English (written and spoken) is required; a working knowledge of other languages is an asset.
• Basic acquaintance with working on GNU/Linux systems (desirable)
• Ability to be creative, responsible, and to multitask.
• Ability to integrate into a young, motivated, and professional team.
• No programming skills required. Programming is one of the few things you probably won't be doing during your internship, unless you're applying for a technical internship.
• Enhancing diversity in Free Software is a priority for us, particularly by encouraging greater participation from women. Therefore, when candidates possess equal qualifications, we will prioritize applications from suitably qualified female candidates and other underrepresented groups.

I am passionate about Free Software and I always wanted to help with its promotion. That's why an offer to help the FSFE was a perfect fit for me. During my internship, I worked mostly on developing the FSFE's infrastructure and helped by adding documentation for specific tasks involving different services. Interns at FSFE are really useful, as they bring their experience and knowledge to the FSFE and, given the structure and openness of the organisation, are able to do meaningful work that has a real value.

Vincent Lequertier, Intern 2018

How to apply

Applications for internships are welcome any time. However, note that the available slots are limited, so please apply well in advance of your desired start date.

To apply, please send a maximum one-page cover letter and a maximum two-page CV (only PDFs are accepted) by email to interns@fsfe.org. Please do not include pictures of yourself in the application. If you have general questions about this or anything else, please contact us via our general address.

We look forward to your application!