Communications & Events intern

We are looking for an enthusiastic graduate who would like to join us as our Events and Communications intern. You will become part of a fun small team based in Leuven (Belgium). During the pandemic, all team members have been working from home. However,  now we are starting to return to the office on some days per week. Since you will occasionally be working from home for the foreseeable future, you must have a space where you can work in a professional manner with minimal noise interference and with a stable broadband direct cable internet connection. EARMA will provide the IT equipment needed for the job.

We are offering a variety of online and in-person trainings and events including a large annual conference, which is scheduled to take place in Oslo in May 2022. If the covid-19 situation does not allow for in-person events of this scale, we will run a digital conference instead. You will be involved with the planning and execution of most events and will get the chance to travel to some in-person events including the conference if it goes ahead live.

We are looking for an intern, who has already graduated with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, is interested in finding out how a European Association works and is passionate about events, communications and interacting with and bringing together people. You have to be able to handle time pressure, deadlines and implement last-minute changes when needed. Nevertheless you need to be someone who seeks to avoid these scenarios by properly planning ahead. As our intern, you will report directly to the EARMA Community and Events Officer, who you will work closely together with. You will also work with the Communications Officer and on occasion the Administrative/Financial Officer. The Community and Events Officer will run your induction and plan your weekly schedule and when you are working from home and from the office with you.

You will be expected to start in January/ February 2022 although we will be flexible depending on the status of the pandemic.

About EARMA

EARMA is the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators. Our goal is to invest in those people supporting and managing research so they can be as productive and happy as possible. This contributes to scientific research and to society. We are a non-profit organisation under Belgian law with a legal address in Brussels but a factual address in Leuven. Our members are mainly academic (universities and research organisations). We organise an annual conference (> 1000 participants), offer a training programme and other events which are mainly organised in Brussels. We have approximately 170 institutional members (organisations) and 200 ordinary members (persons). EARMA exists for 25 years and has a great reputation in Brussels and around the world. The core of our association is the EARMA members of whom a large number contributes to the association as volunteers.

More information on EARMA:

https://www.earma.org/

https://www.earmaconference.com/

Twitter: @EARMAOrg

Brussels Conference 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB8hnypMTmE

Bologna Conference 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xRyAV85oas

EARMA event in Brussels (Nov 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGpVWGpskEM

What you will be doing:

You will support the Community and Events Manager with the planning and execution of most events. This will include:

- adding events to our website’s events calendar and keeping them updated which involves collecting and editing photos and biographies, writing event descriptions, etc.

- reaching out to speakers

- creating fact sheets

- formulating event invitations

- researching and evaluating venues

- creating zoom meetings and webinars

- showing start-of-event and break videos

- comparing venue and supplier options in excel

- giving technical briefings to speakers

- preparing surveys and polls

- hosting events together with the Community & Events Officer (occasionally, you may run a digital event by yourself).

+ any additional tasks required to run our successful events

You will support the Communications Manager in efforts to inform the EARMA community and promote the brand of the Association. This will include:

- media monitoring

- creating social media content

- monitoring European institutions

- compiling contact lists

- direct marketing preparation

- representation at events

- community news article writing

+ any additional tasks to ensure the smooth running of EARMA’s communications

Your Profile:

• You have very strong written and spoken command of the English language (C2 level).
• You have previous event experience OR are keen on learning about online and in-person events
• You are experienced in using online meeting and events platforms or have relevant adjacent experience and are motived to learn how to work with these platforms as the host and specialist
• A bachelor or master degree or equivalent in experience
• You are strong with numbers, data, excel & computer.
• You are fast, highly organised, structured and precise.
• You have the ability to multitask, to define priorities in a fast-paced environment with short deadlines.
• You are a quick learner and flexible
• You are eager to learn and have an entrepreneurial mindset / can-do attitude
• An added value would be if you have experience with the academic sector and specifically with university administrations or research project management (desirable not mandatory)

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