NATO Internship - Office of Strategic Communications (OSC)

Internship Call - OSC - Vacancy Notice

NATO’s Strategic Communications build trust in and support for the Alliance by strengthening public awareness and understanding of NATO’s priorities and activities. Led by the NATO Spokesperson/Director of Strategic Communications, the Office of Strategic Communications (OSC) provides communications direction and guidance to stakeholders across the NATO enterprise and coordinates strategic communications activities across all NATO civilian and military bodies. The Office carries out full-spectrum communications, analysing the information environment, designing and creating content, managing communications technology and platforms, overseeing media relations, and engaging with audiences through a wide range of channels.

OSC’s interns will have the opportunity to work in one of the following areas:

a)    Digital Communities & Content Section: Within OSC, the Digital Communities & Content Section is responsible for NATO’s digital communications, including through the NATO website, multimedia production, social media channels, digital campaigns and partnerships with content creators, corporate communications, and the NATO brand. Through these activities, the Section reaches a wide variety of audiences, providing clear information about NATO’s policies and activities, and supporting the Alliance’s political and military priorities. Tasks may include any of the below areas:

a.     Support the planning and execution of social media campaigns around NATO’s official accounts, community development and management;

b.     Support multimedia content creation, including ideation, scripting, production, marketing, archiving, cataloguing, distribution and promotion of multimedia products (microcontent, edited pieces, b-roll);

c.     Help build multi-channel campaigns to build support for the Alliance based around political priorities

d.     Help map, vet and deliver programmes for content creators, including visits to NATO HQ, military exercises, Ministerial meetings and Summits 

e.     Create content for NATO’s website, including research, writing, editing, photo/video sourcing and graphic design to explain NATO’s activities;

f.      Help increase engagement through fully developed user journeys and assist with testing and quality assurance of the NATO website;

g.     Implement the NATO brand strategy, evolve and enforce the NATO Brand Identity Manual and develop, procure and distribute merchandise;

h.     Develop and execute special projects such as working with the mass entertainment and games development industries.

b)    Policy, Plans and Assessments Section: Within OSC, the Policy, Plans and Assessments Section is responsible for a wide range of policy, planning, analysis and assessment workstrands. It comprises teams responsible for Information Environment Assessment, Audience Research, and Policy and Plans. Tasks may include any of the below areas:

a.     Support the delivery of NATO’s public opinion research programme to provide insights to inform and assess NATO’s communications;

b.     Support end-to-end delivery of commissioned quantitative and qualitative research and contribute to survey design;

c.     Carry out analysis on NATO’s own communication, earned communications about NATO and information threats targeting NATO;

d.     Help coordinate capability development, including to leverage artificial intelligence to enhance and shape NATO’s communications;

e.     Cooperate with Allies and NATO partners on information environment assessment, including dedicated programmes to support Ukraine;

f.      Contribute to the development of strategic communications policy and planning documents and learn about the NATO policy process;

g.     Provide support to committees composed of representatives from NATO member countries.

c)     Press and Media: Within OSC, the Press and Media Section is the principal point of contact for all media-related issues at NATO HQ, including engagement with the media, media policy, media operations, and media monitoring. Tasks may include any of the below areas:

a.     Draft various media products, including web stories for the Newsroom page of the NATO website, transcripts of public remarks by senior NATO officials, messages for press conferences and interviews;

b.     Assist with media accreditations and media operations;

c.     Assist with the planning and execution of press tours;

d.     Attend relevant meetings and providing succinct written summaries;

e.     Draft reviews of the media environments in certain countries or of certain media outlets ahead of Secretary General’s meetings and interviews;

f.      Other ad-hoc tasks as required, including administrative support to the wider Press and Media team.

What do we offer?                                                                       

• A 6-month traineeship at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels, starting in March and September 2027.
• A full-time traineeship (38 hours a week).
• A monthly grant of 1,334.96 € and a travel reimbursement upon joining and leaving the organisation.
• Teleworking subject to business requirements.
• A rich programme of activities, attending regular events and participating in meetings with several stakeholders.
• NATO HQ Staff Centre which promotes employee well-being and foster a healthy work environment (click here for more info, special membership price for NATO interns)

Selection Criteria

Please note that you can apply for up to five (3) different vacancies!

Apply until 30/04/2026 [23:59h, Brussels time]

Essential:

The candidate must:

1.     be a national of a NATO member state,

2.     be at least 21 years old,

3.     have at least two years of university level studies 
OR equivalent education 
OR be currently a student 
OR a recent graduate (degree obtained no longer than 12 months ago),

4.     and have proficiency in one of the two official NATO languages (English/French).

Desirable:

The following criteria will be considered an advantage:

1.     have a Bachelor's degree or in the final stage of a Master’s degree relevant to the requested area of expertise,

2.     elementary knowledge of the second official NATO language (English/French),

3.     advanced user of IT tools including Microsoft Office, SharePoint;

4.     previous experience with other international organizations, national administration, research or industry.

Competencies required:

The candidate must demonstrate the following competencies:

·       Achievement: Works to meet standards.

·       Analytical thinking: Breaks down problems and see basic relationships.

·       Clarity and accuracy: Shows general concern for order and clarity, and checks own work.

·       Customer service orientation: Responds appropriately, maintains clear communication.

·       Empathy: Listens actively.

·       Flexibility: Acts with flexibility.

·       Initiative: Reacts to short-term opportunities or problems.

·       Organizational awareness: Understands the Organization’s structure.

·       Teamwork: Cooperates, shares information and knowledge freely, offering support and cooperation.

Our Values:

NATO is committed to both diversity and inclusion, and strives to provide equal access to employment, advancement and retention, independent of gender, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, cultural background, sexual orientation, and disability. NATO welcomes applications of nationals from all member nations, and strongly encourages women to apply.

NATO is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible working environment, where all candidates living with disabilities can fully participate in the recruitment and selection process. If you require reasonable accommodation, please inform us during your selection process. Candidates will be required to provide documented medical evidence to support their request for accommodation.  

Building Integrity is a key element of NATO’s core tasks. As an employer, NATO values commitment to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability in accordance with international norms and practices established for the defence and related security sector. Selected candidates are expected to be role models of integrity, and to promote good governance through ongoing efforts in their work.

Special Notice:

In order for the Internship Office to assess your eligibility for the Internship Programme, please attach the following documents:

1.     copy of university qualifications you have completed and/or

2.     proof of ongoing studies with the dates clearly mentioned if you are still studying.

We prefer that these documents are in one of the NATO official language (English or French). If you don’t have these documents in English or French, please attach a translation.

Please ensure that all information is complete and accurate before submitting your application.

Please note that the application cannot be updated after the relevant deadline. 

The pool of candidates will be available to all NATO IS and IMS Divisions, Offices and NATO Bodies in case there is a need for a similar profile.

Due to the broad interest in NATO and the large number of potential candidates, telephone or email enquiries cannot be dealt with.

Read more about the Internship Programme, including terms and conditions, and what we offer on our website.

Kindly note that NATO will not accept any phase of the recruitment and selection prepared, in whole or in part, by means of generative artificial-intelligence (AI) tools, including and without limitation to chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (Chat GPT), or other language generating tools. NATO reserves the right to screen applications to identify the use of such tools. All applications prepared, in whole or in part, by means of such generative or creative AI applications may be rejected without further consideration at NATO’s sole discretion, and NATO reserves the right to take further steps in such cases as appropriate.