Trainee - Governance, Strategy and Relations - G1 Unit ECHA/TRN/2027/021

ECHA/TRN/ 2027/021 – G1: Governance, Strategy and Relations (GSR)

Are you interested in European cooperation and EU governance, and motivated by stakeholder engagement and meaningful project work?

Do you want to play a role in supporting ECHA’s leadership of the EU Agencies Network (EUAN)? Taking the lead of the EUAN means that ECHA , in 2027-2028, will guide and coordinate the activities of a network comprising of 52 Agencies, Joint Undertakings and EU bodies. This network is central to fostering collaboration, sharing best practices and driving innovation across the EU Agencies and Joint Undertakings.

As a trainee in the GSR Unit, you will support ECHA’s practical organisation of the EUAN coordination role, which ECHA takes over as of March 2027. You will gain first-hand experience in inter-agency coordination and project management. You will be actively involved in implementing ECHA’s prominent leadership role in an important area of European cooperation.

Assignment

You will be involved in the following types of tasks, not limited to, providing assistance with:

• Project planning and monitoring, including preparation of internal project progress reports, tracking milestones, and following up on deliverables;
• Supporting internal coordination and gathering of inputs;
• Contributing to internal and external meeting organisation, agenda setting, and preparation of materials and minutes;
• Preparing summaries, visuals, and brief analyses to support decision - making;
• Drafting or updating templates, notes and other relevant documentation;
• Handling essential daily administrative tasks, such as monitoring, drafting and routing correspondence;
• Actively contributing to the daily work and continuous improvement efforts within the Unit and in the framework of the project.

Who are we looking for?

The ideal candidate is passionate about European affairs, eager to work in a dynamic, multicultural environment and committed to supporting collaboration across EU institutions and agencies.

• Completed university studies at least to bachelor’s degree level;
• Good knowledge of the European Union and its operative framework;
• Experience in using MS Office, Outlook and SharePoint;
• A team player with strong communication and interpersonal skills;
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail;
• Excellent written and spoken English (the working language of the Agency);
• A proactive mindset with a strong commitment to accountability, inclusivity, and collaboration with a diverse set of stakeholders;
• Openness to sharing information, engaging and consulting others, giving and receiving feedback, embracing diverse perspectives and curiosity to adapting ways of working;
• Familiarity with modern digital tools, including the use of artificial intelligence for project management and communication.

The GSR Unit The Governance, Strategy and Relations Unit works with ECHA’s Executive Director, the Directors Team and the Management Board so that the Agency operates with clear strategic direction, sound governance , and develops and maintains key relationships. The unit helps oversee strategic initiatives and portfolios, manages planning and reporting cycles and coordinates corporate risk management. The unit ensures ECHA’s core management and internal control policies align with strategic goals and legal mandates and manages the internal control standards and ISO 9001 certification . It also conducts retrospective evaluations and supports audits of designated ECHA activities that the Internal Audit Capability (IAC) and the Internal Audit Service (IAS) may carry out. Working with ECHA’s Management Team, the unit helps build and sustain trust with key European institutional partners, Member States authorities and stakeholders . It also supports ECHA’s internal communications efforts to ensure they are in line with our strategic goals and priorities.

The GSR Unit:

• Acts as a strategic partner to ECHA’s senior management team, provides oversight on strategic initiatives, portfolios and projects and ensures consistency of implementation.
• Supports the Executive Director and senior management in defining and delivering change management initiatives in line with strategic requirements, developing key messages and designing alignment meetings on strategic organisational aspects.
• Manages planning and reporting cycles including the preparation of the ECHA Programming Document and the Unit Level Plans, ECHA Annual, Consolidated Annual Activity and Quarterly Reports.
• Works with the Chief Risk Officer to coordinate implementation of ECHA’s Corporate Risk Management framework.
• Contributes to strategic workforce planning together with the People and Development and the Financial Management Units.
• Hosts the secretariat of the Management Board and the Directors Team
• Manages ECHA’s policies in the fields of conflicts of interest prevention, transparency, and fraud-prevention and ensures these are implemented across the Agency.
• Hosts the Agency’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) and manages the Agency’s data protection policy and ensures its implementation Agency wide.
• Provides the Agency’s quality management function and ensures ECHA’s core management and internal control policies align with strategy, operating model and compliance requirements (internal control standards and ISO 9001).
• Manages the Quality Assurance Officer Network.
• Conducts retrospective evaluations and supports audits of designated ECHA activities.
• Maintains ECHA’s stakeholder approach, defines principles and objectives for engagement aligned with ECHA’s strategy, develops engagement plans, coordinates surveys, monitors feedback and exchanges practices with peer agencies.
• Manages and reviews speaking engagement requests to ensure they align with ECHA’s mandate, strategic priorities, and policies
• Monitors policy developments pertinent to ECHA and coordinates ECHA’s input to policy development.
• Acts as point of contact for Member State Authorities and liaises with relevant ECHA units to address requests as needed. Manages Member States Competent Authorities contact lists, organises engagements with authorities from Member States, and aids in the preparation of CARACAL and REACH Committee meetings.
• Manages ECHA's institutional engagements encompassing parliamentary, European Commission, and interactions with the Network of EU Agencies (EUAN).
• Acts as point of contact for Industry, NGO, Trade Union stakeholders and liaises with relevant ECHA units to address requests as needed. Manages and records interactions, develops Lines to Take and messaging relevant for these groups.
• Manages and coordinates ECHA’s third country and international organisations engagements. Liaises with relevant ECHA units as needed.
• Manages IT tools in support of planning and reporting, quality management, stakeholder relationship management and interest management.

NOTE: the traineeship is intended to support both the work of the GSR Unit and the personal and professional development of the trainee. In order to consider their application, the candidates are required to use the free text fields of the application to articulate their motivation in applying for this traineeship. This is a necessary element for the selection and also a starting point for a dialogue that will continue throughout the traineeship.

Starting Date: 1 March 2027 Duration: 6 months Deadline for applications: 2 November 2026 at noon 12:00 Helsinki time (11:00 CET)