Traineeships (Administration Unit)

The European Institute for Gender Equality¹ (EIGE) announces traineeship opportunities in its Administration Unit lasting 11 months  for graduates who are either nationals of an EU Member State or an EFTA country or an IPA qualifying country.²  The traineeships are based at the Agency's premises in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The traineeship will offer the possibility to university graduates to gain experience in the context of the European Union in general and in the work of EIGE in particular.

The registration of applications begins on 10 February 2025 and closes on 10 March 2025 at 13:30, Eastern European Time (EET).

Applicants shall note that the specific tasks assigned to them will be identified in the offer letter sent to the selected candidate. The tasks of the trainee might be further tailored after the start of the traineeship. The trainee may be required to assist in other areas of activity, depending on the needs of the service and his/her profile and experience. 

The selected trainee will have a traineeship supervisor for the entire period of the traineeship. The traineeships aim principally to:

• Provide on the job training experience in key areas of the Agency's work covered by the Administration Unit, in particular Audit & HR, Finance & Procurement and ICT and Facilities Management;
• Extend and apply knowledge acquired in the course of studies or working life;
• Provide practical working knowledge of EU agencies and institutions;
• Enable trainees to acquire work experience in an EU agency context.

The Agency

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, EIGE is a decentralised agency of the European Union (EU) entrusted with specific objectives envisaged to contribute and strengthen the promotion of gender equality.

To achieve its goals, the Agency collects and analyses comparable and reliable information at EU level and develops appropriate methodological tools for the integration of gender equality into all EU policies. It fosters the exchange of good practices and dialogue between stakeholders and raises EU citizen awareness of this policy area by providing technical assistance to EU institutions, in particular the European Commission, as well as the authorities of the Member States.

In the course of its work to promote and strengthen gender equality, EIGE supports policy-makers with high quality research and comparable data relevant to their work.  

The Agency is an equal opportunity employer and accepts applications without distinction on the grounds of age, race, political, philosophical or religious conviction, gender or sexual orientation and regardless of disabilities, marital status or family situation.   

Traineeship description

The Administration Unit consists of three teams focused on (i) Audit and HR, (ii) Finance and Procurement and (iii) ICT and Facility Management.

Reporting to a supervisor, the trainee provides administrative assistance and support the smooth functioning through the following tasks.

• Support in development of administrative policies, guidance and manuals in the areas covered by the Unit;
• Support in streamlining internal administrative processes and procedures;
• Contribution to the implementation of internal policies and application of administrative procedures;
• Support to audit coordination;
• Contribution to the development and implementation of the Internal Control Framework;
• Assistance with the compilation of financial information for planning and reporting purposes;
• Assistance in the implementation of different HR related projects (such as, the development and implementation of the competency framework), organisation of learning and development activities and selection procedures;
• Support with filing and documentation management.

The trainee is provided with relevant work experience in the context of an EU agency as part of one of the following teams.

Audit & HR

The selected trainee can expect to carry out duties from the following:

• Support the implementation of HR related projects, such as the development of the Agency’s competency framework;
• Support the development of HR tools, such as the e-recruitment tool;
• Support the organisation of learning and development activities;
• Support the organisation of selection procedures;
• Support coordination of audits, including the gathering and compilation of information and documentation for audit purposes;
• Support with the implementation of the internal control framework and collection of data for assessment of internal control indicators and other performance indicators applicable to administrative services;
• Document management activities such as registration, filing and archiving.

Finance & Procurement

The selected trainee can expect to carry out duties from the following:

• Assist the team with data collection for financial reporting purposes;
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of tools in area of procurement and finance (such as, the contracts library);
• Filing, registration and archiving of procurement documents;
• Contribute to drafting templates, manuals, guidelines, presentations and checklists;
• Support the organisation of internal training in the area of finance and procurement;
• Assist with project implementation primarily, monitoring budget execution and alerting of conclusion dates for contracts.
• Provide assistance with implementing other relevant tasks assigned by the Team Leader Finance & Procurement

ICT & Facilities Management

The selected trainee can expect to carry out duties from the following:

• Assist with first line helpdesk support to EIGE staff;
• Support with selection and deployment of new IT tools;
• Assist with management of meeting rooms and meeting equipment;
• Assist with organisation of conferences by preparing conference room and equipment;
• Support colleagues with arrangements of working spaces;
• Assist the team with the compilation of information for various administrative purposes;
• Support with filing and documentation management.

The traineeships are open to applicants who have not previously undertaken a traineeship in another EU institution or body, who have a recognised university degree evidencing completion of a full cycle of studies.³ Some initial relevant previous experience will be considered favourably as will an interest in issues related to gender equality.

Applicants must have fluent English, both spoken and written, an excellent knowledge of at least one other EU language as well as computer skills applicable to a Windows environment.

Application procedure

There are two stages:

Stage 1 - Online registration

Candidates must submit their application electronically using EIGE’s application form. Applications must reach eige.hr@eige.europa.eu by not later than 13:30 Eastern European Time (EET), on 10 March 2025 and the subject title should include the name of the candidate and the reference number of the traineeship.

Candidates are requested to send their completed application in English, the working language of the Agency. All parts of the application form must be completed in full. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Stage 2 - Supplementary documentation (applicable only to candidates selected to start a traineeship)

Should a candidate be selected to start a traineeship, in order for the application to be considered complete, the candidate must provide copies of all the supporting documents - e.g. proof of nationality, diplomas, academic qualifications, employment certificates as applicable, insurance policy for sickness and accident during the period of the traineeship, medical certificate indicating work fitness, etc. - needed to prove that they satisfy all admission conditions.

Candidates must be prepared to submit proof of their qualifications upon request. All documentary evidence of any professional experience must indicate start and end dates for previous positions and the start date and continuity for the current position held.

Candidates will be eliminated if:

• their application is received after 13:30, EET on 10 March 2025.
• they do not use and duly complete the official application form provided by EIGE.
• they do not meet the general conditions described in section 2 above.

Eligible candidates shall be selected on the basis of their application.

A selection committee shall oversee the analysis of the applications to assess and select those best matching the profile and qualifications required for each traineeship. The selection committee can also assess any administrative experience obtained by the applicants either as part of their studies for a university degree or through professional experience. The committee can then invite the selected candidates for an interview.

The work of the selection committee is confidential. Candidates shall not make direct or indirect contact with the selection committee or have anybody do so on their behalf. The Appointing Authority reserves the right to disqualify any candidate who disregards this instruction.

The Agency regrets that, due to the large volume of applications it receives only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

All inquiries for information should be sent by e-mail to eige.hr@eige.europa.eu quoting the reference of the traineeship.

Engagement and conditions

The Agency operates from a modern and fully computerised office space based in the Old Town of Vilnius. Working time includes office-based working and telework.

The trainee shall work in a multicultural environment where social dialogue is considered very important. EIGE applies a participatory approach to its work and encourages an open dialogue between management and staff. Colleagues work closely together as much of the work is organised around cross-unit project teams. EIGE is committed to the principle of zero tolerance for harassment at work.

Engagement for a traineeship will be decided by the Agency’s Director based on a reserve list of candidates proposed by  the relevant services.. Candidates should note that inclusion on the reserve list does not guarantee selection. The established reserve list may be used for other similar traineeships depending on the Agency's needs and will be valid until the 31 December following the year of engagement.

The traineeship is supported by a monthly grant equivalent to 1,279.99 EUR. While a travel allowance will be provided, trainees will have to make their own health insurance arrangements. Applicants are advised to read Director’s Decision No. 317/2024 since it contains other relevant information.

The chosen candidate/s will be required to enter into a commitment to act independently in the public interest and to make complete declarations of any direct or indirect interests that might be considered prejudicial to his/her independence. Candidates must confirm their willingness to do so in their application.

Appeals

Applicants can submit an appeal to the European Ombudsman at the following address or directly on Ombudsman’s website.

However, before submitting a complaint to the European Ombudsman, applicants must already have contacted EIGE about the matter and used all the internal administrative options for review.

Protection of personal data

The purpose of processing of the data submitted by candidates is to manage each application in view of a possible pre-selection and recruitment as a trainee at the Agency. Unsuccessful application files are kept for two years following the closure of the selection procedure, after which time they are destroyed.

The personal information requested from applicants will be processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October December 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Equal opportunities

The Agency applies a policy of equal opportunities in line with the formal requirements noted above.

Applications are accepted without distinction on any grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

EIGE is committed to promote diversity and inclusion in its working environment and organisational culture. This includes Reasonable Accommodation for applicants with a disability⁴.

Appeal procedures

If a candidate considers that s/he has been adversely affected by a particular decision, s/he can lodge a complaint under Article 90(2) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union and Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, by writing to The Director, European Institute for Gender Equality, Gedimino Prospektas 16, Vilnius, Lithuania LT01103.

The complaint must be lodged within three months. The time limit for initiating this type of procedure (see Staff Regulations as modified by Council Regulation No 723/2004 of 22nd March 2004 published in the Official Journal of the European Union L 124 of 27th April 2004) starts to run from the time the candidate is notified of the act adversely affecting her/him.

Pursuant to Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Decision of the European Parliament of 9 March 1994 on the Staff Regulations and the general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman’s duties, published in Official Journal of the European Union L 113 of 4 May 1994, it is also possible to write to: The European Ombudsman, 1 Avenue du Président Robert Schuman, CS 30403 67001 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

Further details on appeals

Protection of personal data

As the body responsible for organising the competition, the EIGE ensures that applicants’ personal data are processed as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regards to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. This applies in particular to the confidentiality and security of such data.

Personal data shall thus be processed solely for the purpose of the selection procedure.

Lithuania and life in Vilnius

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Area and it borders Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. Its western coastline - noted for its fine beaches, dunes and majestic pines - straddles the Baltic Sea.

Vilnius has an estimated population of just over 550,000 people. In addition to ample green spaces, it is beautifully situated on the banks of the river Neris, offering excellent opportunities for outdoor activities. Vilnius has impressive Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance and Russian architecture as well as one of Europe's largest medieval old towns, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. It has been a university city since the Middle Ages.

Today it is the centre of the country's politics, business, science, culture and entertainment and it attracts an increasingly varied assortment of local and international events. The city centre of Vilnius is compact, clean and safe. In addition to hosting a number of international schools, Vilnius has a well-developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.

The city is easy to get around, has a good standard of living and an excellent working environment. EIGE’s premises are situated in the Europe House on the main thoroughfare of Vilnius, Gedimino Prospektas, with easy access to amenities, both leisure and educational.

Further information is available from Vilnius Tourism and Invest Lithuania.