Project Manager Understanding Europe

The Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe, established in 1971 by Pauline Schwarzkopf, aims for a Europe characterized by openness, solidarity, and democracy, shaped by its youth. Through events, educational programs, youth networks, prizes, and scholarships, the foundation provides young Europeans with opportunities for encounters, exchanges, personal development, and active democratic participation.

Understanding Europe is a peer network for diversity-orientated and low-threshold democratic citizenship education that is currently active in 12 European countries. In 2025, three fellowships will be offered to young European educators on the focus topics of resilience and solidarity, European fundamental rights and security. During this period, the fellows will develop new educational formats based on the peer-education approach that are designed to be inclusive and dialogue-based. Further information on the project can be found here.

Your tasks:

• Coordinating a fellowship program focused on the core topics of security, fundamental rights, and solidarity & resilience. This includes:
  • Selecting, training, and providing educational support to young participants.
  • Guiding the development of educational formats and materials, including quality management.
  • Establishing and coordinating a network for mentors and fellows.
• Conceptual refinement, planning and organisation of a wide range of educational formats and events in the field of diversity-oriented democratic citizenship education (including qualification- and training formats such as the European Summer School, consultations and discussion events as well as Transnational Trainings in cooperation with the network and team)
• Further developing, implementing, and evaluating the qualification strategy with the Peer Educators in cooperation with the programme lead (Peer Educators are experienced members of the network who implement trainings for new trainers in their local countries).
• Editing publications and assisting with target group-orientated public relations work (e.g. announcements, videos, social media) in cooperation with the Foundation’s communications team
• Instructing and supervising of a student assistant
• Representing project elements externally and substituting for the programme lead during absences, as needed
• Coordinating and communicating with project partners and support with fundraising, budgeting, planning and administration of project funds and reporting
• Managing the internal course database as well as supporting and updating the network’s material toolbox

Your profile:

• A completed university degree in the fields of humanities, social sciences or education and/or relevant (freelance) professional experience
• Extensive experience in project management/coordination and educational work with young people, as well as in format development, preferably in the field of political education and/or peer education
• Very good knowledge of the areas of democracy education, Europe, fundamental rights, resilience & solidarity, and social diversity; knowledge in the focus area of security is an advantage
• A passion for active networking and maintaining contacts; ideally, existing connections to networks of schools, extracurricular actors, and experts that promote youth participation, solidarity, resilience, security, anti-discrimination, and diversity in Europe
• Excellent English skills and good German skills (the foundation’s working language is English)
• Good communication skills and a passion for writing and editing target group-oriented texts and educational materials in German and English
• Strong social, communication, and diversity competence, as well as a high degree of initiative and organisational talent

We offer:

• A development-oriented organisation in a dynamic and international working environment in Berlin-Mitte
• Active involvement and the opportunity to shape the strategic development of the Understanding Europe educational network
• A dedicated BIPOC safe space for employees impacted by racism, and a reflective space for those unaffected by racism.
• Collaboration with a dedicated team and a broad-based, international youth network
• Opportunities for remote and flexible work arrangements, as well as for training and development.
• 30 days holidays per calendar year with a 5-day week and additional days off in accordance with the applicable works agreements
• Salary according to company tariff – depending on individual prior experience, the starting monthly salary ranges from 3,535.58€ to 4,026.72€ gross.

We value diversity and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds – regardless of gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, or identity. We especially welcome applications from Black people, People of Color, individuals with experiences of racism, and/or those with refugee or family migration backgrounds.

Our office spaces and entrances are currently not completely barrier-free. We welcome discussions on how we can reduce any existing barriers to accommodate your needs.

The position is to be filled as soon as possible, ideally starting January 20, 2025, or February 1, 2025. It is full-time (38 hours/week) and initially limited until January 31, 2026, with the possibility of extension. Please ensure you have a valid work permit for Germany before the starting date.

Please send your application (motivational letter, CV without a photo, and any relevant supporting documents) in PDF format with the subject “Application Understanding Europe” to applications@schwarzkopf-stiftung.de by January 5, 2025.

Interviews may take place before the deadline and are expected to occur during the week of January 13, 2025, either digitally or in our Berlin office. Please note that we cannot reimburse costs associated with the application process.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact our HR team via email.

We look forward to receiving your application!