Communications Student (Curricula) Internship offer

CIDSE is an international family of Catholic social justice organisations. We work with global partners and allies to promote justice, harnessing the power of global solidarity to bring about transformative change for people and the planet. We challenge systemic injustice and its destructive impacts by connecting, mobilising, influencing, and telling stories of change. We promote socially and environmentally just alternatives that allow all to thrive in our common home.  

The CIDSE Secretariat, located in Brussels, is opening a: 

Communications Internship Position (Unpaid – part of student curricula) 

The intern will support CIDSE’s Communications Team, with a particular focus on social media content creation, visual communication, and the design of the CIDSE Climate Relay Dialogues (CRDs) publication.
This experience will allow the student to explore the communications work of an international secretariat and contribute to key CIDSE advocacy processes in 2026. 

Objectives and Tasks 

Under the supervision of the Operations and Communications Manager, and in direct collaboration with the rest of the team, you:

1. Support the CIDSE Climate Relay Dialogues (CRDs) publication design using CANVA pro 

• Create and refine layout templates for different sections (intro, case studies, interviews, etc). 

• Adapt visual assets (icons, illustrations, banners, dividers) to ensure visual consistency throughout the CRDs publication. 

• Format and typeset textual content received from the colleagues, ensuring readability, accessibility, and alignment with CIDSE’s visual identity. 

• Adapt visuals for multilingual versions, ensuring that layout and spacing remain coherent across languages. 

• Integrate feedback from the Communications Team, iterating design drafts based on comments and editorial guidance. 

• Support the creation of social media teaser visuals to promote the publication’s release. 

• Ensure brand consistency by applying CIDSE’s colour palette, typography, and style guidelines throughout all materials. 

Estimated time: 1.5 days/week. 

2. Support CIDSE’s social media work 

• Contribute to the drafting of social media posts (captions, visuals, hashtags) aligned with CIDSE’s tone, messaging, and advocacy priorities. 

• Support the creation of visual assets such as banners, flyers, carousels and short videos/reels using Canva Pro. 

• Support live coverage of key advocacy moments (events, conferences, campaign launches) by preparing real‑time content or scheduled posts. 

• Adapt content for different platforms (X, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), ensuring each format meets platform best practices. 

• Compile quarterly analytics dashboards using platform insights (reach, engagement, impressions, follower growth). 

• Identify trends or learnings from social media analytics and propose small improvements to future communications. 

• Schedule content across platforms using CIDSE’s social media management tools (e.g., Meta Business Suite, Buffer, etc.) 

Estimated time: 1.5 days/week.  

3. Participate in meetings and ad‑hoc calls 

• Participate in the team’s regular Communications meetings and, where relevant, in broader CIDSE calls involving the Policy and CRDs teams.  
  
• This is an opportunity to understand how an international secretariat coordinates its advocacy and communications work across different workstreams. 

Estimated time: 1 day/week.  

Profile and Qualifications 

• Education, interest, or experience in communications, media, social media management, graphic design, visual communication, or related fields. 
• Familiarity with or interest in faith‑based environments and CIDSE’s mission and values. 
• Comfortable working within a network of organisations. 
• Very good level of spoken and written English; other languages are an asset (French, Spanish). 
• Good IT skills (Microsoft 365, Canva, social media platforms). 
• Creativity, attention to detail, autonomy, and initiative. 
• Ability to manage several tasks and meet deadlines. 
• Basic experience with short-form video or reels is a plus, but not required. 

Timeline

• Internship duration: September to December 2026 (possibility to start and to end a few weeks earlier if needed for university reasons);  
• Internship duration: September to December 2026 (possibility to start and to end a few weeks earlier if needed for university reasons);  
• Start date: flexible, but no later than mid‑September 2026. 
• Key deadline: The CRDs publication has to be ready by late October / early November 2026.  
• After the CRDs publication is completed, the focus of the internship will shift fully to social media support and communications for CIDSE’s end-of-year advocacy moments. 

CIDSE Offers

• Hands-on experience designing a real international publication from brief to final layout, which you can include in your portfolio. 
• Practical exposure to social media strategy and analytics for an advocacy organisation operating across multiple countries and languages. 
• Access to CIDSE’s international network, including staff, partners, and events in Brussels and beyond. 
• Regular feedback and guidance from an experienced communications professional throughout the internship.
• The opportunity to work in an international organisation with a dynamic, multicultural team. 
• A meaningful learning experience within a global Catholic social justice network. 
• The chance to contribute to impactful communication on climate justice and CIDSE advocacy.  
• By the end of this internship, you will have practical experience managing social media for an international advocacy organisation, including content creation, scheduling, and performance analysis, as well as a portfolio of publications you can use in the future.  

Practical Requirements 

• The placement must be compulsory and undertaken as part of a degree programme.  
• The placement will be formalised through a tripartite convention between the educational institution, the student and the organisation. 
• You must be a resident of Belgium or hold a right of residence for study purposes. 
• In accordance with Belgian law, the internship will not be paid. However, certain expenses can be reimbursed.  
• The intern will be supervised by a member of the Communications Team and will receive regular check-ins and feedback throughout the placement. 

How to Apply

Please send your CV (no-photo) and cover letter by Wednesday 22^nd April to recruitment@cidse.org.  

In your cover letter, you are invited to link a piece of visual or social media content you drafted and that you are proud of. CIDSE does not ask for a professional portfolio but for some samples.  

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews. Interviews will likely be held between Monday 6^th May and Wednesday 8^th May. 

For more information about CIDSE please visit our website: www.cidse.org

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Cover image: HL Opening Together4Transparency. (Photo:© UN Climate Change – Diego Herculano)