Young Professionals

Yes, NCIA interns are compensated at a fixed rate. Interns may receive emoluments from outside sources (such as scholarships or grants).  Interns are currently remunerated a tax-deductible amount of:
Belgium – 1,286EUR p/m
Netherlands – 1,424EUR p/m
Portugal – 1,200EUR p/m

All internships at NCIA are 6 months, where we bring onboard our new cohorts of interns on 1 March or 1 September, depending on when the security clearance is granted.

There is the possibility to extend the internship experience into a paid temporary post for up to 12 months, if the intern is high performing and the budget and priorities align to retain them at their duty location within the existing team.

• Only nationals and citizens of NATO Member States can apply to the internship programme.
• You must meet the eligibility requirements by the date of your application. In terms of academic background, you are eligible to apply if you:
• Have completed at least two years of university-level studies or equivalent education and are enrolled in a third year, or
• Have obtained your highest degree less than a year prior, or
• Are enrolled in a master’s or PhD programme.
  

Please ensure that you meet all eligibility requirements before applying to the internship programme. Carefully review the internship description and verify that your educational background and experience fulfil the criteria. You may submit multiple applications, but you are encouraged to only apply to positions you are qualified for and focus on your top three choices.

1. To submit an application, you must first create an account in NATO’s Careers Platform. Click on “Sign In” in the upper right corner and you will be directed to a page where you can create a “New User” account. Please note that we do not accept applications that are not received via the Careers site.
2. After selecting the internship you wish to apply for, you will be asked to respond to a set of pre-screening questions to support your application prior to uploading your CV.
3. Once you have reviewed your responses, you can submit your application. You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your submission.
4. Once your application is reviewed after the close date, you will be notified whether you will be invited to complete the on-demand evaluation for the internship that you have applied for. You will have one week to complete this evaluation, which will comprise of gamified evaluations in addition to pre-recorded video questions.
5. Your on-demand evaluation will be reviewed by the hiring team and, if selected to progress, you will attend the virtual interview with the team as the final stage of your application. Interviews typically take place during April with offers presented by May.

Yes, but you must ensure that you meet the specific requirements for each post that you are applying to. When applying for more than one internship, beware that you must submit a separate application form for each internship. You are encouraged to consider applying to only your top three choices.

Yes, you can. Whether or not you hold a grant or scholarship has no influence on the internship selection process.

NCIA has recently established Internship Temporary Personnel posts that can be awarded to interns who are identified as high performing via a performance management process. Additional criteria is required to be met, in regards to the available funding and the organizational priorities.

• Security Clearance:  Interns are required to hold a NATO clearance to be able to work within the organization. NCIA will support with the application process once the internship offer is accepted by the candidate. The time taken to receive the security clearance is beholden to the Member Nation of the primary NATO nationality of the intern. This process can take from 6 to 18 months.
• Insurance: Interns are responsible for their own health and accident insurance and are required to hold a valid health insurance that satisfies the requirements of the Host Nation (the country where they will be working from). Interns are only covered by accident insurance for occupational risks (invalidity/death) that occur during the working hours/period of the internship.
  
• Administrative Formalities with Host Nation: Interns will be responsible for fulfilling all administrative formalities required by the host nation, such as registration of housing and obtaining an identification card upon arrival in the Host Nation. Interns coming from a Non–EU country are not required to obtain a visa for the internship.

Further details of the NATO Young Professional Programme can be found here on the NATO website.