ESPAS Project: Research Assistants to the Research Fellows

ESPAS post 1: Research assistant
Candidates should have a Masters degree with some research experience and expertise in international relations, particularly with reference to the security dimension. Candidates should preferably have a broad knowledge of and familiarity with long-term trends in the following general areas: demographics and migration; economic trends; energy and mineral resources; climate change; technology and scientific developments; causes of peace and conflict and of military build-ups; armament and proliferation; and disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation. Rather than being a specialist in any one of these fields, the ideal candidate will be able to discern links between the topics and identify common factors driving developments. He/She should have a critical mind, be good at synthesising information, and be comfortable interacting with experts in the areas of interest.
An excellent command of oral and written English is required; advanced knowledge of French is a bonus.

ESPAS post 2: Assistant to the Project Manager 
The person appointed to this post will be tasked with preparing seminars and conferences in France and abroad on topics of relevance for the ESPAS project. 
Candidates should have:
- Experience in the organisation of international events. 
- A Bachelor’s degree in international relations or political science.
- Experience of working as an administrative assistant.
Knowledge of Spanish would be an advantage.

ESPAS posts  3a/3b: Two Junior research assistants
Candidates should have a Masters degree and some research experience and expertise in international relations, particularly with regard to the analysis of social, political and economic global trends and challenges.  
Expertise in one or more of the following geographic areas:
- China and Southern Asia;
- wider Europe (EU-Russia-Turkey);
- Africa;
- the Mediterranean and Gulf Countries.
Knowledge of the following languages would be an asset: Arabic, Chinese, Hindi or Russian.

Required skills for all posts:

A minimum of one year’s professional experience in a similar post.
Excellent knowledge of Office IT systems.
Excellent command (both oral and written) of the English language.
Good sense of initiative.
Good communication and writing skills.

A good knowledge of other EU languages is desirable.

Short-listed candidates will be required to attend an interview in Paris in early February. Selected candidates are expected to take up their appointments as soon as possible.

Applicants should send a full CV (including details of nationality, date of birth and previous professional experience), accompanied by a covering letter outlining their reasons for applying for this post,  by email to the address below, by 31 January 2011:

Subject:  Application for ESPAS post number X

Sent documents to : drh(at)iss.europa.eu

Please note that, due to a large number of applications, we are only able to respond to short-listed candidates.