Junior Professionals Programme 2026/27

Kick-start your career at the heart of Europe.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) invites applications for its Junior Professionals Programme 2026/27, offering recent graduates a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in an international organisation based in Brussels.

Each year, a group of talented Junior Professionals joins ESA for an 11-month paid graduate programme, working alongside experienced professionals and contributing directly to ESA’s mission of monitoring and enforcing the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement).

This programme is open to candidates applying for one specific profile: Legal, Economist, or Communications, depending on their academic background and interests.

About the Programme

As a Junior Professional at ESA, you will:

• Play an active role in ESA’s day-to-day work

• Gain practical experience through close collaboration with expert colleagues

• Live and work in a multicultural international environment in Brussels

• Participate in meetings with EEA EFTA States, EU institutions and national authorities

• Take part in trainings, study visits and professional development activities

• Benefit from structured mentoring and guidance

• Build a strong professional network across ESA and other international organisations
  

Former Junior Professionals regularly go on to work at ESA, in national administrations, international organisations and the private sector.

Junior Professional Profiles

Legal Profile

Legal Junior Professionals work in one of ESA’s three legal Directorates/Department:

• Competition and State Aid (CSA) – enforcing competition, state aid and electronic communications rules under the EEA Agreement

• Internal Market Affairs (IMA) – monitoring the application of Internal Market rules across a wide range of policy areas

• Legal and Executive Affairs (LEA) – ensuring legal consistency across ESA’s decisions and representing ESA before the EFTA Court

Typical tasks include:

• Legal drafting and analysis

• Legal and policy research on national and EU/EEA legislation

• Supporting case handling and compliance assessments

• Contributing to reports, briefings and correspondence

• Participating in meetings, hearings and working groups

Economist Profile

Economist Junior Professionals work within the Competition and State Aid (CSA) Directorate, under the guidance of the Chief Economist Team. CSA is a multi-disciplinary team of lawyers and economists enforcing competition, state aid and electronic communications rules under the EEA Agreement.

Typical tasks include:

• Applying competition and financial economics to ESA’s casework

• Conducting qualitative and quantitative economic analyses

• Preparing economic input for reports, briefings and decisions

• Supporting case handling and stakeholder engagement

• Communicating technical economic concepts clearly to non-economists

Communications Profile

Communications Junior Professionals work in ESA’s Communications Team, located within the Legal and Executive Affairs Department, supporting ESA’s outreach, media relations and digital presence.

Typical tasks include:

• Drafting and distributing press releases

• Managing ESA’s website, intranet and social media channels

• Supporting media outreach and stakeholder communications

• Editing and publishing ESA’s Annual Report and other publications

• Organising events, presentations and employer-branding activities

• Handling requests for access to documents

Who Can Apply

The Junior Professionals Programme is open to:

• Nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway

• Exceptionally, other EEA or EFTA nationals who can demonstrate close links with Liechtenstein

• Candidates who have completed (or will complete) a relevant university degree prior to 1 September 2026

• Applicants with strong academic results and a clear interest in EEA/EU affairs

• Candidates with an excellent command of English, ESA’s working language

Additional profile-specific requirements apply (e.g. language skills for Communications, legal degree for Legal, economics background for Economist).

What We Offer

The Junior Professionals Programme at ESA is a paid position. Junior Professionals receive:

• A monthly allowance of EUR 2,005.18

• A furnished private studio in Brussels

• Utility and internet costs covered, and a mobile phone provided

• Health, life, invalidity and travel insurance

• Reimbursement of travel costs at the start and end of the Programme

• An allowance for language training costs

• Favourable tax conditions

Application Timeline

• Deadline for applications: 15 February 2026 (midnight CET)

• Tests and remote interviews: mid-February – end of March 2026

• Final decisions: by mid-April 2026

• Onboarding: from mid-April 2026

• Start date: 1 September 2026

About ESA

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) monitors compliance with the EEA Agreement in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, enabling their participation in the EU Internal Market. ESA’s work benefits over 450 million Europeans by removing barriers to trade and supporting growth and competitiveness.

ESA is based in Brussels, employs staff of over 20 nationalities, and is collocated with the EFTA Secretariat and the EEA and Norway Grants.