Government Affairs Internship Opportunities (Privacy and Online Safety Policy)

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Come build community, explore your passions and do your best work at Microsoft with thousands of University interns from every corner of the world. This opportunity will allow you to bring your aspirations, talent, potential—and excitement for the journey ahead.

Microsoft’s European Government Affairs (EGA) team is seeking a Privacy and Online Safety Policy intern to support the team’s daily policy analysis work in the area of data protection/privacy, law enforcement and online safety related topics. The position is based in Brussels. We are looking for a candidate with an exceptional bias for action, strong organizational and communications skills, along with an open, collaborative, creative and result-oriented mindset, as well as a passion for digital policy and technology. The purpose of the Microsoft European Government Affairs organization is to engage and strengthen our dialogue with European stakeholders, in connection with EU digital policy and regulation.

By executing tasks of the role, the Intern will develop strong substantive expertise on the policy files that they are working on, a good understanding of policy outreach in the EU and relationship building, and a solid sense of working in a large corporation.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree, Master’s Degree or PhD in Law, Economics, Political Science, International Relations, Philosophy, other social science, Engineering or related field
• You must be legally authorised to work in Belgium to be eligible for this role. (Legally authorised = has citizenship or has been granted a valid visa or work permit).
• Full professional proficiency in English (verbal and written)

Preferred Qualifications

• First work experience through previous internships in fast-paced environments, experience in public affairs consultancies or EU institutions will be preferred.
• Project management skills. Excellent planning, organizational, networking and communication skills and strong attention to details.
• Ability to work well in a changing environment, and to prioritize competing demands on time, while ensuring deadlines are met. Adaptable team-player with a positive and friendly mindset.
• Knowledge of European institutions, governance, legislative processes, and networks; Strong interest in European and international politics and technology. Experience in data protection, or the broader fundamental rights space is a plus.

The internship is set to begin in July 2025 and will last for a duration of 12 months.

• Monitoring and reporting: supporting the team’s stakeholder engagement by monitoring identified key policy areas of policy cooperation, analyzing them against Microsoft priorities and providing internal updates.
• Research and writing: support campaigning and senior staff with relevant research, by developing materials such as briefing documents, position papers, advocacy guidance, decks, and talking points.
• Strategy and planning: Supporting the coordination of high-level political engagements and Microsoft executive level visits.
• Engagement management: support setting up events and collaborations with relevant internal and external stakeholders, including European institutions, think tanks, or trade associations; Attend relevant external events and provide summaries/analyses.
• Serves as a contributor to internal colleagues on policy files in the area of data protection/privacy, law enforcement and online safety related topics.
• Acts as the primary initiative taker for monitoring, analyzing and reporting on relevant policy developments.
• Provides input and continuous feedback to improve process efficiencies within role; identifies opportunities and tools to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness.