Job opportunity at the EGU General Assembly: press assistant

Press conference at the EGU 2015 General Assembly (Credit: EGU/Stephanie McClellan)

We have a vacancy for an early career science communicator or science journalism student in Europe to work at the press office of the 2016 General Assembly, which is taking place in Vienna, Austria, from 17–22 April. Applications from geosciences students with science communication experience are also welcome. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from people with experience in photo and video reporting.

The student will join the team assisting the EGU press officer and the journalists at the press centre, and is expected to help run press conferences. Other possible tasks include reporting on the events at the Assembly through photographs and video, writing blog posts, and distributing EGU Today, the daily newsletter at the General Assembly.

This is a paid opportunity for an early career science communicator to gain experience in the workings of a press office at a major scientific conference, and to interact with journalists, freelance science writers and public information officers. Like the other media assistants at the conference, the successful candidate will receive €600 for the week and will be given support towards travel expenses.

The position is open to University students (final-year undergraduates or postgraduates) or recent graduates in science communication/journalism or to students in the Earth, planetary and space sciences with experience in science outreach. Applicants must have an expert command of English and good computer and internet skills.

Applications must include

• Cover letter and CV (one page each) summarising relevant experience
• Two samples of recent science communication work such as photo features, videos or written articles (published or unpublished, aimed at a general audience)

Application documents (in English) should be submitted by email in a single file to Bárbara Ferreira, the EGU Media and Communications Manager (media@egu.eu). Bárbara can also be contacted for informal enquiries. Please note that people who are presenting an abstract at the General Assembly are not eligible to apply.

The deadline for applications is 7 February 2016.

The European Geosciences Union (EGU, www.egu.eu) is Europe’s premier geosciences organisation, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the Earth, planetary, and space sciences for the benefit of humanity, worldwide. The EGU organises a General Assembly that attracts over 11,000 scientists each year, as well as reporters interested in hearing about the latest research in topics that range from volcanology and earthquakes to climate science, and from solar physics to planetary science.