Paid Global Health Internship 2026: GIZ Global Health Hub Germany — €2,349 Monthly Internship (Apply by Dec 28 2025)

If you want a hands-on internship where policy, events, and digital community work meet real-world global health decision making, this GIZ posting is the kind of opportunity you circle on your calendar and build the application around. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is recruiting an intern to support a project commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Health focused on German global health policy, with a special focus on the Global Health Hub Germany (GHHG). The role blends communications, event organisation, platform management and policy support — and it pays €2,349 gross per month.

This is not a tea-and-photocopy internship. You’ll help plan a national hub conference, curate content for an online collaboration platform, write for newsletters and websites, manage member inquiries, and support events aimed at political decision-makers. In short: you’ll see how a government-backed global health initiative operates behind the scenes. If you care about international health policy, enjoy organizing events, and can write clearly in both German and English, this is worth your time.

Below I break down everything you need to know: the nuts-and-bolts facts, who fits the role best, what you’ll actually do day-to-day, how to make your application stand out, a practical timeline to get your materials ready, and detailed application instructions with the official link.

At a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers (200+ words)

This internship offers a rare mix of policy exposure and practical skills training. On the policy side, you’ll be placed inside a project that helps the Federal Ministry of Health present and coordinate Germany’s global health agenda. That means work that touches international fora, technical dialogues, and the intersection of government and non-state actor engagement. You’ll gain visibility into how national global health strategies are translated into meetings, communications, and partnership work.

On the practical side, you’ll get real responsibilities: helping to plan and run the GHHG Annual Conference (scheduled for July 2026), maintaining an online collaboration space for hub members, drafting website and newsletter content, and supporting a series of targeted events for political decision-makers. Those are marketable skills. Event planning teaches logistics and stakeholder engagement; digital platform management gives you experience with community moderation and user participation design; writing for public-facing channels sharpens policy communication. Employers in NGOs, international organisations, and public institutions prize this mix.

You’ll also be embedded in a multi-stakeholder environment, supporting hub communities and their outputs such as policy papers. That’s great practice for working across sectors — NGOs, academia, government, and private partners — and for understanding how consensus-building actually happens. Finally, the €2,349 monthly gross stipend makes this a paid placement, which matters if you’re balancing finances and career building.

Who Should Apply (200+ words)

This role suits someone who sits at the crossroads of policy interest and practical muscle. Ideal applicants will have university-level studies in health sciences, social sciences, political science, economics, international relations, or public/global health. If you’ve focused on public or international health, you’ll be able to hit the ground running. But the role is also open to politically minded social scientists or economists who’ve done coursework or research related to health policy.

Experience matters but perfection isn’t required. Prior work in development cooperation, internships with ministries, or roles in NGOs will help your candidacy. If you’ve supported stakeholder dialogues, helped coordinate multi-stakeholder platforms, or interned at an international organisation, be sure to highlight that. Communications experience — writing press releases, drafting newsletters, managing website content, or running social media for an organisation — is a distinct advantage. Similarly, event management experience, even on a small scale (university conferences, NGO roundtables, workshops), will make you more credible for the conference planning aspects.

Language skills are critical: the posting asks for very good German and English. If you’re bilingual, show it with concrete evidence — publication links, translated pieces you’ve written, or descriptions of courses taught in those languages. Finally, the culture here values initiative and organization. If you tend to own projects from start to finish and can show examples where you managed timelines, corresponded with partners, or built simple digital content, you’ll be a strong match.

Real-world applicant profiles that fit:

• A master’s candidate in global health who edited a student-run policy blog and organized a regional health symposium.
• A political science graduate who interned at an embassy or ministry and supported stakeholder outreach.
• A communications specialist from a health NGO who managed newsletters and helped produce webinars.

What You’ll Do Day to Day (Duties and Responsibilities)

Expect your work to be varied and project-driven. Typical tasks include:

• Supporting GIZ team activities focused on the Global Health Hub Germany (GHHG).
• Helping plan, prepare, and execute the GHHG Annual Conference in July 2026 — logistics, speaker coordination, agendas, and post-event reporting.
• Managing content for the hub’s digital collaboration platform: creating invitations for participation, drafting survey prompts, curating member contributions, and monitoring engagement.
• Writing articles for the website and content for newsletters; translating complex policy into accessible language for diverse audiences.
• Assisting with a series of events tailored to political decision-makers and other policy audiences.
• Preparing, documenting, and following up on internal and external meetings (Steering Committee meetings, webinars).
• Supporting hub communities and their outputs, such as policy papers, and helping with partnership building.
• Running the hub’s info inbox and responding professionally to member inquiries.

These aren’t clerical chores; they’re operational roles that give exposure to policy processes and stakeholder dynamics.

Eligibility and Skills Sought

GIZ looks for applicants with relevant university education — ideally in public/international/global health, social sciences, political science, or economics. Previous experience in development cooperation or with ministries is advantageous but not strictly mandatory. Communication and event management experience are explicitly called for. Comfortable writing in both scientific and plain language is essential; you’ll draft both technical summaries and outreach materials for non-expert audiences.

The selection will favour candidates who demonstrate:

• Strategic, analytical, and interdisciplinary thinking.
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to take initiative.
• Excellent German and English, both spoken and written.
• Experience with networked organizations or multi-stakeholder environments (advantageous).
• Familiarity with online collaboration tools or content management systems (helpful).

If you’re still studying, check whether GIZ requires proof of enrollment or degree — include that with your application if applicable.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (300+ words)

Treat this like applying to a policy fellowship, not a generic internship. Reviewers will imagine how easily you’ll slot into a small, busy team. They want someone who can think clearly, communicate crisply, and handle logistics without hand-holding. Here’s how to frame your materials.

1. Lead with relevant experience and outcomes. Don’t just list duties. If you managed an event, say how many participants attended, which stakeholders were involved, and one concrete result (e.g., produced a post-event summary that informed follow-up policy work).

2. Show your policy literacy. Include a short writing sample about a global health topic — ideally something that demonstrates you can translate technical details into accessible language. A 1–2 page policy brief or a well-edited blog post counts. If you contributed to a policy paper or working group, mention your specific role.

3. Emphasize digital platform experience. The role includes content management for an online collaboration space. If you’ve used tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discourse, or basic CMS platforms (WordPress, Drupal), say so. Note specific tasks: setting up polls, moderating discussions, or designing simple engagement surveys.

4. Spell out event management skills. Describe the scale of the events you’ve run or supported and the logistic steps you handled — speaker outreach, travel coordination, agenda sequencing, evaluation forms — and annual conference experience if any.

5. Provide evidence of bilingual capability. Attach or link to writing in German and English if possible. If you don’t have published examples, consider producing a short, polished translation of a brief policy note or a dual-language summary of a past project.

6. Quantify and give examples. Reviewers love specifics — numbers, dates, outcomes. “Supported a webinar with 150 participants and drafted the 10-page summary report” is better than “helped with webinars.”

7. Show teamwork and independence. Small teams appreciate interns who can accept direction but also propose improvements. Include a short anecdote where you took initiative and improved a process.

8. Tailor your cover letter to the project. Mention the Federal Ministry of Health commissioning the project and explain briefly why German global health policy matters to you. Avoid generic lines; say what you will specifically add to the GHHG team.

9. Prepare to discuss ethics and confidentiality. Policy work often deals with sensitive stakeholder views. Be ready to explain how you handled confidential information in past roles and how you ensure accuracy.

10. Get references who know policy or events. A referee from an NGO or a professor who supervised your policy work will carry more weight than a general employer.

Application Timeline (150+ words)

Working backward from the December 28, 2025 deadline gives you a practical schedule:

• Week 0 (Dec 28): Deadline. Submit early to avoid last-minute upload problems.
• Weeks -1 to -2 (Dec 14–27): Final revisions, referee confirmations, and application upload. Aim to submit at least 48 hours before the deadline.
• Weeks -3 to -4 (Nov 30–Dec 13): Refine writing sample, finalize CV, and produce a tailored cover letter. Send materials to 2–3 trusted reviewers for feedback.
• Weeks -6 to -8 (Nov 2–Nov 29): Draft documents, locate evidence of language skills (published pieces, translations), and assemble proof of education or enrollment. Reach out to referees and brief them on the role.
• Weeks -8 to -12 (Oct): Collect any administrative documents required by GIZ (ID, transcripts, certificates). If you need to translate certificates to German, start that early.
• If invited to interview: Expect a practical interview that may include scenarios (event logistics, communications drafting, stakeholder outreach). Schedule mock interviews with peers.

Submit early and keep a checklist of uploaded documents. Technical failures are common around deadlines; give yourself a cushion.

Required Materials and How to Prepare Them (150+ words)

GIZ typically requires a CV and cover letter; here are documents you should prepare and how to make them strong:

• CV (European format/concise): Emphasize relevant project work, language skills, and technical tools used (CMS, survey platforms). Keep to 1–2 pages if possible.
• Cover letter (customised): One page that addresses why you want this exact internship and what specific skills you bring.
• Writing sample(s): One sample in German and one in English if available. Examples: a 1–2 page policy brief, blog post, newsletter article, or post-event report.
• References: Provide 2 professional referees who can speak to your event, communications, or policy skills. Notify them in advance.
• Proof of studies (transcript or diploma) or current enrollment letter: Scan and include as required.
• Certificates (language tests, project management, communications): Helpful but often optional.
• Portfolio links: If you have published pieces, newsletters, or recordings of events you organised, include links.

Polish each document for clarity and proofread carefully. Ask someone who knows both German and English to check your writing samples.

What Makes an Application Stand Out (200+ words)

Competition will favour applicants who show both topical competence and operational readiness. The strongest candidates do three things: demonstrate relevant content knowledge, prove they can manage logistics, and provide evidence of clear, audience-appropriate communication.

Show content knowledge by referencing German global health strategy or a recent international process relevant to GHHG. You don’t need to be an expert; a concise paragraph in your cover letter that situates the role in a current policy discussion signals you’ve done your homework.

Prove operational readiness with concrete examples. Include short case descriptions in your CV or cover letter: what you did, the scale of the task, and the outcome. If you ran a webinar, mention attendance, the stakeholder mix, and one result (e.g., follow-up policy brief or a stakeholder partnership formed).

Demonstrate communication skills with polished writing samples in both languages. Samples should be audience-aware: a policy memo and a public-facing newsletter piece are ideal pairings. If your writing influenced decisions (an internal brief that shaped event programming), say so.

Finally, cultural fit matters. Small teams look for initiative, reliability, and diplomacy. Use your application to show you can manage inboxes, turn around meeting minutes, and handle competing deadlines without drama. Testimonials or brief quotes from supervisors that highlight these traits can help.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (200+ words)

Many applicants stumble on a few recurring problems. Avoid these pitfalls:

1. Generic applications. Sending a one-size-fits-all cover letter signals low effort. Tailor your letter to the GHHG project and mention specific tasks in the posting.

2. Weak evidence of language skill. Saying you’re fluent isn’t enough. Provide writing samples or point to work done in German and English.

3. Vague event experience. Don’t say you helped with events — explain what you did. Did you email speakers, compile slides, or manage registration? Quantify scale.

4. Overly technical writing. You’ll need to write for both experts and political decision-makers. Practice making technical ideas accessible without losing accuracy.

5. Submitting at the last minute. Upload errors and administrative checks cause failures. Submit a few days early.

6. Ignoring the stipend context. €2,349 is gross; know local tax and social contributions. If you’ll need visa or relocation support, state your situation in the application but don’t assume support will be provided.

Solutions: prepare tailored documents, include concrete examples and numbers, add bilingual writing samples, and submit before the deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions (200+ words)

Q: Is the internship paid?
A: Yes — the monthly intern salary is €2,349 gross.

Q: Do I need to be based in Germany to apply?
A: The posting is with GIZ and tied to a national project; candidates typically work from a German office or hybrid setting. If you’re currently abroad, clarify your residence and visa status in your application.

Q: Are international applicants eligible?
A: The posting does not explicitly limit nationality, but strong German and English skills are required. If you require a visa, mention it and be prepared to discuss timelines.

Q: How long is the internship?
A: Exact duration isn’t specified in the summary. Expect a multi-month placement leading up to and through the July 2026 conference. Ask about duration during follow-up.

Q: What digital tools should I know?
A: Familiarity with content management systems, collaboration platforms (e.g., Teams, Slack), survey tools, and standard office software is helpful.

Q: Will I need to write policy briefs?
A: Probably in summary form. You’ll write articles for the website and newsletters and help document events and policy outputs.

Q: How competitive is this position?
A: GIZ roles attract many qualified applicants. Strong bilingual writing samples, event management evidence, and relevant coursework or internship experience will improve your chances.

Q: What happens after the internship?
A: Internships at GIZ often lead to valuable contacts and possible references. Some interns move into contract roles or related positions in international development, NGOs, or public institutions.

How to Apply / Next Steps (100+ words)

Ready to apply? Don’t rush. Assemble a customised CV, a one-page cover letter that speaks directly to the GHHG project, a German and an English writing sample (or a bilingual document), and contact details for two referees. Prepare scanned copies of your degree or current enrollment certificate. Have a brief portfolio link ready if you’ve published articles or run events.

Visit the official GIZ vacancy page to submit your application before December 28, 2025: https://jobs.giz.de/index.php?ac=application&jobad_id=77299

Before you click submit, ask a colleague or mentor to read your cover letter and samples. Then upload everything, confirm receipt, and note the vacancy ID and contact details in case you need to follow up. Good luck — if you bring clear writing, event savvy, and a calm, organized approach, you’ll make the selection panel take notice.