ECHA Traineeship Programme

Please note that the European Chemicals Agency and the job position are located in Helsinki, Finland .

Traineeship posts at ECHA

ECHA looks for newly-qualified graduates who are willing to make a contribution to the everyday work of the Agency.

There are up to 20 graduate traineeship opportunities per year in scientific fields such as chemistry, toxicology, biology, environmental science and technologies, and administrative duties such as law, communications, finance, human resources and ICT. The traineeships usually start in the beginning of March or September.

The trainee scheme is designed for:

• Recent university graduates and holders of a technical or professional qualification of an equivalent level in fields relevant to applicable chemicals legislation or other fields relevant to the administration tasks of an EU institution
• Public or private sector employees engaged in graduate-level work in fields relevant to applicable chemicals legislation.

Duration

Traineeships last six months and may not be extended beyond this period.

Grants

The graduate trainee scheme offers a grant of approximately 1,704.28 euro.

Trainees who continue to receive remuneration from their employer, or any other grant or allowance will only be entitled to a grant from ECHA if the amount they receive is less than the one indicated above. In this case, trainees will receive an amount equal to the difference between their income and the level of ECHA's grant.

Trainees in employment must provide a declaration of remuneration, expenses and allowances signed by their employer.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for a graduate traineeship you must:

• Be a national of a Member State of the EU or a national of the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein)
• Be able to communicate in English as this is the working language of ECHA
• Have obtained a university degree or equivalent or engaged in graduate-level work in fields relevant ECHA

You will be invited to a remote interview if you are selected.

Trainees do not benefit from sickness insurance. Before the start of your traineeship you must prove you are covered by a sickness and accident insurance valid in Finland.

Traineeships are not offered to applicants who have already been a trainee in a European institution or body, employed by a European institution or body, or worked for ECHA as an interim staff member, researcher or in house expert for more than eight weeks.

The deadline to fill in the application form is 2 November 2026 at noon 12:00 Helsinki time (11:00 a.m. CET).