Junior Professional Programme - FMO - EEA and Norway Grants 2026-2027

Scope

About us:  

The Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) - affiliated with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - carries out the day-to-day management of the EEA and Norway Grants. The Grants are Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway’s contribution to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area (EEA) and strengthen bilateral relations and partnerships between the Donor States and the 15 Beneficiary States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia). EEA Grants are financed by the three donor countries whereas Norway Grants are financed solely by Norway.   

We are now entering a new funding period with a budget of 3.2 billion euros. At the same time, we are closing the current funding period with a budget of 2.8 billion euros.  

The programmes in the new funding period will focus on these overall priorities:   

• European green transition  
• Democracy, rule of law and human rights  
• Social inclusion and resilience     

Why join the FMO?  

At the FMO, we offer more than just a job - we offer a stimulating and diverse international workplace with a trust-based culture. Our team of more than 60 employees coming from the EEA region, bring a rich blend of experiences and knowledge to our daily operations. We work closely with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Donor States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway), the 15 Beneficiary States and various international partners. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful environment where you can advance your career and contribute to meaningful results that make a difference.

As one of the FMO Junior Professionals, you will get hands-on work experience in a truly international and multicultural environment. This can be a valuable opportunity to put knowledge acquired during studies or work into practice and to gain skills to advance your future career.

Learn more:  

If you are ready to take on a rewarding challenge and be part of a dedicated team working towards improving economic and social progress and strengthening cooperation and partnerships in Europe, we encourage you to apply.   For more details about our work and the opportunities we offer, please visit our website at www.eeagrants.org.  

Field of work

The FMO will be looking to select Junior Professionals for the following Units:

• Communication Unit (1 post)
• Administration and Human Resources Unit (1 post)
• Legal Affairs Unit (1 post)
• Finance and Control Unit (1 post)
• Funds and Horizontal Concerns Unit (2 posts)
• Country and Bilateral Cooperation Unit (2 posts)
• Priority Sectors Unit (1 post)

A short overview of the activities of each department/unit and the related Junior Professional positions can be found here. Please read the document carefully before applying and consult the FMO website for more information.

Note that when applying, you will need to specify your preferred area of interest in the online application tool. However, it should be noted that whilst you will be appointed to a specific Unit, there may be occasions when you will be asked to help out in other areas and units depending on the needs of the organisation.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree within law, economics, statistics, political science, international relations, business administration, or other relevant and equivalent degree. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree and relevant experience (job experience, volunteering) may in exceptional circumstances be considered.

Important Note: for the Junior Professional position comprising the Roma Inclusion portfolio, the minimum level of education is Bachelor’s degree.

Experience

• Work experience of 1-2 years and knowledge of and keen interest in one or more of the priority sectors and/or Beneficiary States would be an advantage.

Nationality requirement

• The Junior Professional positions at the FMO are only open to nationals of the EEA EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway).
• Important note: The Junior Professional position comprising the Roma Inclusion portfolio is also open to nationals of one of the EEA Beneficiary States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia). For this position, priority will be given to self-declared candidates of Roma/Sinti/Traveller origin.

Skills

• An analytical mind with ability to draft good quality documents in English
• A flexible and motivated team player and capable of taking on a wide variety of tasks, both complex and more basic
• Ability to work in a dynamic and multi-disciplinary international environment

Languages

• Fluency in both spoken and written English

Employment Terms

What we offer

• Junior Professionals receive a monthly stipend of EUR 1,960
• Comfortable accommodation in individual furnished flats will be provided
• Health, life and invalidity and travel insurance cover
• Reimbursement of travel costs upon taking up and leaving the Junior Professional position
• Reimbursement for language training expenses

Note: The stipend and benefits received by Junior Professionals do not fall under the same privileges applying to EFTA officials. The relationship with the respective tax authorities is the Junior Professionals' own responsibility and the taxation decision lies with the competent tax authority.

Application procedure

Only applications submitted via the EFTA online recruitment tool will be considered. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by phone and interviews are normally conducted online via Teams in the weeks following the deadline.

Please be aware of the following:

• All requested information on education, work experience, motivation, etc., should be filled in on the application form.
• Applications submitted by e-mail will not be taken into consideration.

In the interests of offering this valuable experience to as broad a pool of individuals as possible, former ESA, EFTA Court and EFTA Secretariat Junior Professionals will not be eligible to apply for this Junior Professional Programme. We recognise the importance of diversity in the workplace and especially welcome applications from under-represented groups.

For any further information, please contact EFTA Human Resources: hr.support@efta.int