Intern in the Sustainable Products & Material Flows Division (m/f/d)

Freiburg

Öko-Institut e.V.

For the Institute's Sustainable Products & Material Flows Division, we are looking for 

One Intern (m/f/d)

To start in our Freiburg office on March 1st, 2026 for a duration of three months

Your tasks

• Supporting scientific research in various projects, with a strong focus on circular economy. This will involve desk and literature research, case studies and expert interviews. 
• Specifically, assisting in conducting technical studies on textile and plastics value chains, recyclability and EoL management.
• Support with the compilation of reports in ongoing projects.

Your profile

• Interest in the completion of a mandatory internship 
• Interest in and experience with scientific research tasks. Experience with and interest in conducting AI-supported research will be helpful but not mandatory.
• Broad interest in the EU and national policies on circular economy, resources and recycling management of textiles and plastics
• Very good knowledge of MS Office
• Very good knowledge of written and spoken English.
• Technical background with a focus on natural sciences. Degree program, such as material sciences, is of advantage, but not mandatory. 

Our offer

• Working in one of Europe's leading independent environmental and sustainability research institutes
• Working in an interdisciplinary and international team 
• Full-time position (40-hour week) with an expense allowance of 500 EUR / month
• The possibility to follow up with a thesis, if interested.

Please send your application with an informal letter of motivation (max. 2 pages), curriculum vitae, current certificates, any thematically relevant student research projects to bewerbung-ps@oeko.de by 30th January, 2026. In your letter of motivation, please explain your understanding of a circular economy, describe the biggest levers for a circular textile and plastics economy and how the EU policies can be made more effective in their implementation. After completing the application process, your application documents will be deleted. Our privacy policy can be found here. 

Oeko-Institut e.V. is one of Europe's leading independent research and consultancy organisations working for a sustainable future. Since it was founded in 1977, the non-profit institute has been developing principles and strategies for implementing the vision of sustainable development at global, national and local level. Around 200 employees work at the three locations in Freiburg, Darmstadt and Berlin.