Student Assistant in the Digital Public Sphere programme (m/f/d)

As a student assistant in our Digital Public Sphere program, you will assist with research on EU platform regulation and stakeholder mapping in Germany and France. We are seeking candidates with an interest in online platform governance and digital policy. You will be accompanied and supported by our Senior Policy Researchers, Lena-Maria Böswald and Jessica Galissaire.  

interface is an independent European think tank at the intersection of technology and society. We aim to democratise knowledge about technologies to advance tech policy in the public interest in Germany, Europe and beyond.?  

Across five programme areas – Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity Policy and Resilience, Digital Rights, Surveillance and Democracy, Digital Public Sphere and Platform Regulation and Global Chip Dynamics – we develop policy recommendations and inform the political and public debate. We actively engage with decision-makers at both the national and EU levels, ensuring our evidence-based recommendations meet the needs of policymakers and other stakeholders.  

To support our research, we are seeking a student assistant (m/f/d) from April 2026 (12 hours/week). This position offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in platform regulation and governance, with a particular focus on the implementation of the Digital Services Act and its overlaps with other tech regulations. The ideal candidate is a highly motivated and proactive team player who can work independently and is eager to learn more about the EU’s digital policies on online platforms. 

In this role, you will work closely with the team in Berlin and Paris to advance our work on digital regulation and platform responsibility in the EU. 

• Monitoring, researching, and analysing legislative, regulatory, and political developments in the field of platform regulation (e.g., country-specific initiatives in Germany and France on social media bans) 

• Supporting the preparation and implementation of events and formats of the Digital Public Sphere program 

• Mapping relevant stakeholders in policy, academia, industry and civil society (e.g., for distribution lists) 

• Contributing to the further development of our work in new thematic areas (e.g., competition law)  

• You are currently enrolled at a university or university of applied sciences – ideally for one to two years. Any field of study is welcome (e.g., European studies, economics, political or social sciences, communication science, public policy).  

• You are officially registered as a resident in Germany and work from here; remote work from other countries is not possible. 

• A C1 level of English is required, a C1 level in German and/or French is a plus.  

• You are open to work in a remote team.  

• You are interested in tech policy and regulation (topics: online child safety, overlaps between tech regulation, implementation of the Digital Services Act). 

• You are highly motivated, enjoy working in a team, but at the same time are independent, precise and forward-thinking. 

• You have strong research skills and attention to detail.   

• You gain hands-on experience of working in a think tank environment where your contributions count and make a difference.  

• You experience the breadth of activities and task that make up platform governance.  

• You become part of a highly motivated team of experts in technology and politics. 

• A salary of 754€ /month for 12 hours/week 

• A monthly mobile office allowance of 20,- €/month 

• Flexible, family-friendly working hours 

• A student employment contract, which can be extended to a maximum of two years 

• Support from our Diversity Officer for issues relating to gender, diversity and equality 

We welcome applications from individuals of all ages, ethnic origins, nationalities, genders, gender identities, physical abilities, cognitive diversity, religions, beliefs, sexual orientations, and social backgrounds. We strongly encourage candidates from ethnic minorities and other underrepresented groups in civil society organizations to apply and bring their unique perspectives to our team. 

The application deadline is 1.03.2026. Please apply with a short cover letter and a CV in English and relevant certificates (without photo, one PDF document) and your earliest starting date at https://www.interface-eu.org/jobs.  

If you have any questions, please contact Helen Brand at hr@interface-eu.org. 

interface is an independent expert organisation specialising in information technology and public policy. Our goal is to ensure that political decision-makers have the expertise and ideas necessary to create policies and make decisions that put the public interest first. We provide analysis and ideas to decision-makers and the public across Europe on issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, platform oversight, global chip dynamics and government surveillance. To produce analysis and advice that matters to policymakers, our experts combine a deep understanding of technology with practical experience of how government processes work.