Key Expert Team Lead “EU Film Festivals (EUFF) Phase III

As the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Goethe-Institut operates 150 institutes in 99 countries worldwide. With 75 years of experience, we facilitate international cultural exchange, promote access to the German language, and support the unimpeded development of culture. Our mission encompasses fostering mutual understanding, providing information about cultural, social, and political life in Germany, and promoting German language teaching and learning.

The opportunity

The Goethe-Institut has been invited to submit a bid to provide technical assistance to the European Union for the implementation of the EU Film Festivals (EUFF) Phase III project. EU Film Festivals are a flagship Public Diplomacy and International Cultural Relations initiative of the European Union. Through film screenings, side events and exchanges between European and local cultural stakeholders, EUFFs promote mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue and awareness of European values and priorities worldwide. Between 2019 and 2025, 134 EU Delegations organised almost 600 EU Film Festivals globally, making EUFFs one of the EU’s most effective cultural engagement instruments.

Role Overview

The Team Leader, based in Brussels, will be responsible for the overall management of the action and ensure effective coordination between all project components. He/she shall guarantee the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall project management and implementation, including that projects outputs, monitoring, and reports are appropriate, consistent, timely and of good quality and significant impact.

He/she shall further demonstrate the ability to manage technical specialists delivering expertise in areas such as film selection and licensing, festival organisation, audience engagement, communication, public diplomacy and international cultural relations. The Team Leader will act as the primary interlocutor with the European Commission and ensure effective coordination with EU Delegations and project partners worldwide.

The intended start date is 1 January 2027 and the implementation period is 36 months. The Team Leader position foresees a maximum input of 660 person-days and is based in Brussels. Regular international travel may be required. Contracting is subject to contract award.

The candidate should have the following profile:

Qualifications and skills

•  University degree (Bachelor degree), Advanced university degree (Master degree) or equivalent in international relations, political sciences, social sciences, public administration or management, public relations, cultural management, marketing, communication, cinematography or a related discipline.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of interlocutors and strong public speaking skills proven through at least two assignments.
• Fluency in English (CERF level C2); French and Spanish (CERF level B2) would be an asset.

General professional experience

• At least 5 years of post-graduate professional experience in cultural diplomacy/ICR, culture/creative sectors, organisation of international events/cultural relations activities with i.e. the EU, Member States, partner countries, international organisations, NGOs, cultural institutes, universities, etc.
• At least 5 years of post-graduate experience in project management, including management of international teams, coordination, overseeing project delivery and quality control for projects of a similar size and international coverage.
• At least 3 years of proven experience as a Team Leader of a project/programme.

Specific professional experience

• At least 3 years of post-graduate professional experience in the European film sector, including good knowledge of screening rights licensing and experience in running/developing film festivals for governmental or non-governmental organisation.
• Participation in at least one EU-funded technical assistance project or programme of similar geographical scope and/or contractual value.

How to apply

If you are interested in this assignment, please send us your CV to this e-mail address bewerbungen-bruessel-eu@goethe.de, tailored to the above requirements and your daily rate to until 15.08.2026.

Please note that the listed requirements constitute minimum requirements and must be substantiated by appropriate supporting documentation, such as references, certificates, and other relevant evidence, at the time of bid submission to the EU. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and might be requested for interviews.

Please note: Only EU citizens or individuals with a valid residence and work permit for EU countries will be considered.