Cigarettes still kill 8 million people every year worldwide. The industry that sells them turns over $900 billion annually, spends billions on marketing, and has decades of experience dodging laws and regulations. Most people think this is a battle we already won. It isn’t.
The Tobacco Free Future Fellowship is building a dedicated team to change that. Six fellows working as a unit inside European tobacco control organizations, anchored around the EU’s review of the Tobacco Products Directive: one of the most impactful and winnable policy fights right now.
Seven months, a full salary, and a cohort of ambitious professionals from across Europe. You start contributing from day one. This is not an internship. You work on live policy, active campaigns, and real challenges. Your cohort works as a project team: you won’t just be placed at an organization, you’ll be building the movement together.
Our first cohort of Tobacco Fellows has already made a mark. Alumni have gone on to found organizations pushing for stricter European tobacco regulation and take on leadership roles at key advocacy groups. 80% of our first cohort stayed in the field they entered.
What we offer
The fellowship runs for seven months: one month of intensive training followed by six months inside a leading tobacco control organization across European networks.
- A monthly stipend of €4,000 gross under Belgian law, adjusted for cost of living in other locations.
- Practical support with relocation where needed.
- A cohort experience built around a shared mission: the EU’s review of the Tobacco Products Directive.
- Regular sessions with your cohort throughout the placement to share what you’re learning, work through challenges together, and build a lasting network.
- Ongoing career support after the fellowship, including access to an unmatched network in European tobacco control.
Already working at an organization with a stake in tobacco control or public health? Apply as an associate fellow. You stay with your current employer and join the program one day per week. We train and onboard you as part of the cohort, so you can become an advocate for this cause within your own organization.
Who we’re looking for
We select on skills, not credentials. You don’t need a background in tobacco or public health. This is a career transition program: we’re looking for transferable skills, not subject-matter expertise.
- Minimum of five years’ experience in law, strategic communications, marketing, policy, health or fiscal economics, or strategy consulting. Legal expertise is especially in demand.
- Eligibility to work in the EU (UK applicants welcome).
- We’re particularly looking for professionals based in or connected to Germany, Poland, Romania, France, Lithuania, Greece, and Italy.
- Self-starting and entrepreneurial. Fellows in this program work as a project team.
- Non-linear careers welcome.
How to apply
Applications close April 27, 2026. The application takes approximately 1.5 hours. After the initial application, the process includes a recorded video interview, a written test task, an interview with the team, host organization matching, and a final decision.
Note: one application form covers the Tobacco Free Future, Food Transition, and Tax Fairness programs. You can indicate your preference, but keeping an open mind to multiple programs may increase your chances.
