Besprechung; von oben fotografiert

Your Career with Us

Career Paths

Wanted: Talents with initiative and brainpower. Show us you’ve got both!

We group our jobs into three categories. Find the area that’s right for you:

Professionals

Having completed your university studies with distinction and having several years of professional life behind you, you already have considerable experience – which you can draw on to carry out interesting new projects. That, in turn, allows you to gain even more rewarding experience.

Junior Professionals

Are you eager to participate in social, economic and political aspects of society? Join us in producing worthwhile new ideas and putting them into practice.

Interns

Still completing your studies? Looking for more than just book learning? Done well in your last semester or just completed your bachelor’s degree with distinction? Want to experience something new and see the big picture from a different perspective?

Jobs

Culture & Values

Bild von Mitarbeiterin Anette Stein

Like winning the lottery.

Anette Stein

Director

Bild von Mitarbeiter Gunvald Herdin

Socially relevant issues are what motivate us.

Gunvald Herdin

Senior Project Manager

Bild von Mitarbeiterin Sarah Menne

After Selection Day, it was clear – this is where I’d like to work.

Sarah Menne

Senior Project Manager

Bild von Mitarbeiter Armando García Schmidt

Most of our suggestions are implemented.

Armando García Schmidt

Senior Project Manager

Bild von Mitarbeiterin Bianca Thiele

Freedom to carry out all my responsibilities.

Bianca Thiele

Dr. Brigitte Mohn's Office, Executive Board

Benefits

Exciting fields of activity, multifaceted opportunities for personal development, work-life balance – those are just some of the advantages a new job at the Bertelsmann Stiftung would offer you!

Modern working world(s)

  • Nonprofit foundation
  • Flat hierarchies
  • High professionalism
  • Excellent reputation and wide recognition 
  • Freedom to be creative, contribute ideas and take the initiative  
  • Foundation-wide interactions, cross-program project work
  • Culture of dialogue and open exchange
  • Exciting challenges
  • Diversity and equal opportunity
  • Attractive working environment equipped with the latest technology
  • Ergonomic workplaces

Attractive conditions and extras (depending on location and type of contract)

  • Fair compensation, Christmas and vacation pay
  • Corporate pension plan
  • Employer-assisted savings plan
  • Subsidized meals in our first-rate corporate restaurant
  • Support for use of public transport (Job-Ticket), NextBike, company bikes, charging stations for electric cars
  • Child care, elder care
  • Corporate health management
  • Extensive sports program

Work-life balance

  • Flexible working hours
  • Individualized part-time schedules
  • Options for working from home
  • Child care (preschool slots, parent-child room, emergency day care, vacation program)
  • Elder care, assistance in finding care

Culture and values

  • Partnership-based cooperation
  • Atmosphere of appreciation and mutual respect
  • Culture of open exchange among employees of all organizational levels
  • Employee input (employee surveys, regular feedback sessions)
  • “Lunch Dates” program and cross-team networking
  • Sustainability, meaning being responsible towards people and the environment (including a careful use of resources)

Personal development and HR development

  • Extensive onboarding program for integrating new employees
  • Multifaceted, individualized further-education options
  • Internal mentoring program
  • Junior Professionals Program: training program for developing next-generation project managers

FAQ

Do you have questions about the application process, how your data will be used or similar issues? This is where you’ll find answers to the most frequently asked questions!

How do I know whether a job vacancy has already been filled?

As long as a job is listed online on our Careers page, it is still vacant, and we carefully review all applications received for it. Except for our Junior Professionals Program, we do not set deadlines for applications. If you are still unsure – for example, because a position has been listed for an extended period of time – then don’t hesitate to contact us directly at bewerbung@bertelsmann-stiftung.de.

How do I apply?

If you have found a suitable position in our Jobs List, please use the link found there to access our online applications portal. Please note that in order to process submissions as quickly as possible and for privacy reasons, we are unable to accept printed applications or those sent by e-mail.

What will happen with my personal data?

Your personal data will be processed in keeping with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Germany’s Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). Once your application process has ended (rejection), your data will be automatically deleted after six months.

When can I expect a reply to my application?

Once you have submitted your application using our online portal, you will immediately receive an e-mail confirming it has been received. We feel it is very important to review your application carefully, so it might take some time before you hear from us. We therefore appreciate your patience. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

What should I expect if I am asked to interview for a job?

If you are asked to interview for a job, a senior executive, the relevant project manager and a human resources officer will all participate. We feel it is important for both sides to get to know each other: Not only will we be able to gain a first impression of your history and experience and your reasons for wanting to join the Bertelsmann Stiftung, you, too, will be given ample opportunity to ask any questions you might have. For reasons of time and efficiency, the initial conversation will take place online. More in-depth talks – and, possibly, a discussion of a task you have completed – will be arranged as a second step, ideally in person (either in Gütersloh or Berlin, travel costs will be reimbursed). If both sides feel that working at the foundation is a good fit, on both an interpersonal and professional level, you will be asked to speak to our HR department. That is when we discuss the details of your work contract.

How does the hiring process work?

After the relevant individuals and committees at the foundation have given their approval, you will receive your contract to sign. We will then work together to plan the next steps. The goal is to ensure that you successfully start your new job and that your onboarding, both in your team and at the foundation in general, goes smoothly.

Can I submit an unsolicited application?

If there is no suitable job in our online listings, it is also possible to submit an unsolicited application. In that case, in addition to the standard documents, please provide us with information on your preferred areas of activity, your earliest possible starting date and your salary expectations. We will consider your application in light of any positions that are currently vacant or that we plan to fill. We view unsolicited applications as an expression of interest in working at the foundation in the future – and therefore ask for your understanding that we cannot always reply immediately or send information about the next steps in the process. We ask that you give us permission in your application to consider you for a range of positions. The information you provide us will not be shared with anyone outside the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Can I subsequently edit or delete the information in my application, and if so, how?

You will be asked to create your own personal profile for submitting your application, including a password, which will prevent anyone from accessing the profile except you. Afterwards, you can log in to edit, add to or delete your application. Once you have created a profile, you can use it again for future applications. You can delete your profile whenever you wish.

Whom can I contact for additional information about a job vacancy?

Ulla Külker is available to answer any questions about job listings                                      for professionals. You can reach her by using the contact form. For questions relating to internships, please contact Agnes Gabriel or the contact persons in the relevant program area.

Where can I get help if there are technical problems with my application, for example during the upload?

Please start by checking your computer settings (e.g. pop-up blocker). If you are still having difficulties, you can request help by sending an e-mail to bewerbung@bertelsmann-stiftung.de.

I have a question that was not answered in this FAQ. Who is the appropriate person to contact?

If you have additional questions about current job listings or about your application, you can use the contact form to reach the relevant contact person. For technical issues, please send an e-mail to bewerbung@bertelsmann-stiftung.de.

Contact

Why am I a recruiter, and why do I enjoy it?


After nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions at Bertelsmann, I finally “arrived” in the truest sense of the world in foundation’s HR team, namely in a job where the focus is first and foremost on people. That means, as often as not, I’m the initial contact for people who are interested in the foundation. As a recruiter, I help find and develop talented individuals for the foundation and, ideally, retain them over time. The main thing for me is always the personal contact with candidates, be it during the recruiting process, the subsequent onboarding – or even the first interactions with people submitting unsolicited applications who are “potentially” interested in working here. The right job is not always available immediately – but good talent management is everything and very often results in (recruiting) success.

Finally, a few tips for the job interview: #GoodPreparationIsEverything, #Honesty, #Authenticity, #EnthusiamForNonprofitWork, #GüterslohIsSuper … and: we’ll get to know each other … your questions are just as important as ours! By the way, that’s always true: if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask …

Talente mit Mut und Kreativität gesucht. Überzeugen Sie uns von beidem!

Wir unterscheiden unsere Jobs in drei Kategorien. Finden Sie Ihren passenden Bereich:

Warum bin ich Recruiter, und warum bin ich es gern?

Warum bin ich Recruiter, und warum bin ich es gern?

Nach über 28 Jahren in unterschiedlichsten Stationen bei Bertelsmann bin ich im HR-Team der Stiftung im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes „angekommen“, und zwar dort, wo es in erster Linie um den Menschen geht. So darf ich nicht selten der allererste Kontakt von Stiftungs-Interessierten sein … und als Recruiter dabei unterstützen, für die Stiftung Talente zu finden, zu fördern und im Idealfall an uns zu binden. Für mich steht dabei der persönliche Kontakt zu Bewerber:innen immer im Fokus … sei es im Recruiting-Prozess, beim späteren Onboarding – oder auch beim allerersten Austausch mit Initiativ-Bewerber:innen, die sich „perspektivisch“ für die Stiftung interessieren. Nicht immer gibt’s sofort die passende Stelle – doch gutes Talent Management ist alles und hat schon sehr oft zum (Recruiting-)Erfolg geführt.

Zum Schluss noch ein paar Tipps fürs Job-Interview: #guteVorbereitungistalles, #Ehrlichkeit, #Authentizität, #BegeisterungfürStiftungsarbeit, #Güterslohistsuper … und: wir lernen uns gegenseitig kennen … Ihre Fragen sind genauso wichtig wie unsere! Das gilt übrigens ganz grundsätzlich: Bei Fragen immer und unbedingt melden …