HR intern

At Solarplaza, we believe meaningful connections drive the energy transition. Through our international B2B conferences, market insights, and digital platforms, we bring together renewable energy professionals from around the world to share knowledge, build partnerships, and shape the future of solar and energy storage. Based in Rotterdam, our diverse team of 40+ colleagues from more than 15 nationalities is passionate about creating impactful experiences that help accelerate the global energy transition.

Are you curious about people and what makes a great employee experience? Would you like to gain hands-on experience across different areas of HR rather than just observing from the sidelines?

As our HR Intern, you’ll gain hands-on experience across the full employee journey—from recruitment and onboarding to employee development, engagement, and offboarding. You will work closely with our HR Associate and Finance & HR Manager, gradually taking on more responsibility as you grow into the role.

We want this internship to be a meaningful learning experience. Alongside your day-to-day responsibilities, you will have the opportunity to work on an HR project tailored to your interests, learning objectives, and the requirements of your study program.

We're looking for a proactive and curious student who enjoys working with people, takes initiative, and is eager to learn how HR works in practice within a fast-paced, international organization.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a curious, motivated, and people-oriented student who enjoys working with people from different backgrounds and pays attention to the details. You communicate clearly, take initiative, and can work independently, while knowing when to ask for support.

You don’t need previous HR experience. What matters most is that you’re genuinely interested in HR, eager to get involved, and bring a positive attitude to the team.

What You’ll Do & Learn

This internship will give you hands-on experience across the employee journey, from recruitment and onboarding to employee development, engagement, and offboarding. You’ll work closely with our HR Associate and Finance & HR Manager and gradually take on more responsibility across different HR activities and projects.

Recruitment & onboarding

You’ll learn how recruitment works from application to onboarding and support different parts of the process.

• Candidate selection: Review applications and help assess candidates against vacancy requirements.

• Screening & interviews: Help prepare questions and coordinate interviews. As you gain confidence, you may conduct screening calls yourself.

• Candidate experience: Communicate with candidates and help create a professional and positive experience.

• Recruitment coordination: Help coordinate interviews, assessments, reference checks, and other hiring steps.

• Onboarding: Support onboarding and help new colleagues feel welcome from day one.

Employee experience & HR operations

You’ll learn about the HR processes that support employees throughout their time at Solarplaza.

• Employee lifecycle: Support onboarding, contract changes, development, and offboarding.

• HR administration: Help keep HR documentation and employee information accurate and up to date.

• Employee feedback: Support surveys, exit interviews, and other feedback initiatives.

• Performance & development: Assist with performance and development processes and related communication.

• HR support: Help research and respond to day-to-day HR questions, with guidance from your manager.

Learning, development & culture

You’ll also have the opportunity to contribute to initiatives that help our colleagues learn, develop, and stay connected.

• Help identify learning and development needs.

• Support internal training and development initiatives.

• Research relevant training opportunities, tools, and providers.

• Support employee engagement and culture initiatives.

• Contribute ideas on how we can strengthen the employee experience at Solarplaza.

As part of your internship, you’ll have the opportunity to explore an HR topic in more depth and work on a project that connects your learning goals with a real HR need at Solarplaza.

Together, we’ll define a project—or, where appropriate, several smaller projects—based on your interests, learning objectives, the requirements of your study program, and our HR priorities at the time.

Possible projects include:

• Evaluating and improving our onboarding process

• Researching and improving the candidate experience

• Analyzing our recruitment funnel and KPIs

• Improving our learning and development approach

• Exploring how AI can be used to improve HR processes and the employee experience

• Developing or improving HR dashboards and reporting

• Researching employer branding or employee engagement initiatives

These are examples rather than a fixed list. If there’s an HR topic you’re particularly interested in, we’d be happy to explore how it could fit into your internship.

• You are currently enrolled in an HBO or university program, preferably in Human Resource Management, Human Resource Studies, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or a related field, and will remain a student for the full duration of the internship.

• You are available for a minimum of 5 months and 4 days (32 hours) per week. 

• Available to start your internship no later than the end of September 2026.

• You live in or near Rotterdam and can come to the office at least 3 days per week, as we operate in a hybrid working model.

• You have a good command of English, both spoken and written. As we are an international organization, English is our main working language.

• Dutch is not required for this internship. However, our Finance & HR Manager is a native Dutch speaker, so if your study program requires you to discuss or complete certain internship or research components in Dutch, this can be accommodated. 

• You are comfortable working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and handling confidential information responsibly.

• Previous HR or recruitment experience is not required — we are more interested in your motivation, curiosity, and willingness to learn.

• You have a valid visa or authorization to work in the Netherlands (if applicable).

• A hands-on HR internship where you’ll gain experience across recruitment, employee experience, HR operations, and people development.

• The opportunity to take on real responsibility and contribute to meaningful HR activities and projects.

• An HR project tailored to your learning goals and interests, and aligned with your study program where possible.

• Close guidance and regular feedback to support your professional development.

• The opportunity to work in a mission-driven environment within the international renewable energy industry.

• A hybrid work setup: the first two months are fully in person; after that, you may work from home one day per week, with your manager’s approval.

• One leave day per month.

• A competitive internship allowance of €500 for 36 hours per week.

• The opportunity to work with colleagues from 15+ nationalities and gain experience in an international HR environment.

• A fun, open, and inclusive team culture.

• The opportunity to join our talent pool for future roles.