Katharina Kittelberger

PR Trainee @BASF | MBA @Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences | BayFiD Talent 2025–2027

Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

About

📍 Trainee at BASF, Ludwigshafen (Germany), with a focus on Public Relations and Government Relations. 💼 5+ years of professional experience across internal and external communications, communication strategy, and content development, strengthening business outcomes through stakeholder-focused messaging, strong visual storytelling, and hands-on expertise in design and video editing. 👩🏼‍💻 Participant of BayFiD, a program by the Bavarian Ministry for Digital Affairs, providing insights into the tech industry and access to a strong network of inspiring role models. The program empowers women in shaping careers in technology and digital fields. 🎓 Double-degree Master’s program (M.A./MBA) in Public Relations, Corporate Communications, and International Business Management, completed at Hochschule Ansbach (Germany) and Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (Finland). Master’s thesis written at Mercedes-Benz, Stuttgart (Germany). 📰 Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Strategic Communication from Universität Passau (Germany), with a focus on politics, cross-media work, and data analysis. #corporatecommunications #publicrelations #strategy #businessdevelopment #changemanagement #digitaltransformation

Experience

  • Trainee Public Relations & Government Relations at BASF
    Aug 2025 - Present · 11 mos

    Rotational trainee program with a new rotation every three months (selected rotations below). • Corporate Media Relations: Focusing on corporate social media, content creation, and video production • Digital Solutions GmbH: Supporting employee communications related to digitalization and digital solutions • Employee Engagement: Embedding the corporate strategy across the organization and business units

  • Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Work Study · 2 yrs 7 mos)
    • Master’s Thesis @Strategy & Transformation IT Technology - Communication & Marketing
      Oct 2024 - Jul 2025 · 10 mos

      Master’s thesis on optimizing internal IT communication at Mercedes-Benz to make technical information clearer, more effective, and more user-friendly, especially for non-technical audiences. The work focuses on identifying communication strategies that improve understanding of IT changes, foster digital adoption, and support the company’s digital transformation.

    • Strategy & Transformation IT Technology - Communication & Marketing
      Jan 2023 - Sep 2024 · 1 yr 9 mos

      Joined Mercedes-Benz IT as an intern and continued as a working student, contributing to strategic IT communication for migrations and transformation topics. • Creating and managing an internal Mercedes‑Benz IT newsletter for a global audience (10k+), including backend setup, subscription rules, monthly content, and reader feedback analysis • Developing IT product communications and translating technical topics (e.g., migrations, updates and transformations) into clear internal messaging for employees • Designing communication assets and producing video/motion content (e.g., explainers, intros/outros, voice‑over scripts, editing) to support strategic formats • Managing the internal social intranet/community channel and placing relevant topics on Mercedes‑Benz internal communication platforms • Contributing to decision papers for top management, supporting content structuring and executive‑ready communication

  • Student Assistant at 5-HT Digital Hub - Chemistry & Health
    Mar 2021 - Dec 2022 · 1 yr 10 mos

    Supporting content and community operations for the 5‑HT Digital Hub Chemistry & Health, coordinating stakeholder inputs and multi‑channel publication across web, LinkedIn, and newsletters. • Coordinating interviews with startups, mentors, and partners, producing transcripts and publication-ready materials • Managing website publishing workflows and creating visuals to support clear, accessible content • Planning LinkedIn content and distributing monthly newsletters to keep stakeholders informed and engaged

  • Freelance Video Producer at Bayerischer Rundfunk
    Apr 2021 - Aug 2021 · 5 mos

    Working on a cross‑media feature project for Bayerischer Rundfunk’s online channels. • Producing video, article, and audio elements for the feature • Researching career‑change stories related to COVID‑19 and identifying interview partners • Preparing shooting schedules and publishing the completed feature on the broadcaster’s online portal

  • Freelance Journalist at Passauer Neue Presse GmbH
    Oct 2020 - Feb 2021 · 5 mos

    Working on local stories for the Passauer Neue Presse's print and online channels. • Independent research of local stories and identification of relevant protagonists • Conducting and transcribing interviews for print and digital publications • Production of written, photographic, and cross‑media content for publication