Position description
Reporting to the Secretary-General, the Policy Officer will develop and maintain strong networks with the EU institutions to articulate and advocate The Guild’s research and higher education agendas. With 1-3 years of relevant professional experience, s/he will demonstrate an understanding of, and a passion for, engaging with current policy developments and trends for higher education, as well as research. Although, in response to the repositioning of portfolios in the European Commission, the postholder – along with other members of the team – will be expected to contribute to several policy areas in collaboration with team members. S/he will coordinate selected working groups of The Guild. While the precise areas to be covered will be finalized in the summer, also in discussion with the postholder, these areas may include Academic Freedom, Higher Education, and engaging with Research and international collaboration funders. The Policy Officer will liaise and collaborate with other relevant institutions, lobby groups, and like-minded organizations in Brussels to promote the Guild’s priorities. The postholder will work closely with other members of the team and will liaise particularly closely with the Head of Higher Education Policy, as well as the Head of R&I Policy. This position is projected to start on 18 August 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.
The position will include the following responsibilities:
- Maintaining up‐to‐date knowledge of EU policies in research and higher education, as appropriate to this position;
- Coordinating the activities of the relevant working groups and facilitating the formulation of the network’s policy positions, building on our existing positions. Setting the agenda for the working groups and producing reports, policy analysis and minutes to support the work of the groups;
- Supporting our governance meetings (General Assembly, Vice-Presidents’ meetings), including through writing the conclusions;
- Collaborating with the other members of the team, sharing information, and feeding into their work as appropriate;
- Creating good working relations with appropriate representatives of European Union institutions and other networks in Brussels;
- Engaging with The Guild’s communications activities proactively, in conjunction with the Guild’s Communications Team;
- Fulfilling other responsibilities and tasks as directed by the Secretary-General.
Education & required experience
- University degree, normally at Master’s level or higher;
- Good knowledge of the organisation, structure and working procedures of the European Union, its institutions and decision-making processes, either in higher education or in research policy;
- Excellent command of spoken and written English, knowledge of another European language is a strong asset;
- Relevant professional experience of 1-3 years.
Specific Competencies
- Experience and knowledge in EU research and/or higher education policy and funding (Horizon Europe, the European Research Area, European Higher Education Area, Erasmus+) will be considered an advantage; alternatively, having worked in a university setting fostering collaboration and supporting committees would be considered beneficial;
- Experience in developing, reviewing, and synthetizing policies and EU documents, and communicating outcomes to a diverse and broad audience;
- Ability to foster collaboration and discussion in working groups;
- Ability to handle confidentiality within the network, and externally;
- Excellent organization, presentation, and communication skills;
- Basic statistical skills and a good command of Microsoft Excel are an asset.
Other Competencies
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, to high professional standards, on multiple projects in a fast-paced environment;
- Ability to tackle challenges in a creative and dynamic manner;
- Prepared to travel and undertake additional duties as required;
- Ability to network and build relationships with outside organizations;
- Excellent inter-personal and communication skills within a multi-national context.
The Guild offers
- Open-ended employment contract under Belgian law;
- Start date: 18 August 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter;
- 2 days per week of teleworking;
- A European working environment located in Brussels.
Unless a national of the ‘EU and EEA’, candidates must be eligible to work in Belgium and have a work permit at the time of the application.
Application instructions
Applications (and further enquiries) should be submitted by applying below. We ask the applicants to include a cover letter, a CV in English, the names of two referees who can provide a reference in English (referees will be contacted at the final stage, with the applicant’s consent). The letter of application should reflect why candidates are interested in the post, and what they can contribute to it that is distinctive. The deadline for applications is 23 May 2025 (12.00 CEST). We expect to hold the first set of interviews in the week commencing 26 May 2025.
The Guild is committed to maintaining the security of your data mentioned in your application throughout the selection process. If you are not selected, your messages and attached documents will be deleted.
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