Policy & Advocacy Lead

Open Markets Institute Europe is looking for a

Policy & Advocacy Lead

About the Open Markets Institute

The Open Markets Institute (OMI) is a non-profit think tank that uses research and journalism to help people relearn how to use competition policy to build stronger democracies, more just and equitable societies, more innovative and sustainable economies, and a more secure and peaceful world. By combining policy, legal, and market structure expertise with sophisticated journalism, communications and advocacy, Open Markets seeks to rebuild an economic system where progress is easier to achieve, because power is far more widely and equitably distributed.

Open Markets has played a large role in European discussions of monopoly power and competition policy for more than a decade. In January 2023 OMI opened a European office, based in Brussels, and over the past three years we have played a growing role in discussions on competition policy, artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty and the transatlantic relationship. Highlights include several influential reports on AI and cloud computing, involvement in the design and enforcement of key European laws including the Digital Markets Act, research and advocacy on Europe’s digital sovereignty agenda, and a series of high-level events on monopoly power, democracy, sovereignty and free speech.

We are now looking to build on that progress by recruiting a full-time Policy & Advocacy Lead based in Brussels.

The role

The Policy & Advocacy Lead will work closely alongside the Europe Director in coordinating OMI’s efforts to build lasting alliances, convening impactful discussions and meaningfully shaping the policy debate in Brussels and across Europe. This will include co-developing OMI’s policy positions on key issues and legislation, collaborating with existing partners and identifying new ones, representing OMI with policymakers, journalists and other key stakeholders, and organising public and closed-door events.

Our ideal candidate is an excellent spoken and written communicator with the ability to distil complex political, regulatory and technical concepts into clear and succinct language accessible to both specialist and general audiences. He/she should possess strong analytical skills, relevant technical and policy expertise, and a demonstrable commitment to furthering our mission and our values. Intellectual curiosity and eagerness to investigate how political and economic power work beneath the surface of events is key to success in this role.

The successful candidate will have significant experience working on public policy issues in Europe, including an extensive network in Brussels and/or key Member States. We are open to candidates from a variety of professional backgrounds including the public sector, private sector and civil society, although direct experience of policy advocacy is a requirement. We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong understanding of both competition and technology policy and law in Europe, although expertise in market power and competition issues as they relate to other sectors is also relevant.

Core Responsibilities

• Co-developing and refining OMI’s public positions on key issues (including market and technological trends, geopolitical dynamics, and regulatory/legislative developments) and communicating these to key decision-makers and stakeholders;

• Building and maintaining partnerships and alliances with relevant groups and individuals across government, industry, civil society and academia;

• Organising impactful public and private policy discussions, including conferences, roundtables, workshops and strategy meetings;

• Authoring and disseminating succinct articles, policy briefs and memos putting forward original analysis, ideas and arguments, with an emphasis on brevity, accessibility and impact;

• Representing Open Markets at external events (such as panels, roundtables and hearings) as and when relevant opportunities arise;

• Working with OMI’s Communications Director to strengthen the organisation’s communications capacity in Europe, including by developing enduring relationships with journalists, securing coverage for OMI’s original research in the media, and ensuring OMI’s perspective is represented in news coverage.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive experience (5+ years) working in politics and/or public policy in Europe, including in think-tanks, academia, government and civil society, particularly in external-facing, advocacy-focused roles;

• Strong and demonstrable understanding of issues relating to corporate power, technology, geopolitics and political economy, including but not limited to competition law and policy;

• Native or comparable fluency in English; professional fluency in other European languages (particularly French and German) is a major plus.

How to apply

Please submit a CV, cover letter and short writing sample in a single PDF to jobs@openmarketsinstitute.org by February 6th.

Structure and salary

This is a full-time role (40 hours per week). The salary range for this position is €70,000 - €90,000 per year, subject to experience. The successful candidate will be based in our office in Brussels, with regular travel within Europe and occasional trips to the U.S.