Policy Officer (m/f/d) – Social and Economic Inclusion

The Position

We are recruiting a Policy Officer, focused on social and economic inclusion. The successful candidate will work in the Policy and Advocacy Department in the External Affairs Team, under the supervision of the Policy and Advocacy manager.

The Policy Officer will work on policy & advocacy in the field of social and economic inclusion, working specifically on a better transition from education to employment and quality jobs, including but not limited to the EU Youth Guarantee and internships. The Policy Officer will join a team currently working on youth rights, access to social protection and COVID-19, and will be expected to contribute to the work of the team.

As the priorities and working areas of the Youth Forum are defined by its Member Organisations and Board, these are subject to change on a regular basis.

Responsibilities

• Be the main point of contact and expert on employment for young people;
• Identify, plan, execute and implement opportunities for advocacy on youth employment at EU level, and where relevant Council of Europe and UN level;
• Influence the EU policy work on internships and support the Youth Forum’s campaign to ban unpaid internships;
• Influence the EU discussions on and implementation and monitoring of the Youth Guarantee and other related funding instruments including the recovery funds, in the EU and wider Europe;
• Support team colleagues with the Youth Forum’s advocacy on youth rights, access to social protection and COVID-19;
• Collaborate with Member Organisations and coordinate working structures in the policy field or working area (online spaces & networks);
• Ensure ongoing and regular coordination with the European Youth Forum Board for areas under your portfolio;
• Represent the Forum externally (e.g. meetings with institutional stakeholders, stakeholder consultation groups, conferences);
• Build strategic partnerships with relevant external institutional stakeholders and civil society, as well as the European Youth Forum membership;
• Contribute to the development of the annual plan of the European Youth Forum and ensure that the objectives of the Annual Plan related to this position are met within the agreed timeframe;
• Draft briefings, reports, research, working and strategy papers as well as articles for internal and external European Youth Forum publications;
• Coordinate the organisation of relevant meetings and conferences;
• Oversee execution of the budget allocated to the working area;
• Report to and support the Policy and Advocacy manager on youth rights;
• Provide support to other colleagues and departments of the European Youth Forum as appropriate and necessary.

Profile of the Ideal Candidate

• At least three years of advocacy experience is required;
• Proven ability to produce advocacy materials and to develop mechanisms to share and manage advocacy information and knowledge;
• Proven interest in the diversity of policy issues that impact youth and commitment to a rights-based approach;
• Experience in advocacy at EU level, with a good understanding of the internal workings and how to influence their processes, is a strong asset;
• Experience with coordinating networks/coalitions of members and partners is an asset;
• A higher education degree in social science, law, political science, international or EU affairs or other relevant field is desirable but can be compensated by relevant NGO and/or non-formal education experience;
• A quick learner and self-starter with strong ability to develop knowledge on new concepts and adapt to new processes;
• An effective communicator and a strong team player;
• Strong planning and organization skills;
• Ability to synthesise detailed policy positions and write in a concise and impactful manner;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Experience working in a multicultural environment;
• Willingness to travel on a regular basis and to work flexible hours and on weekends, when required;
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and manage a challenging workload;
• Computer literacy, with good working knowledge of word processing, email and online applications;
• Languages: Strong oral and written English is required, good knowledge of French is an asset;
• Committed to the European Youth Forum’s vision and mission.

Terms of the Contract

The contract is open-ended and full time (35 hours per week). The gross monthly salary according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement currently applied at the European Youth Forum) is €2922.

A relocation package, hospitalisation insurance and other benefits are available. Travel expenses within the Brussels region are covered by the European Youth Forum.

Candidates for this position should be willing to travel and work flexible hours including if required occasional weekends. This position being based in Brussels candidates should be willing to relocate or live in the surrounding area.

Application Procedure

To submit your application for this vacancy, please use the European Youth Forum online recruitment system: http://recruitment.youthforum.org.

How to apply with the online application system?

1. Create a user account: click on “Registration” and fill in your personal details;
2. Go to the “private area” and login with your username and password;
3. Click on the vacancy and apply;
4. Respond to our application questions and upload your CV (max 3 pages).

Interviews for this vacancy will be held on a rolling basis and the successful candidate will be expected to start as soon as possible.

Due to the high number of applications usually received for European Youth Forum vacancies, only candidates short-listed for interviews will be contacted. All candidates are kindly requested to refrain from any phone inquiries.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

Anti-discrimination

All appointments should be made in a transparent way and comply with all relevant employment regulations. No job applicant or employee should receive less favorable treatment on the ground of race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, gender, gender identity, marital status, caring responsibilities, sexual orientation, disability or chronic illness.

Volunteering

Any relevant volunteering experience is considered equal to any other professional experience.

Work permit

All applicants, whether EU or non-EU citizens, are considered equally. The Youth Forum welcomes all nationalities and will take any work permit request at its charge.