Background to the role

The Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) is at the forefront of the movement to transform meat production in order to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, from climate change and global hunger, to antibiotic resistance and animal suffering.

We work with scientists, businesses and policymakers to make plant-based and cultivated meat (grown directly from cells) delicious, affordable and accessible. Please check out the rest of our website, our 2023 Year in Review and our 2023 Europe Highlights blog post to find out more about who we are and what we do.

We are at an exciting stage in our growth, and are looking for two Policy Officers to join our EU policy team.

How you will make a difference

In your role, you will significantly influence how quickly Europe and the world move to a more ethical and sustainable food system. 

Reporting to a Senior Policy Manager, you will be responsible for driving policy impact in Brussels and beyond on alternative proteins. This will include, among other things, driving significantly more public investment into research and development for plant-based, fermentation-made, and cultivated proteins; working to deliver a fair, evidence-based regulatory path-to-market for alternative proteins; and ensuring that the labelling of alternative protein products is not unfairly restricted.  We anticipate that one of the two roles will focus mainly on mobilising public R&D funding for alternative proteins, and one will focus mainly on the regulatory path-to-market and labelling rules.

To achieve this, you will: 

• Help create positive policy change to support plant-based, fermentation-made, and cultivated proteins at the EU level, and, where the opportunity arises, at the national level across Europe.
• Support colleagues to develop and execute lobbying strategies based on thorough research and mapping of decision-makers. 
• Help to build and maintain relationships with elected officials and civil servants at the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of the EU, and other public institutions – including at the national level across Europe.
• Work cooperatively with other nonprofit organisations, companies,  academics, and other stakeholders, cultivating strong relationships and engaging respectfully with people who are still to be persuaded. 
• Closely monitor and stay abreast of relevant policy and legislative proposals, spotting opportunities and pre-empting threats. 
• Create persuasive letters, factsheets, policy briefs, and other materials. 
• Together with colleagues, work with the media and use social media to help deliver our policy objectives.
• Represent GFI Europe in meetings with stakeholders and at public events where opportunities arise.
• Work with GFI’s international affiliates to ensure that our activities in Europe support positive policy change for sustainable proteins internationally.
• Perform other tasks as required. 

Who we’re looking for

You must have:

• A passion for GFI’s philosophy and mission.
• Enthusiasm for driving policy change at the EU level.
• Working experience in policy at the EU, or at a national or multilateral level, for example in a government, public institution, political party, NGO, think tank, industry association, public affairs agency, consulting firm, lobbying organisation or other relevant institution.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills. The ability to convey information clearly and accurately, tailoring the tone and message to various stakeholders.
• Excellent networking, interpersonal, influencing, and relationship-building abilities, and the credibility and persuasiveness to represent GFI to officials and politicians. 
• Strong team spirit and open and collaborative instincts.
• A can-do approach: a self-starter with the drive and initiative to take responsibility for delivering impact and an ability to see projects through to completion.
• An eagerness to learn and to take on new challenges and responsibilities over time.
• An affinity with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and with maintaining our welcoming and supportive culture.
• Good level of IT literacy.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

It would be an advantage to have some or all of the following attributes, but none of them are prerequisites, and we very much welcome applications from candidates without any or all of them:

• Up-to-date knowledge of and familiarity with EU policies relevant to food innovation, for example, regulatory approval frameworks, Horizon Europe, and the European Green Deal.
• A network of relevant contacts in Brussels.
• A demonstrated ability to work effectively with alliances, NGOs, think tanks, academics, and industry actors.
• For the role focusing on R&D funding, a natural science background.
• The ability to speak European languages other than English.

We want the best people and we know that building a diverse, inclusive workplace leads to stronger, happier, more productive and resilient teams. We strongly encourage people of every ethnicity, orientation, age, gender, origin, socio-economic background, and ability to apply. Because we value a diverse workplace, we prioritise an inclusive culture absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team.

Benefits and the fine print

• Terms of employment: Full-time (flexible hours), permanent. 
• Location: Home-based in Brussels or in Belgium within one hour of Brussels by train, from our Brussels office, or a combination of both. You have the possibility of working remotely for periods of time with the approval of your line manager. The whole GFI Europe team will get together in person approximately twice per year for around 3-5 days at a time. Travel costs will be covered by GFI Europe within our travel policy.
• Salary: €3,262 – 3,612 gross monthly salary plus benefits including 13th month, home-working allowance (if applicable), holiday pay, representation allowance, meal vouchers, eco vouchers, and professional development allocation.
• Right-to-work requirements: The successful candidate must, by the start of the employment, have permission to work in the country where they are based.
• Application Deadline: 6 October 2024, 11.59pm CEST. We will get back to all candidates after that date, no matter the outcome of their application: you should expect to hear back from us within about a week of the deadline.

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