Policy Officer for Chemicals

The EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL BUREAU is looking for a full-time Policy Officer for Chemicals 

Come work at the heart of Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations and help us build a workplace that reflects our values and supports and grows people who drive change.

About us

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is the largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations in Europe. We bring together over 190 member organisations in more than 40 countries, representing some 30 million individual members and supporters. We advocate for progressive policies to create a better future where people and nature thrive together.

Our commitment to fairness, equality, diversity and wellbeing

The EEB strives to be a fair, inclusive, safe place and a welcoming and learning organisation.

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. Your experience matters. Please consult our Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Policy.

Please do not use pictures in your CV. Do leave out any information that may contribute to unconscious bias such as reference to your nationality, date or place of birth.

We respect our employees’ lives outside of work, support colleagues in care roles, and take work-life balance and wellbeing seriously.

How You’ll Have an Impact

We are seeking a Policy Officer for Chemicals to play a key role in advancing chemicals policy by bridging scientific knowledge with policy asks. You will provide expert knowledge to the team’s campaigns, represent the EEB as observer at expert committees and working groups (e.g. at the European Chemicals Agency) and contribute to the EEB’s networking and advocacy activities.

You will support the EEB’s goal to advance the EU’s Restrictions Roadmap, including the proposal to restrict hazardous chemicals like PFAS by translating scientific and expert knowledge into policy requests. Depending on your background, you may also support the identification of hazardous chemicals (SVHC and CLH processes).

The job also includes advocacy towards different stakeholders, including member states and EU institutions, as well as relations with media. This is an exciting role as part of our Chemicals team. The Policy officer for chemicals reports to the Policy manager for chemicals.

What You’ll Actually Do

Expert/scientific advisory

• Representing the EEB at technical and scientific committees, including the European Chemicals Agency Risk Assessment Committee and Socioeconomic Assessment Committee and other expert working groups such as at the OECD.
• Coordinating technical and policy input to public consultations on the regulation of chemicals with EEB members and NGO networks as well as with academia and other stakeholders.
• Providing technical input to the regulation of chemicals under REACH and CLP as well as to EEB reports and position papers.
• Contribute to relevant external (e.g. European Commission, ECHA) meetings and expert groups on chemicals policy.
• Draft policy positions, reports, letters and advocacy materials in collaboration with EEB members and partners on chemicals policy.
• Respond to media requests, support EEB comms activities.
• Coalition building: coordinating and participating in NGO networks.
• EEB horizontal teamwork and EEB-organisational engagement
• This role offers room to grow, professionally and personally.
• You’ll have opportunities to deepen your expertise, take on different responsibilities, and help strengthen the EEB member’s network. You’ll work closely with and report to the Policy Manager for chemicals and collaborate closely with other colleagues of the Chemicals Policy team, the EEB Policy Unit and, of course, the whole EEB team.

Who You Are 

We are looking for someone who has a strong health and/or environmental scientific background and holds at least a master’s degree (or ideally a PhD), relevant to the subject.

Your Skills & Experiences

• At least two years of relevant work experience after the master’s graduation (PhD counts as work experience)
• Ability to communicate complex issues in understandable language
• Excellent organisational skills with a sharp eye for detail.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Being comfortable in team working with policy and comms colleagues.

Assets That Make You Stand Out

• Experience working for non-profits.
• Knowledge of the functioning of EU Institutions.
• Experience with coordination, organisation and networking
• Good command of written and spoken French (with Dutch or other EU languages being an asset).

Your Values

• You care about the environment and subscribe to the EEB’s values.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

• A full-time one-year contract.
• An organisation committed to its values of democracy, fairness, respect, integrity and sustainability, and a purpose-driven, supportive and friendly team with 70+ people working for a better future in which people and nature thrive together.
• An attractive workspace in the heart of the EU quarter and a healthy organisational culture, including, for instance, staff away days and (optional) social gatherings.
• Possibility to work from home 4 days a week and from another EU country for up to six weeks per year.
• Flexible working hours with a transparent floating time system.
• A monthly gross salary starting from EUR 3101, with a higher salary depending on the level of experience.
• Various monetary benefits, including a holiday bonus, 13th month, a generous pension scheme, lunch vouchers, teleworking indemnity, transport allowance, travel insurance.
• Quality trainings (group and individual), peer learning and skills shares.
• Next to 20 days of legal leave, we offer 5 days of extra-legal leave during the winter break closure, 5 days of extra-legal leave anytime in the year and 2 days of extra-legal leave days for office-wide long weekends in spring and autumn, that is, a total of 32 paid leave days, (plus other forms of paid leave under certain conditions such as leave for compelling reasons or additional leave offered when having worked with the EEB for 4+ years).

Registration in Belgium and work permits

As our contracts fall under Belgian law, the candidate must commit to being officially registered in Belgium and working from our office in Brussels (with structural teleworking).

The EEB welcomes applicants from outside the EU, and we consider it a privilege to have non-EU nationals amongst our staff members and to benefit from their perspectives and skills.

If you are not an EU citizen, please let us know if you have a work permit for Belgium.

Please note that it is not always possible for us to initiate and succeed with work permit applications for non-EU nationals due to legal restrictions, additional costs and practical issues for a medium-sized non-profit organisation. If you do not hold a work permit for Belgium, please feel free to reach out to request further information before you apply.

If you hold a work permit, please mention if you hold a valid Single Permit (A card) or permanent residence permit (B card, long-term resident).

How You Can Apply

We are looking forward to receiving:

• a short letter of motivation
• your CV (without pictures)
• a completed questionnaire (see below)

We value clarity, motivation and authenticity more than formal letters and too much detail.

Only applications comprising these three elements will be considered.

Please send your complete application to personnel@eeb.org.

Thank you for clearly marking “Policy Officer for Chemicals” in the subject of your email.

Please read our recruitment privacy statement before applying:

https://eeb.org/eeb-recruitment-privacy-statement/

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to provide two references later.

Due to limited staff resources and the number of applications anticipated, only candidates selected for interviews will receive a reply.

Questionnaire for Policy Officer for Chemicals post

Please answer the following question in max 300 words:

-Which challenges and opportunities do you foresee for NGO participation in scientific/expert committees.

Please do not have AI tools write your answers. If we detect arguments or text blocks which have been generated by an AI tool, your application may be rejected. We are interested in genuine perspectives and original ideas.

Next steps

Deadline for Application:                                      31 May 2026

Interviews first round (tentative):                   8 June 2026

Starting date:                                                              01 July 2026

We are looking forward to getting to know you!

European Environmental Bureau AISBL

Rue des Deux Eglises 14-16, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

E-mail: personnel@eeb.org – Website: http://www.eeb.org

International non-profit association – Association internationale sans but lucratif (AISBL)

EC register for interest representatives: Identification number: 06798511314-27

BCE identification number: 0415.814.848

RPM Tribunal de l’entreprise francophone de Bruxelles