Policy Officer

AAP Animal Advocacy and Protection (Stichting AAP in Dutch) is recruiting for an experienced Policy Officer to join one of Europe’s most successful teams in the field of exotic animal welfare.

AAP is an international animal welfare organization working for a better future for exotic, non-domesticated animals. AAP operates two rescue and rehabilitation facilities, one in the Netherlands (Stichting AAP) and one in Spain (AAP Primadomus), and is engaged in advocacy and campaigning for better legislation at regional, national and European level. AAP focuses on three main areas of work: private ownership of exotic animals as pets, use of wild animals in entertainment and illegal wildlife trade.

The Public Policy Department leverages the knowledge and expertise acquired in over 40 years of animal rescue practice into long-term policy-based solutions to address the problems at their roots. We are the strategic antenna of the organization, translating analysis and projections into advocacy plans which we implement together with our international partner network.

AAP employs about 115 paid staff and more than 230 volunteers. AAP is situated in the middle of a green area near Almere, about a half hour away from Amsterdam. There are few places where you can see the result of your efforts as directly as at AAP: our office is located next to our animal rescue and rehabilitation facilities. AAP distinguishes itself by having an enormous passion and a professional, open culture. Our core values are accessibility, dedication and inventiveness.

YOUR ROLE

The Policy Officer is responsible for lobbying, influencing and negotiating with relevant national and international stakeholders to ensure a change in behavior, regulation and legislation within AAP’s policy programs and in the selected target countries / institutions. The strategies and projects are primarily carried out within the European context. Frequent travel is required.

The position is accountable to the Head of Public Policy and is responsible for giving functional instructions to external multidisciplinary teams

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Accessing, initiating and managing a network

• Analyzing and linking relevant political force fields to the set organizational goals.
• Initiating or maintaining contact with relevant stakeholders and gaining access to their political network in order to actively inform, influence and lobby them in a results-oriented way.
• Collecting relevant strategic information and wishes from the networks and communicating them to the organization.

Developing strategies and policy

• Developing a suitable strategy for the countries/policy programs of concern according to their specific cultural and political features.
• Obtaining commitment to develop or adjust relevant policy, legislation and regulations from the necessary political/technical/professional institutions.
• Supporting governments and institutions in the development of relevant policy, legislation and regulations.

Implementing strategies

• Translating the specific wishes and needs of relevant stakeholders and substantive proposals into policy, legislation and regulations, taking scope, budget and geographic conditions into account and by leading (external) teams in their development and implementation.
• Monitoring the activities accurately with regards to time, budget and quality and reporting both internally and externally.
• Reacting timely to changes in the landscape and adjusting the selected strategy when / if necessary.

Evaluating strategies and policy

• Carefully evaluating and reporting results according to the agreed criteria and set organizational goals.
• Completing administrative tasks derived from the projects.
• Recommending improvements based on factual evaluations.

YOUR PROFILE

Essential

• Work and think at a higher education level.
• Expert knowledge of and experience in policy-influencing processes (both in the Netherlands and at an international/EU level)
• Experience or affinity with animal welfare work.
• Strong social and communications skills (written and oral), able to translate the organization’s viewpoints to different target groups.
• Fluent command of English and Dutch, written and oral.

Desired

• Knowledge of and experience with project management (ideally at an international level).
• Fluent command of other European languages (preferably French and/or German).
• Experience with working in a knowledge-oriented environment.

SPECIFIC PERSONALITY FEATURES

Analytical ability and independence in making implementation decisions, also to act on identified problems, within the established organizational framework.

• Helicopter view, capable of looking at things objectively and from different points of view.
• Social skills in the context of cooperation, persuading others and defending the interests of AAP.
• Strong sense of politics and diplomacy.
• Sensitivity to cultural/national differences and ability to adapt to the specific requirements of any given context.

OUR OFFER

A very challenging job with a lot of responsibility in an open, professional and international organization with animals and people at its heart, located in a green environment. Your salary based on relevant work experience is between € 3.428,- and € 4.448,- gross per month (excluding holiday allowance and end-of-year payment) based on a 40 hour working week, with the possibility to grow each year according to your development. AAP has conservative salaries, but is willing to think about opportunities for training and is flexible about working from home for some of the working hours.

WANT TO KNOW MORE OR APPLY RIGHT AWAY?

For further information call Raquel García - van der Walle, head of Public Policy: phone number +31 (0)36 523 87 87.

Check our website for further information about AAP:  www.aap.nl/en

Send your application letter and CV before the 1st of April, to https://stichtingaap.onlinevacatures.nl/job/154439/apply ,

attn. Elly Koppers, Team manager HR.

A practical assignment is part of the application process.