Public Affairs Manager

Eurogroup for Animals is the Brussels based European umbrella advocacy organisation, representing 70 national and international members across Europe and beyond. Together we provide a voice for the billions of animals kept in laboratories, farms and homes or living in the wild. Our vision is to build a Europe that truly cares for animals where the well-being of animals is assured because they experience a good life.

The purpose of Eurogroup for Animals is to drive positive change for animals by convening its members around common goals and coordinating EU wide action to jointly influence EU laws and policies. Our advocacy work consists of dedicated programmes and a growing portfolio of projects and campaigns. 

We are seeking a passionate and engaging individual who thrives in a challenging environment and always wants to go the extra mile. Empowering and supporting the engagement and political teams, the Public Affairs Manager has a ‘can do’ mentality and will be responsible for part of the public affairs work her/himself. 

Your outgoing, entrepreneurial and proactive attitude combined with strong dedication will be a real asset in quickly building strong relationships with external stakeholders. Curious, inventive, positive and excellent listener, you will be able to ‘read’ your interlocutor’s mind, transpose yourself with empathy in the interlocutor’s ‘world vision’, build rapport and generate trust. 

Our environment requires a manager who has a nose for unexpected opportunities, quickly grasps new ideas but also brings structure and planning to the role. You should be adept at getting the maximum impact with the (time and financial) resources at your disposal.  As the ideal candidate you should  be comfortable operating in an environment where existing plans often need to be adapted and changed. Demonstrating flexibility and adaptability are key attributes and you will not easily get disheartened by rejection or lack the initiative to find different ways of solving problems. Patience, tact and the ability to keep calm will be essential too to get on with the huge variety of people you’ll interact with, be a great multi-tasker and be able to switch swiftly from recruiting the latest animal activists as a member on a potential PR disaster. 

As a leader you should be constructively critical and challenge yourself and your colleagues to strive for excellence. You demonstrate empathy and are willing to listen to input from your team and peers, while keeping focus on maximizing impact for the investment made. Seen as an effective influencer, you need to be comfortable contributing to both Leadership Team discussions and leading your own team meetings where you can identify priorities that others need to work on.

You are a source of inspiration and energy to your colleagues and are able to bring a sense of order and calm to the implementation of work plans.

The Public Affairs Manager is responsible for delivering positive change for animals through effectively conveying our messages to the EU institutions and other stakeholders. Unleashing the power of the membership to drive European leadership for animals are key aspects of the job. Whilst implementing the organisations’ strategies, the PA manager ensures the quality, integration and impact of the organisation’s engagement and political activities. The PA manager is line-managing a team of dedicated political and engagement staff and together with the CEO and operations manager, constitutes the management team.  

Responsibilities

• Developing, implementing and evaluating communication, campaign and political strategies;
• Integrate member involvement, external communications, events and political advocacy;
• Strong positioning of Eurogroup’s brand and advocacy agenda at EU level;
• Maintain high membership satisfaction by supporting the delivery of the membership engagement strategy;
• Create development opportunities and oversee the implementation of resource mobilisation processes;
• Manage and monitor the budget of the engagement and political teams
• Together with the operations manager, deputise the CEO

Competenties

• Professional, striving for excellence
• Entrepreneurial and creative
• Proactive and solutions-oriented
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills

Skills

• Understanding of and deep knowledge of the Brussels environment and the European institutions 
• Substantial senior level experience in an external facing/public affairs role 
• Demonstrated experience in marketing for good, preferably in a membership organisation at a snr level
• Knowledge of the animal welfare sector and affinity with animal advocacy
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills, able to think strategically and creatively
• Advocacy experience and experience with integrated campaigning and advocacy strategies
• Experience in corporate communications
• Strong team player

Employment Contract

38 hours per week, unlimited employment contract under Belgian law. Competitive remuneration and benefits package offered. A valid EU working permit is required.

How to apply

To apply for the post, please send a letter of application stating the skills and approach that you would bring to this post along with your CV in English (Word format) by email to Louise Hilditch hr@eurogroupforanimals.org . Please include your salary expectations.

There is no deadline for applications, but we will review applications and conduct interviews as we go along. The vacancy will be closed once we have filled it.