(Senior) Policy Manager

The Policy Manager will be based at PlasticsEurope’s office in Brussels (with a requirement for travel), and will report directly to the External Affairs Director. He / she will promote PlasticsEurope views to EU decision-makers and other stakeholders and ensure the development of a policy framework which supports the plastics industry’s transition to a circular economy and contributions to delivering on the European Green Deal.

More specifically the candidate will develop advocacy strategies, monitor policy developments at EU level, help define policy positions and undertake advocacy activities in line with agreed strategy. He/she will interact with European upstream and downstream associations and identify areas of possible joint collaboration.

As part of the External Affairs team the candidate will be strongly involved and provide support to the organization of events and the development of communication strategies and action plans.

The role will also involve maintaining dialogue between PlasticsEurope and its various external stakeholders in specific regions – including regional or country specific issues management and advocacy planning.

Candidate Profile:

To meet these expectations, candidates must have the following key competencies:

Public affairs and stakeholder engagement

The candidate must be able to network easily, both inside and outside the Association. He/she will have experience in creating and implementing effective engagement strategies, and will have demonstrated that he/she is able to establish and maintain relationships with the European policy makers, the permanent representations of the Member States and other relevant stakeholders. His/her networking capabilities will be the result of good presence, a professional approach, strong interpersonal skills and the energy and drive to build awareness and credibility with key decision makers and stakeholders.

Communication and drafting skills

The candidate must understand complex issues, position them in the political and social environment and translate them into easy to understand messages. He/she must have the ability to establish contacts and to deal with a variety of people and styles, and must have excellent drafting skills in English, including drafting policy positions, messaging and consultation responses.

Excellent written and spoken English is a key requirement, and knowledge of additional European languages is an advantage.

Further requirements

The candidate should be capable to take initiative, be self-motivated and be used to work independently while being a team player. The candidate should be a strategic thinker with ability to contribute to key communications and policy decisions by interpreting internal and external trends and changes.

He/she has a strong academic background (a Master degree in communications, economics, law, political science or any related discipline) and has at least five years of relevant public affairs experience in industry, a trade association, consultancy or NGO.

The candidate knowledge of the plastics industry and its operating model, and should be able to exhibit deep knowledge and understanding of:

• The external context (governmental, regulatory, NGOs, political, value chain, consumer and media) the plastics industry is and will be operating within, the critical stakeholders and their agendas
• Specific policy issues facing the plastics industry including
• Experience of working and influencing in a large complex organisation, working in a collaborative manner to influence and align multiple internal stakeholders
• The ability to learn fast, bringing relevant and high value experience to debate and decision-making

Interested?

Please send your application with full curriculum vitae before 12 February 2021, with the subject “Public Affairs Manager” to: HR@plasticseurope.org