Policy Officer

UKREP - United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union

Brussels, Belgium

The UK Representation to the EU is looking for a capable and highly motivated policy officer to work in the Political Section on a range of high priority issues.

The successful applicant will lead on a range of political, staffing and corporate issues, giving them a unique insight into UK policy formulation, our human resource strategy, and the internal workings of one of the UK's biggest and most high profile diplomatic missions.

It is a challenging job at the heart of the UK Representation so the successful applicant will need to prove that they have good judgement, a solid track record in delivering results and that they are, above all, a genuine team player. A sound understanding of the EU Institutions and previous policy experience would be an asset.

Responsibilities:

• The successful applicant will have be the desk-level lead for Inter-institutional relations, working with the First Secretary Political, the Legal Team and others in UKRep, as well as contacts across the Institutions and other PermReps, to inform and advise the policy makers in London, and build support for UK positions and ideas. He or she will need to be able to work across the full range of Inter-Institutional issues, but can expect to have a particular focus on the Council and the European Council;
• The jobholder will also work to deliver increased UKREP support on British secondees to the EU institutions: collaborating with the Central EU staffing unit to increase the number of secondees, but also the support we offer to them. Working with two more junior UKREP colleagues' (both of which you will manage, and both of which will also be new in post), and with the EU central staffing unit, you will need to drive forward various improvements to our existing practices and procedures, and to monitor progress over time. You will be responsible for handling and escalating as appropriate any particularly difficult or sensitive cases that might arise, and will be the main point of contact in UKRep for staffing in the External Action Service;
• The third aspect of this job is a "corporate" one as the jobholder will need to act as the Secretary to UKRep Strategic Management Board and the Business Board, where the Ambassadors and senior staff take the important decisions about how UKRep is run. This will involve preparing agendas, producing minutes and assisting in the timely implementation of decisions taken by the Board. It will also mean assisting the Senior Management team on internal corporate processes and projects, and delivering UKRep's internal communications strategy;
• The jobholder will directly line-manage two A2L members of the Political section.

Essential skills & competences:

Essential on arrival:

• An understanding of the EU's Institutional set-up;
• Excellent communications skills including the ability to write at pace to a high standard;
• Proven ability to work in a team;
• Strong networking skills;
• Fluent command of English.

Able to demonstrate abilities in the following key competency areas:

Competence 1: Seeing the Big Picture
Competence 2: Delivering at Pace
Competence 3: Making Effective Decisions
Competence 4: Leading and Communicating

Desirable skills:

• Experience working in or with the EU Institutions and previous experience of policy work;
• Good French language skills.

The successful applicant will have the Opportunity to attend full range of UKREP training courses and other FCO training courses as required. There will also be considerable "on the job training".

This is a demanding policy job for an ambitious and highly motivated individual with a keen interest in the EU. The successful applicant will work at the heart of one of the largest Perm Reps in Brussels, with a unique insight into the full range of political, staffing and corporate work undertaken there. He or she will be expected to get up to speed quickly in a range of areas, working to build a wide network of contact. There will be plenty of exposure to senior staff and lots of opportunity to learn on the job. In short this will be an excellent springboard for a wide range of jobs in Brussels, as well as back in the UK system.

This position will be filled on a fixed term contract.

Taxable gross monthly salary: € 3444.87

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Belgium at the point of application.

Applications with a full CV and cover letter in English outlining how you meet the essential and desirable skills and competencies should be sent to the Recruitment Officer, Corporate Services Benelux, British Embassy, Avenue d'Auderghem 10 B-1040 Brussels or brussels.recruitment@fco.gov.uk by 4pm on Monday 06 October 2014. If applying by email, you should include your full name in the message title and your email and attachments must not exceed 300kB in size. We expect to hold interviews soon after the closing date with a view to the successful applicant starting work as soon as possible subject to security clearance and administrative processes.

Please note that, due to the large volume of applications that we receive; only applicants selected for interview will be contacted.

"The UK Representation to the EU is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference."

"Staff recruited locally by the UK Representation to the EU in Belgium are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Belgian employment law."