Civic Consulting is an economic and public policy consultancy supporting European and international institutions as well as national governments through policy evaluation, economic and legal research, market studies, and impact assessment. We have special expertise in the areas of consumer policy and empowerment, financial services, food chain issues and general issues of good governance (for more details, see project references).

We are currently offering the following positions:

Consumer policy consultant

You will contribute to the work of a small, dedicated and multi-cultural core team in Berlin producing high-quality studies that are known for their accuracy and independence and provide a solid basis for decisions of policy makers, parliamentarians and stakeholders.

At Civic Consulting you will:

  • Provide high quality research and analytical inputs for public policy research, evaluation and impact assessment for European Commission and other clients, focusing on the area of consumer policy and on studies to analyse EU markets in a consumer perspective;
  • Design and apply quantitative and qualitative data collection tools such as large scale surveys, interviews etc, and conduct economic and policy analysis;
  • Contribute to and coordinate work on EU 27 studies under the direction of senior team members, take personal responsibility for their completion and ensure deadlines are met;
  • Contribute to analytical reports, coordinate and edit contributions of external experts;
  • Support preparation of proposals for studies.

You have the following qualification and experience:

  • Four to five years of professional experience in the field of consumer policy or consumer law or EU economic or public policy in relevant areas.
  • Postgraduate degree (or equivalent professional qualification) in economics and/or consumer law, or in other relevant fields such as political sciences if combined with some formal qualifications in consumer law or economics.
  • Previous work experience in a consultancy, research institute or European/international institution would be an advantage, as well as extensive writing experience in an academic, research or consultancy context. We expect genuine and documented interest in consumer focused economic and legal research at EU and national level and a willingness to understand and analyse complex issues from a consumer/citizen perspective.
  • Evidence of a good knowledge and understanding of European policy, governance and economic issues.
  • Evidence of ability to understand and analyse and recommend policies and solutions to complex economic or policy problems.
  • Evidence of ability to work on and where appropriate lead multi-disciplinary/multi-country studies.
  • Evidence of a high level of verbal and written communication skills, and ability to communicate complex issues.
  • Proficiency in Word and Excel. Ability or demonstrated capacity to use specialised statistical/econometric software packages would be an advantage.

We expect from all applicants excellent English language skills. Knowledge of German or French and other EU languages would be an asset. EU citizenship or work permit required.
Note: There is also a junior position available, with similar requirements, and minimum work experience of two to three years.

Please apply by email only with CV, cover letter, copy of most relevant article or report authored by you, and details of current salary to jobs@civic-consulting.de May 1st, 2012. Please note in the header of the e-mail whether you apply for the consultant or the junior consultant position.

Research fellows – analyzing EU policy from a consumer/citizen perspective

If you are a young European professional interested in analyzing EU policy from a consumer/citizen perspective, and would like to be considered for a three-month research fellowship at Civic Consulting’s office in Berlin, then send in a 4-7 page article in line with academic standards on one of the following topics, in English, together with a CV and covering letter:

  • Do market practices of telecommunication services providers lead to consumer detriment, and what can EU policy makers do about it?
  • Good governance of food crises – has the EU learned the lessons from BSE to better protect consumers from emerging food chain risks?
  • Is the EU framework for consumer credit sufficient to prevent practices of lenders that may lead to over-indebtedness of consumers?

Winners of the fellowship will receive an award of 5,000 Euro to cover accommodation and other expenses. Fellows will contribute to ongoing EU 27 studies. Fellows that have successfully contributed to our team will be preferably considered for future job opportunities at Civic Consulting.

Applicants for the fellowship should have one to two years professional experience after graduation in economics, law, political sciences or other relevant subjects. Previous work experience in a consultancy or European/international institution would be an advantage, as well as extensive writing experience in an academic, research or consultancy context. We expect genuine and documented interest in economic and legal research at EU and national level and a willingness to understand and analyse complex issues from a consumer/citizen perspective. Further requirements are: experience in design and use of quantitative and qualitative research tools (such as survey questionnaires, guidelines for expert interview), proficiency of Word, Excel and possibly SPSS, excellent knowledge of English at the level of a native speaker, and EU residency/work permit. Knowledge of German, French, Spanish or other EU languages are not required but would be an asset.

Applications should be sent by e-mail only to fellowship@civic-consulting.de before May 1st, 2012.