Policy Support Officer – Trade and Transatlantic Relations

UKREP - United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union

Brussels, Belgium

A full time position has become available as a Policy Assistant in The External Relations Section, in the Trade Development and Wider World Team.

Main Role

This is a challenging and varied role involving a significant degree of autonomy. The main elements include:

• Supporting, and sometimes representing the UK, at the Transatlantic Relations Working Group in the European Council, and acting as contact point within UKRep on related issues. This includes networking in the EU institutions, liaising with UK government departments on policy and handling and contributing to handling advice in UKREP;
• Act as Secretariat to the cross UKREP group “Team America” working on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP);
• Policy lead for a range of horizontal trade issues including Green Growth, Sustainable Development, Export Control, Conflict Minerals and the political elements of trade agreements;
• Providing ad-hoc policy support across the wider team on a variety of dossiers currently including Human Rights;
• The successful candidate will be expected to be flexible and adapt to help cover any potential shift in policy priorities within what is a very fast moving team.

Essential Skills

• The ability to manage and prioritise workload and deliver results;
• Demonstrated initiative, problem solving and judgement skills;
• Ability to manage, analyse, summarise and present complex and technical information;
• Excellent team working and interpersonal/relationship management skills;
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, both written and oral;
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure;
• Ability to take on a wider perspective;
• Fluent written and spoken English;
• Administrative and organisational skills with relevant experience, including a working knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Desirable

• Familiarity with UK government policies and structures;
• Knowledge of the EU institutions;
• Intermediate French language comprehension skills;
• Relevant academic or professional experience an advantage.

Opportunities

• Training and Development opportunities will be provided;
• Some travel, primarily to London, will be required.

The successful candidate will be subject to standard UK security vetting. 

This position will be filled on a fixed term contract.

Gross monthly salary: € 2736.57 

Applications with a CV and a one-page covering letter with supporting statement in English should be sent to the Recruitment Officer, CSB, Ave d’Auderghem 10, 1040 Brussels (brussels.recruitment@fco.gov.uk) by 10 July 2013, Include your full name in the message title and your email and attachments must not exceed 300kB in size. 

Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Belgium. 

Only applicants selected for interview will be contacted. The successful candidate will be expected to start end of August. 

The British Missions in Brussels are an equal opportunities employer. Applications are welcome from all suitably qualified applicants regardless of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. We aim to reflect the diversity of society.