Head of Communications and Policy Engagement for SAEGE

Overview

• Location: either Brussels or Germany; see below
• Setting: primarily home-based; see below
• Salary: based on the German TV-L E13 scale (approx 4200€–6200€ gross per month), depending on experience and location; see below
• Additional benefits: generous annual leave allowance of 30 days; flexible working hours; extra-legal benefits depending on location, see below
• Working hours: full-time (38 hours per week in Belgium; 40 hours per week in Germany)
• Contract type: dependent on location and legal arrangements; the project is funded until 2029 in the first instance
• Starting date: as soon as possible
• Closing date for applications: we will assess applications on a rolling basis; please apply as soon as you are ready

About SAEGE

SAEGE supports the work of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, an independent advisory body to the President of the European Commission.

SAEGE provides evidence reviews and ethical analysis to support the EGE in delivering its advice to policymakers.

SAEGE is also:

• building a Europe-wide network of ethics advisory bodies
• developing an ‘early alert’ mechanism to signal emerging ethical challenges to policymakers
• working with the European Commission to increase the impact of the EGE’s advice

Overview of the post

SAEGE is a new project, and communications and policy engagement will be an exceptionally important part of our work. In the first year of work, the Head of Communications and Policy Engagement will be tasked with:

• laying the groundwork to establish and build the profile of SAEGE and the EGE, building processes and setting expectations to deliver a professional communications and policy engagement programme
• developing and implementing a joint communications strategy for SAEGE and the EGE, in collaboration with colleagues in the European Commission
• initially, hands-on delivery of communications activities (in collaboration with senior colleagues on the project); as the project matures, contributing to the growth of the communications and policy team and taking on supervisory and leadership responsibilities

Personal profile

This is a communications and policy role that goes far beyond standard dissemination of project results. The complex environment in which the postholder will be working will demand flexibility and adaptability. The post will involve frequent close collaboration with multiple stakeholders both internally and externally, including policymakers and academics.

Broadly speaking, we are looking for someone who:

• has several years of experience in either policy-relevant communications or policy engagement or both, perhaps at a European level (we do not necessarily expect experience of working on Horizon Europe projects)
• has one or more (though not all) of the following specific communications competences: website editing using a CMS such as WordPress; audio and visual editing; science communication; print publications layout and design; copywriting and editing; editorial media relations; social media strategy
• can grasp complex ideas and structures quickly, and communicate them to a range of audiences, including in both technical and non-technical contexts
• has a demonstrable interest in ethics, philosophy, or one or more specific policy areas with a strong ethical dimension
• is confident with navigating multiple-stakeholder environments
• has an excellent command of spoken and written English; other European languages (especially German or French) are an advantage
• wants to work in a small, dynamic, and evolving team that values collaboration and mutual support

But, because of the evolving nature of the organisation, we are not wedded to a specific personal profile. If you feel that you would be a good fit for this role, please feel free to apply and tell us why.

Working arrangements

• Employer: The SAEGE project is delivered by the European Network of Research Ethics Committees (EUREC). As such, this post will be employed by EUREC.
• Location: EUREC is able to employ staff in both Germany and Belgium. Due to frequent interactions with EU policymakers, we envisage that this post will be based in Brussels (with a Belgian contract), but we are also open to considering a candidate based in Germany (with a German contract), in which case regular travel to Brussels will be essential. To the extent allowed by Belgian and German law, EUREC works to ensure parity of working conditions between staff in the two countries.
• Setting: SAEGE staff work primarily from home, with frequent in-person meetings with colleagues (depending on location).
• Salary and benefits: In Germany, this post will be remunerated according to the TV-L E13 scale. The starting point on the scale is dependent on experience. If the postholder is based in Belgium, appropriate adjustments will be made to comply with standard Belgian employment conditions, taking into account common benefits (meal vouchers, teleworking allowance, etc) to ensure as close parity as possible with the German system.
• Reporting: The Head of Communications and Policy Engagement reports directly to the SAEGE project leads. This post is the first member of the communications and policy engagement team to be recruited and will have no direct reports at first, but the team is expected to grow under the postholder’s leadership.
• Travel: For a postholder based in Brussels, occasional travel to Germany is expected. For a postholder based in Germany, frequent travel to Brussels is expected. Travel elsewhere in Europe is also expected for occasional meetings and events.

How to apply

Please apply via our online form: https://saege.eu/comms-and-policy/

For an informal conversation about this position, please contact Toby Wardman, SAEGE project lead: wardman@eurecnet.eu.