EU Relations Officer

EU Relations Officer

EMBL - European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Heidelberg, Germany

Organisation data: International Relations
Job Number: HD02414
Contract Type: Staff Member
Contract Duration-Length of Time (years/months): 3 years
Advertised Grade-Grading: 5 or 6
Closing date: 31 May 2023

About the team/job

EMBL is Europe's life sciences laboratory - an intergovernmental organisation supported by 28 countries and covering the spectrum of molecular biology. It operates across six sites in Heidelberg (headquarters), Barcelona, Cambridge, Grenoble, Hamburg and Rome. Our mission is to perform basic research in molecular biology; train scientists, students and visitors at all levels; offer vital services to scientists in the public and private sectors within the member states; develop new instruments and methods; and engage actively in technology transfer.

The International Relations Unit is responsible for building and managing relations with EMBL member states and other major government, intergovernmental and political stakeholders. It coordinates EMBL's relations with the European Commission and other EU institutions and helps shape science policy on a European and international level.

Your role

The EU Relations Officer will report directly to the Head of International Relations. The post holder will be responsible for developing and implementing an EU Affairs strategy for EMBL. In particular, this will require:

• Monitoring developments in EU and relevant science policies that affect the work of EMBL, and defining actions and priorities for strategic intervention and engagement;
• Assembling position papers, briefing materials, organising meetings and visits, preparing reports and minutes, and managing relationships with relevant stakeholders;
• Providing support in conveying EMBL's position on key policies to relevant actors in the EU institutions and national bodies involved in research governance, and support other external relations interactions as appropriate;
• Liaising with EMBL scientific leadership and administrative staff when preparing the Laboratory's position on issues/policies;
• Building relationships with EU policy makers to enhance their understanding of EMBL and influence research policy of relevance to the life sciences;
• Supporting EMBL's participation in EIROforum, in particular in the field of EU affairs;
• Supporting the Head of International Relations in the engagement with relevant ESFRI partners.

The post might require travel within Europe.

You have

The successful candidate would have at least 5 years of relevant experience and should hold an advanced university degree in European Affairs, Public policy, International Relations, or another relevant field. Excellent understanding of the operation and competences of the EU institutions is essential, and a proven track record of influencing research policy on a national or European level is a strong advantage. A strong network of contacts in the EU institutions is desirable. Knowledge of contemporary science policy issues and relevant work experience in an international organisation are desirable.

The position of EU Relations Officer will also require the following:

• excellent command of English and outstanding writing skills;
• ability to work both independently and as part of a team;
• attention to detail and a commitment to deadlines;
• clear communication and good interpersonal skills.

You might also have

• Fluency in another language, especially French or German, is highly desirable.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation.

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team - we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work.

Don't meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply nevertheless.

What else you need to know

We are Europe's flagship research laboratory for the life sciences - an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1900 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome.

Our mission is to offer vital services in training scientists, students and visitors at all levels; to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences and actively engage in technology transfer activities, and to integrate European life science research. The working language of the institute is English.

The initial contract is for a period of three years with the possibility of a fixed-term extension.

EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here.

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