Senior Vice President for Innovation and Competitiveness, Director of Brussels Office

Senior Vice President for Innovation and Competitiveness, Director of Brussels Office

GMF - German Marshall Fund of the United States

Brussels, Belgium

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The SVP for Innovation and Competitiveness is a member of the executive team and serves as the director of GMF’s Brussels Office. This pivotal role is responsible for shaping GMF’s agenda on EU and US economic policies, the competitiveness agenda, and the organization’s leadership in fostering US-EU dialogue on these issues. The SVP will drive policy research, represent GMF in Brussels, and reinforce GMF’s influence as the premier transatlantic think tank on economic and technological affairs.

It is structured around three core missions:

Lead, Manage and Develop GMF’s Policy Work on Competitiveness, Trade and Emerging Technologies.

The transatlantic partnership is being fundamentally reshaped by geo-economic and technological evolutions, including the use of trade and energy policies to achieve geopolitical goals, and the intensification of the US-China industrial and technological rivalry.

The SVP will leverage GMF’s deep expertise and extensive networks in the US and in Europe to address the complexities of today’s economic security and technological challenges. Through its Strategic Competitiveness initiative launched in February 2025, GMF provides expertise on US and EU trade policy, economic and energy security, the future of sanctions, and supply chain resilience. GMF Tech leads transatlantic policy discussions on transatlantic technological cooperation in the context of the US-China competition, the impact of AI on democracy, and transatlantic industrial dialogues.

Together, these two pillars form the foundation of the Innovation and Competitiveness program. The program will also integrate GMF’s longstanding work on democracy, ensuring that democratic resilience is central to responses to geo-economic and technological changes.

This position will include the following responsibilities:

• Develop an Integrated Research Agenda
  • Create a cohesive framework that aligns the Strategic Competitiveness initiative and GMF Tech workstream under the Innovation and Competitiveness program;
  • Foster cross-regional analysis and convene thought leaders from both sides of the Atlantic;
  • Advance the transatlantic competitiveness agenda by analyzing EU and US industrial policies, economic security, energy transition, digital transformation, and the implications of US-China strategic competition, and by developing actionable policy recommendations to strengthen transatlantic cooperation.
• Enhance Research Quality and Impact
  • Elevate GMF’s research work on US-EU trade relations and the US-China technological competition to increase GMF’s policy impact. Develop a tiered publication strategy through in-depth policy papers to timely briefs and op-eds, targeted at policymakers and the public.
• Secure Sustainable Funding and Expand the Program
  • Collaborate with the Development team to diversify funding streams by engaging foundations, corporate partners, government agencies, and individual donors;
  • Design and implement a portfolio of flagship projects that align with strategic donor interests and advance GMF’s mission.

Strengthen GMF’s Policy Role in Brussels and Across Europe

GMF aims to reinforce its expertise and recognition on US-Europe economic relations, as well as to increase the convening and publication work at the Brussels office. As director of the Brussels Office, the SVP will help re-invigorate GMF’s profile as the premier transatlantic partner for policymakers, business leaders, and media in Brussels and across its European offices.

This includes five core responsibilities:

• Position GMF Brussels as the hub for transatlantic economic policy and competitiveness;
• Deepen engagement with the European Commission, European Parliament, and key EU stakeholders in policy, business, and civil society;
• Expand GMF’s convening power by organizing flagship conferences, strategic dialogues, and private roundtables with US and EU leaders;
• Enhance GMF’s visibility and influence in the Brussels policy community and across GMF’s European offices;
• Foster robust US-EU dialogue on economic policy, competitiveness, and innovation, ensuring GMF is a go-to resource for both sides of the Atlantic.

Support the President as Member of the Executive Team and Co-Shape GMF’s Long-Term Strategic Direction

GMF stands at a pivotal juncture as European and American stakeholders seek strategic guidance to navigate unprecedented domestic and global challenges. To remain impactful, GMF must clearly define its unique value. The SVP will help leverage in-house expertise to provide cutting-edge analysis, ensuring that the European perspective is brought to the U.S. and vice versa, while weaving together the organization’s diverse regional insights into a cohesive and comprehensive transatlantic outlook.

As a member of the Executive Team, the SVP will support the President in strengthening GMF’s role as the leading forum for transatlantic policy innovation and dialogue. These responsibilities will include helping design the future strategic direction of GMF; positioning it in terms of content and staff; strengthening its role as content provider and firmly anchoring it in Europe and the US. The SVP will also help prepare GMF to navigate a period where the transatlantic relationship may face greater internal scrutiny and supporting a more balanced and resilient partnership.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• 15+ years of senior leadership experience required;
• Significant experience and skill in management of staff and resources, as well as strategic planning, in organizations of comparable size;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to maintain strong relationships with donors and cultivate new relationships with prospective donors and partners;
• Excellent intercultural communication skills to design strategies and communication adapted to particular national settings;
• An established profile as recognized expert and thought leader in the area of economic policy and international relations supported by a track record of publications and considerable substantive knowledge;
• A successful track record of ideating funding proposals;
• An established media profile and excellent public speaking and communication skills;
• A dense network of contacts in the US political, administrative, military, economic and media sphere;
• Excellent international education including a PhD.