Overview

BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, in Brussels, is looking for:

Marine Policy Officer

INTRODUCTION

BirdLife Europe and Central Asia is the European Division of BirdLife International, and is one of the six BirdLife regional offices around the world. It is composed of an international team of permanent staff working on conservation, capacity building, policy, management, finance, fundraising, advocacy, science, communication, marketing and administration. Stichting BirdLife Europe supports the European and Central Asia Partnership of BirdLife International, which consists of 43 independent, grassroots Civil Society Organisations, governed by a democratic programme.

BirdLife International is a global Partnership of autonomous, national non-governmental conservation organisations, with a large grassroots membership, in 117 countries and territories. BirdLife works together as a Partnership to conserve wild birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, by working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. BirdLife is the global authority on the status of bird species, has unparalleled technical expertise in bird and biodiversity assessment, and provides a global outreach through its national Partners and decentralised Secretariat.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF JOB

The Marine Policy Officer, as part of BirdLife Europe’s policy team and BirdLife International’s Marine Programme, will help ensure that marine policies, including fisheries policies, are designed and implemented in a way that promote biodiversity conservation.

Working in tight collaboration with the European Marine Coordinator, he/she will support and coordinate BirdLife Partnership’s work on these policy areas and represent and promote BirdLife’s views to the EU institutions, multilateral agreements, NGOs, businesses, and other stakeholders and also help design and deliver successful campaigns aiming to achieve the policy priorities of the BirdLife Europe’s marine strategy

TASKS

1. Be the main Brussels based BirdLife advocate on fisheries policy and marine policy and follow legislative and policy developments in the field of marine policy, and ensure it is in line with biodiversity conservation objectives; in particular marine aspects of the Biodiversity Strategy and the European Green Deal which include: implementation of the seabird plan of action tackle bycatch, the Common Fisheries Policy, management measures for Natura 2000 sites and marine spatial plans.
2. Assisting, in collaboration with the European Marine Coordinator, the BirdLife’s Marine Task Force, which brings together marine experts from within BirdLife’s European Partnership, including by providing technical support (organisation of meetings, taking minutes, maintaining Task Force archive, relevant web-pages etc.)
3. Providing policy support to BirdLife Partners, in close collaboration with the European Marine Coordinator, to implement successfully the BirdLife European Marine Strategy
4. Help formulate positions and provide detailed briefs and papers for decision-makers and also help design and deliver successful campaigns aiming to achieve BirdLife’s policy priorities. Provide detailed briefs and updates on relevant policy areas for the Partners (particularly for the Marine Task Force).
5. Assist in developing constructive working relationships with key influential bodies, especially the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as relevant NGOs and stakeholders, and to win their support for our priorities, positions and programmes individually and collectively.
6. Promote BirdLife’s views to the EU Institutions, by representing BirdLife Europe at relevant technical EU committees and working groups as well as at external meetings and conferences as necessary.
7. Help identify opportunities for funding, in collaboration with BirdLife Europe fundraisers and BirdLife Partners. Contribute to reporting to donors as necessary.
8. Contribute to the publications of BirdLife Europe and as appropriate to the general work of BirdLife Europe and the BirdLife Partnership.
9. Respond to inquiries as necessary from within and outside the BirdLife Partnership.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Good general knowledge and authoritative manner about birds (particularly seabirds) and biodiversity conservation.
• Good knowledge of conservation issues related to the marine environment and good knowledge of and experience of working on marine policies (Birds and Habitats Directives, Maritime Spatial Planning, Marine Strategy Framework Directive), and in particular fisheries policies (Common Fisheries Policy, European Maritime and Fisheries Fund).
• Good understanding of the working of the EU institutions and demonstrable experience of engaging with the EU institutions to achieve policy objectives.
• Experience of drafting policy positions and translating complex technical text into an accessible format for non-experts.
• Work experience with NGO networks is an advantage
• Knowledge about BirdLife work and the partnership is an advantage
• High standard of computer literacy (Excel, Word, Power Point and Outlook and the Internet)
• Fluent in English. Additional languages are an asset

WHAT WE OFFER

Duration: 1 year (renewable) Belgian contract
Working hours: full-time
Salary range: 3000 to 3400EUR/month (depending on the experience) and benefits

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a full CV (both in English) and a one-page motivation letter setting out your reasons for applying for a nature NGO and outlining concrete results you have delivered that demonstrate the experience, knowledge and skills that you feel you can bring to the role to: recruitment.europe@birdlife.org
Please include in the email subject: Marine Policy Officer
Closing date: 3 January 2021 at midnight CET. Please consider that applications received after the closing date will be automatically discarded.

SHORTLISTING AND INTERVIEW

Shortlisting is based on CV and cover letter. Successful candidates will be asked to attend a remote interview.
Please note that due to the large number of expected applications, only successful candidates will be contacted.
Interview day: 15 January 2021