We are recruiting a policy advisor focusing on social inclusion, employment and social affairs.

As policy advisor, you will be responsible for monitoring and analysing the main policy files at EU level related to social affairs, skills and employment. The candidate ideally would start at the earliest convenience.

Eurocities is a dynamic and international team where we trust in people, value constructive exchanges and collaborative work. We help people thrive in a friendly, open and healthy environment while promoting a work/life balance.

Responsibilities

Eurocities has a dedicated Social Affairs Forum (SAF) that brings together over 150 cities to work jointly to address major social challenges such as employment, education, homelessness, housing, poverty and social exclusion of vulnerable individuals, a lack of access into the labour market for vulnerable groups, or population ageing. The Eurocities’ SAF also supports exchanges of experience, know-how and transfer of innovative solutions among cities.

As Policy advisor, you will work under the Head of SAF team, and you will play a pivotal role in coordinating our policy work in the field of social affairs.

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• monitoring and analysing the main policy files at EU level related to social affairs, skills and employment (for example: the European Pillar of Social Rights, the future anti-poverty strategy, the future of ESF+, etc);
• informing our members about the main policy developments at EU level, and their impact on cities at local level;
• making sure that the interests of cities are reflected in the upcoming policy files;
• gathering feedback and good practices from our members to feed our policy work and to provide European institutions with policy recommendations based on evidence from the ground;
• contributing to the implementation of the EaSI operating grant annual work programme, by providing policy input, working with our social affairs forum members, contributing with policy knowledge to the Social Affairs Forum as well as to the different Working Groups (Employment, Education, Housing, Homelessness, Ageing and Wellbeing, Children etc);
• building and maintaining relationships with key EU institutions, including the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the EU and its presidencies;
• engaging with the external stakeholders and relevant NGOs;
• drafting position papers, policy briefs, and consultation responses to effectively communicate SAF positions and priorities;
• cooperating with colleagues in the SAF team as well as with other thematic teams with to ensure synergies and cross-cutting work;
• maintaining an up-to-date overview of policy developments and contributing with expertise and strategic insights to the policy work of Eurocities.

Profile

You are an experienced professional who is full of initiative, self-driven, curious, creative, flexible and results oriented.

The skills and experience to do this job successfully include *:

• at least five years of work experience, including:
  • relevant work experience in policy advocacy at the EU level
  • relevant experience in social affairs, social inclusion or employment
• a Masters’ degree or equivalent in social policies, social sciences, urban development, EU studies or related fields
• thorough understanding of the EU institutions and their decision-making processes
• good knowledge of the EU policies and programmes related to social inclusion, employment, and education
• excellent research and analytical skills, including the ability to collect, analyse and present information in a clear and concise way
• strong interpersonal and networking skills for an international environment
• excellent team player
• excellent coordination skills
• excellent oral and written communications skills in English

You are:

• a dynamic team player who also takes full responsibility for delivering results on own work
• agile in a changing environment with the ability to juggle competing deadlines
• a self-starter, driven by the motivation to deliver outcomes for cities and citizens
• committed to Eurocities’ values and strive to make cities more inclusive for all

Assets:

• experience of working for a membership-based associations
• experience or/and good knowledge of ESF+
• experience of working with cities, either in a city administration or through a network
• knowledge of urban policies and cities in general, including the role of cities in the EU
• other languages

(*) We are looking for candidates who fulfil most of these criteria, but do not hesitate to apply if you think that you could be a good fit for the position.

We offer

• a full-time position as employee, under Belgian legislation. The selected candidate will need to either live in Belgium or be willing to move to Belgium for the duration of the contract (candidates need to provide a Belgian address)
• an open-ended contract linked to the EaSI grant (until 31/12/2029)
• between 3.200 € and 3.800 € monthly gross salary, according to profile and experience
• flexible working hours
• part-time teleworking

Benefits

Meal vouchers, pension plan, hospitalisation insurance, public transport costs, 13th month, éco-chèques, training opportunities.

How to apply

Applicants are requested to send a letter of motivation, explicitly describing point by point their relevant experience and linking it to the requirements for the position, in two pages maximum, together with a CV with at least two referees (including your current or last employer) by 5pm on 16 October 2025 to: Patricia de Wouters, Head of HR, at [email protected]

Please send the documents in pdf format and mention ‘SAF policy advisor’ in the subject line.

Interviews will be held in person in Brussels, or online, on 30 and 31 October 2025.

We are aware that you might use AI when applying for this position. It’s acceptable to use AI to brainstorm, structure your ideas or edit your language. However, be aware that while AI is one of the tools we use in Eurocities, the main tool we need for the work here is our minds and experience: This is a content-based position, and one that AI cannot do for you. Please note this during the process to avoid any disappointment for either side later on. We want to use this interview to get to know you and your ideas, not what ChatGPT thinks the best answers are.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. CV and personal data of non-selected candidates are not shared with anyone outside Eurocities and will be deleted immediately after the recruitment process. For more information, read our privacy policy.