Consultant – EU Employment and Social Policy - Policy Research and Programme Implementation

About ICF

ICF (www.icf.com) is a consultancy firm with offices in the UK, Belgium, US and worldwide. At ICF, we help governments, public agencies and international institutions solve complex problems and improve the quality of life of people around the world.  We offer critical insight, rigorous analytical techniques and implementation support to deliver innovative solutions and thought-provoking analyses for our clients.

Today, ICF is a global consulting services company with over 7,000 full- and part-time employees, but we are not your typical consultants. Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

About the role:

We are looking for a Consultant to join our well-established Policy Implementation and Programmes practice, which manages a spectrum of large programmes. The practice provides technical assistance, insights, research, networking and other implementation services to EU institutions, particularly the European Commission, as well as organisations in the UK. Our current portfolio of projects supports the main Directorates-General of the Commission, spanning Research and Evaluation work for DG Employment and Social Inclusion, Mutual Learning Services for DG Employment and Social Inclusion, supporting the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES), providing support services to the ESF + programme, supporting the European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work on behalf of the European Labour Authority, operating the European Centre of Expertise on labour market policy and labour law, supporting the EQAVET Network, designing and delivering training services, working within the framework of DG REFORM – to name a few.

As a consultant, your work can include working on employment and social policy-related subjects for DG EMPL (public employment services, active labour market policies, skills and LMI, social inclusion) and the European Labour Authority (such as tackling undeclared work, the work of labour inspectorates, labour mobility, social security coordination or other employment and social policy related issues). These are key areas and projects we are recruiting for. It can also include education and training related policy subjects with other agencies of the European Union.

Depending on your experience, you would support the delivery of large research contracts and policy implementation programmes and deliver specific activities within programmes, reporting to Senior Consultants, Programme and Contract Managers. You could work across more than one project and be expected to:

• Contribute to large research and evaluation pieces on employment and social policy related subjects, carrying out research and analysis work across a number of frameworks.
• Contribute to the organisation and support of programme-related activities with the aim of building capacity, such as working groups, secretariats, helpdesk or advisory services, communities of practice and expert networks and more.
• Prepare reports, presentations and other written deliverables for a range of audiences, from technical reports through to website content.
• Research, analyse and produce policy content in different forms. Examples include thematic or analytical papers, case studies, good practice fiches, mapping and comparative exercises, monitoring and evaluation surveys, stakeholder interviews, etc.
• Contribute to the design and organisation of face-to-face, virtual and hybrid workshops and events, supported by a dedicated event logistics and technical team. With a strong focus on content development for our more senior consultants, your work could include supporting elements of the agenda, writing summaries, and supporting event discussions.
• Contribute to aspects of proposal-writing and preparations, supporting sections of the technical offer, and coordinating with relevant experts.
• Undertake other consultancy tasks, as required, working independently.

At Consultant level, you will typically support senior consultants and senior members of the team as they coordinate packages of activities and deliverables.

Required experience:

• University degree or equivalent in a related discipline, for example, public policy, politics, economics, law
• 4+ years professional experience in consultancy, public policy and/or government affairs in the EU and/or UK
• Knowledge and interest in employment policy, labour mobility, areas linked to the European employment strategy.
• Strong organisational and coordination skills, including time management, multi-tasking and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Solid foundation in research and analysis, including qualitative and quantitative methods. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including interacting with multi-national and multi-disciplinary stakeholders.
• Knowledge of communications methods and tools in the context of disseminating outputs

Personal Qualities:

• Ability to self-organise, prioritise and manage/ work with multiple teams in parallel under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• High level of ability and confidence to perform tasks with limited supervision
• Ability to work flexibly to meet client and organisational priorities and needs
• Sound research and business ethics, including the protection of proprietary and confidential information
• Excellent verbal, written, analytical and communication skills in English - additional European languages an advantage
• Ability to work with all levels of internal staff, as well as clients and sub-contractors
• Ability to work within multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary teams spread across several countries
• Willingness to travel within Europe, as required

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Working at ICF

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Brussels, Belgium (BE75)