Food Systems Officer

Vacancy #: 7126 Unit: European Regional Office - EU Policy Organisation: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Location: European Regional Office Belgium, Brussels, Belgium Brussels Reporting to: Senior Officer - Natural Resources Work percentage: 100% Grade: P1 Expected start date: 01 February 2025 Type of contract: Fixed-term (12 months) Closing date: 10 January 2025 BACKGROUND

IUCN is the worlds oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,400 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 15,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. IUCNs work is supported by more than 1,000 professional staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. Its headquarters are based in Gland, Switzerland. The IUCN European Regional Office (EURO) provides vital linkages for IUCN Members, National Committees, Commissions and the Secretariat to governments, EU institutions, NGOs, scientists, practitioners, the private sector and other stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the European Green Deal, the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and related national and regional biodiversity plans. It provides knowledge and advise decision makers to improve conservation policy and action, connect and engage. IUCN EURO is looking for a highly motivated Policy Food Systems Officer to join our Policy and Programme and Policy team. The successful candidate will support the policy work of the office towards the implementation of IUCN EUROs programme, with a strong focus on supporting IUCNs work towards a more sustainable future agriculture in the EU, but also with a view on the impact of EU agriculture in the global context.

JOB DESCRIPTION Under the supervision of the Senior Policy and Project Officer - Natural Resources and in close collaboration with other staff of the Programme and Policy team, the Policy Food Systems Officer will ensure the implementation, coordination and reporting of projects and contribute to the development of the teams policy. The Policy Food Systems Officer will be responsible for performing the following tasks specifically:

• Support the implementation of the IUCN European Regional Programme and contribute to internal IUCN discussions on agriculture, land use and relevant related policies;
• Follow and analyse EU and international policy developments related to sustainable agriculture and other related policies;
• Coordinate and implement thematically-aligned projects with a primary focus on sustainable agriculture, liaising with partners and donors as required;
• Carry out technical and administrative project activities, project assessments, monitoring, reporting, processing of invoices, etc.;
• Liaise with relevant environmental and agricultural stakeholders towards carrying out project and policy-related activities;
• Organisation and assistance with the preparation of events such as seminars, workshops or dialogues;
• Elaboration of reports, policy briefs and brochures;
• Identification of communications opportunities and drafting content for communication material;
• Assist senior staff in coordinating and planning the implementation of IUCNs European Regional Programme and the teams project activities;
• Support the development of new project proposals;
• Relevant tasks in support of related IUCN work as needed.

The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in an organisation such as IUCN, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employees responsibilities, the job description will be changed in consultation with the employee, their line manager and the Human Resources Management Group. REQUIREMENTS

Affinity with the vision and mission of IUCN;

At least 5 years of work experience in relevant subject matter, preferably with an EU policy component (environment, land use, agriculture or related);

University degree in relevant subject matter (environment, agriculture, or land use);

Knowledge of European nature conservation and/or agriculture legislation and policies, as well as familiarity with EU funding and policy processes is a strong asset;

Complete fluency in English, including excellent writing and editing skills; good level of other relevant European languages is an asset but not essential;

Detail- and outcome-oriented; organization, multitasking, and problem-solving skills;

Strong research, analytical and writing skills; detail- and outcome-oriented; able to work on multiple task simultaneously; organization, multitasking, and problem-solving skills;

Sound understanding of information technology, with experience in applying Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) as a minimum skill set;

Ability to work within a team and independently;

Ability to meet tight deadlines without compromising the quality of outputs;

Highly motivated to learn and develop new skills, keen to bring in own ideas;

Ability to travel occasionally;

EU National and/or holder of a Belgian work permit.

APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/

About IUCN IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the worlds largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve peoples well-being. www.iucn.org https://twitter.com/IUCN