Background to the role

Use your policy and communications skills to support people, animals and the planet.

The Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) is at the forefront of the movement to transform meat production in order to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, from climate change and global hunger, to antibiotic resistance and animal suffering.

We work with scientists, businesses and policymakers to make plant-based and cultivated meat (grown directly from cells) delicious, affordable and accessible. Please check out the rest of our website, our 2023 Year in Review and our 2024 Europe Highlights blog post to find out more about who we are and what we do.

We are looking for a Junior Public Affairs Specialist to support our policy work in Germany and the wider DACH area.

How you will make a difference

Your role will be both responsible and impactful. You will influence how quickly Germany and Europe move to a more ethical and sustainable food system. 

Reporting to our Senior Public Affairs Manager, Germany, you will be responsible for driving policy impact in Germany and, to a limited extent, in Austria and Switzerland. This will include, among other things, driving more public investment into research and infrastructure for foods based on plants, fermentation and cultivation, working to deliver a solid, evidence-based regulatory path to market for novel foods, and securing a level playing field for these sustainable foods. 

You will be part of our policy team and influence the policy discourse to maximise support and minimise opposition to alternative proteins in Europe. Together with our communications team, you will also ensure that media in the DACH area acknowledge the benefits of plant-based foods, fermentation-made foods and cultivated meat for the environment and public health. 

As a member of our Germany team, you will:

• Deliver positive government policy change to support protein diversification in Germany and, where opportunities arise, in Austria and Switzerland.
• Closely monitor and stay abreast of relevant policy proposals – spotting opportunities and pre-empting threats.
• Analyse political debates and the stakeholder landscape in the German-speaking world and, based on this, support our policy outreach agenda.
• Support in advising policymakers and civil servants in relevant public institutions, including the federal government, the Bundestag and other national institutions.
• Support our work with the media to raise the profile of alternative proteins in the DACH region and to make the case for our positions.
• Plan and deliver events in Germany (e.g. roundtables, webinars), including steering service providers.
• Create persuasive resources for our stakeholder outreach, e.g. letters, factsheets, policy briefs and presentations.
• Work cooperatively with other non-profit organisations, think tanks and companies – cultivating strong relationships.
• Perform other relevant duties as required.

Who we’re looking for

You must have:

• A passion for GFI’s philosophy and mission.

• Enthusiasm for driving policy change and driving positive narratives on plant-based foods and other alternative proteins including cultivated meat. 
• Exposure to working on policy, for example in a government, parliament, public authority, political party, NGO, think tank, industry association, public affairs agency or other relevant institution.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in German – including the ability to present complex technical and political issues in comprehensible language.
• Excellent networking and relationship-building abilities, and the persuasiveness to represent GFI to policymakers, journalists and other stakeholders.
• Comfort working remotely in an evolving organisation: the ability to work well independently and under pressure, set priorities, coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines. 
• An affinity with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and with maintaining our welcoming and supportive culture.
• Good level of IT literacy and a willingness to learn new software packages. 
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.

It would be an advantage to have some or all of the following attributes, but none of them are prerequisites:

• Experience in one or more of the following policy areas: food and agriculture, research and innovation, climate change, public health. 

• Exposure to interacting with the media in a persuasive way and/or digital communications experience, including producing content for social media.
• Ability to build alliances with NGOs and industry actors.

We want the best people and we know that building a diverse, inclusive workplace leads to stronger, happier, more productive and resilient teams. We strongly encourage people of every ethnicity, orientation, age, gender, origin, socio-economic background, and ability to apply. Because we value a diverse workplace, we prioritise an inclusive culture absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team.

Benefits and the fine print

• Terms of employment: Full-time (flexible hours), temporary role until 28th February, 2026 (there may be the possibility to extend, circumstance dependent) 
• Start date: Ideally before 1 May, 2025
• Location: We will consider candidates from anywhere in Germany. This is a remote role, and you will be able to work from home. The whole GFI Europe team aims to get together in person at least once per year for around 3-5 days at a time. Travel costs will be covered by GFI Europe within our travel policy.
• Salary and benefits: The salary and benefits package for all of our roles are researched and benchmarked based on similar non-profit roles in the country/location of hire. The gross monthly salary for Germany is €3,400.
• Right-to-work requirements: The successful candidate must, by the start of the employment, have permission to work in Germany.
• Application Deadline: 30 March 2025, 11.59 pm CEST. We will get back to all candidates after that date, no matter the outcome of their application. You should expect to hear back from us within about a week of the deadline.

You can read more about GFI Europe employee benefits here: https://gfieurope.org/careers/#our-benefits

Application process

Round	Timeline	Description	Expected time commitment
Application	Deadline: Sunday 30 March, 23.59pm CEST	Fill in the application form by answering a few questions and uploading your resume.	1 hour
Written Assignment	Early-Mid April	Two to three written exercises simulating the type of work scenarios you’d be faced with in the role.	1.5 hours
Final interview	Mid-Third week of April	Interviews will be conducted remotely on Zoom. We know that interviews can be especially stressful for candidates. We’ve put together this guide so that you know exactly what to expect from our process and, hopefully, have a more relaxed experience.	1.5 hours
Reference checks	After the final interview, before making a formal offer	We will contact two professional references (at least one of whom has managed you previously) to hear about their experience of working with you. We won’t contact any references without your prior consent.

Dates and times of assignments and video calls can be arranged to fit around your commitments.

We want you to have every opportunity to shine and show us your talents – we are happy to make all the reasonable adjustments that we possibly can to make sure the assessment process works for you. Email us at europe-hiring@gfi.org