Background to the role

Helping people, animals and the planet by delivering supportive research & innovation policy for plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation in the EU.

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, fermentation-made, and cultivated meat (grown directly from cells) delicious, affordable and accessible. Please check out the rest of our website, our 2025 Year in Review and our 2025 highlights post to find out more about who we are and what we do.

We are looking for a Senior Policy Manager to join our EU Policy team in Brussels.

How you will make a difference

You will have high responsibility and high impact. You will significantly influence how quickly Europe and the world move to a more ethical and sustainable food system. Reporting to our Deputy Head of Policy – EU, you will be responsible for influencing the EU to increase public investment in research and innovation for alternative proteins.

To achieve this, you will:

• Lead our strategy and engagement for our Research & Innovation (R&I) policy work in Brussels, including influencing the EU’s next research framework programme (FP10/Horizon Europe).
• Build and maintain relationships with elected officials and civil servants at the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the EU, and other public institutions.
• Develop, together with colleagues from our Science & Technology team, policy-relevant recommendations for alternative protein research and innovation.
• Share R&I recommendations with relevant officials in the Directorate General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), as well as other relevant European Commission directorates and institutions. 
• Lead meetings and speak at events with policymakers and scientists.
• Closely monitor and stay abreast of EU R&I policy and legislative developments, as well as positions from other stakeholders, spotting opportunities and pre-empting threats. 
• Collaborate with other nonprofit organisations, scientists, and other R&I stakeholders, including participating in meetings of formal and informal civil society coalitions, aligning on common objectives and organising joint outreach to decisionmakers.
• Act as a spokesperson to the media on EU R&I policy, supported by our Communications team, and use social media to help deliver our R&I policy objectives.
• Line manage one other member of the EU Policy Team.
• Perform other tasks as required. 

Who we’re looking for

You must have:

• A passion for GFI’s mission.

• Experience of working on policy in the EU, or at a national or multilateral level, for example in a government, public institution, political party, NGO, think tank, industry association, public affairs agency, consulting firm, lobbying organisation or other relevant institution.
• The ability to, and experience of, leading initiatives influencing or shaping legislation or other policies.
• Comfort with, and experience of, interacting with public officials or civil servants.
• Excellent networking, interpersonal, influencing, and relationship-building abilities, and the credibility and persuasiveness to represent GFI to officials and politicians. 
• Effective written and verbal communication skills. The ability to convey information clearly and accurately, tailoring the tone and message to various stakeholders.
• Strong team spirit and open and collaborative instincts.
• Enthusiasm, a strong work ethic and self-motivation; a sense of ownership and responsibility to drive outcomes. A positive, can-do, hands-on attitude. 
• Professional working proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
• Comfort working remotely in a dynamic organisation: the ability to work well independently, set priorities, work on multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines. 
• Comfort using various software tools and platforms in a remote workplace, and a willingness to learn new systems. Training and support in Google Workspace, Salesforce and Asana will be provided. 
• Affinity with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and with maintaining our welcoming and supportive culture.
• Experience of line managing others.

It would be an advantage to have some or all of the following attributes, but none of them are prerequisites, and we welcome applications from candidates without any or all of them:

• Up-to-date knowledge about relevant EU R&I funding policies, including Horizon Europe, the Food 2030 initiative and follow-up initiatives, or FP10 (‘Framework Programme 10’), the EU’s next R&I funding framework.
• A demonstrated ability to work effectively with scientists, research organisations, and think tanks.
• Experience working on EU policy related to research & innovation, food, biotechnology, or agriculture.

• A strong network of relevant contacts in Brussels.
• Strong people management skills, including setting clear objectives, giving regular feedback, and supporting the professional growth of direct reports
• The ability to speak European languages other than English.

We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We strongly encourage people of every colour, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Because we value a diverse workplace, we prioritise an inclusive climate 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), permanent. Requests for part-time hours (0.8 FTE) can be considered – please state in your application.
• Reports to: GFI Europe’s Deputy Head of Policy – EU
• Location: Home-based in Belgium (in Brussels or within one hour of Brussels by train), from our Brussels office, or a combination of both. You have the possibility of working remotely for periods of time with the approval of your line manager. The whole GFI Europe team will get together in person approximately twice per year for around 3-5 days at a time. Travel costs will be covered by GFI Europe within our travel policy.
• Salary: €4,645 – €5.000 gross monthly salary plus benefits including 13th month, home-working allowance (if applicable), holiday pay, representation allowance, meal vouchers, eco vouchers, and professional development allocation.
• Right to work requirements: The successful candidate must, by the start of the employment, have permission to work in Belgium.
• Application Deadline: 23 September 2026, 11.59pm CET. 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 two weeks of the deadline.

Application process

Round	Timeline	Description	Expected Time Commitment
Application	Deadline: 23 September 2026, 11.59pm CET	Fill in the application form. You will have to answer two to four work sample questions. Once you’ve submitted the form, you will receive a confirmation email. You will need to have finished all tasks within the application deadline (23 September 2026, 11.59pm CET) for us to be able to consider your application.	1 – 1.5 hours
Timed assignment	Early-Mid October	Two to four questions simulating the type of work you’d be doing in the role.	1 – 2.5 hours
Video interview	Late October / Early November	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

Dates and times of assignments and video calls can be arranged to fit around your commitments. Please note that we are ideally aiming for a quick turnaround of this hiring round, so please let us know if we should be aware of any capacity issues on your side. We are planning on making a final offer in November.

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

We really look forward to hearing from you!

Any questions?

You’ll find the answer to a wide range of questions in relation to this role by checking out the Q&A session with Alex Holst (the Hiring Manager) and Alex Mayers (the Managing Director) below. If you have any other questions about this role, feel free to reach out to us at europe-hiring@gfi.org.

If you’ve read this far but decided not to apply, please share this job description with someone else in your network who you think might be a good fit for the role! Thank you.