Associate, EU Trade & Industrial Policy
This is a full-time role based in Brussels with the possibility for work travel. Salary is competitive and dependent on experience. Please submit your application before 7 February 2025.
Global Counsel (GC) is hiring a new position to support its growing Trade Policy and Industrial Policy Practice in Brussels. The successful candidate will work across a range of international clients, including some of the most prestigious companies in life sciences, manufacturing, consumer goods, retail, e-commerce and services sectors.
The role will focus on tracking, understanding and explaining highly political and topical policy themes impacting goods, services and digital trade, as well as evolving cross border regimes for IP protection, investment and more sustainable international trade. This includes interpreting geopolitical trade tensions and recent pressure for reshoring economic activity in developed economies but also burgeoning tensions resulting from strategic autonomy, tech sovereignty and growing trade unilateralism.
The successful candidate will provide support and practical strategic advice to internationalised and internationalising corporates and investors on the trade-related policy developments in the EU, and evolving global market access regimes, relevant regulatory frameworks and the political pressures for reforming them. It is an opportunity to further develop expertise at the interface between business, politics and the system of international trade rules.
Examples of GC work in this area can be found in the analysis and blog sections of our website: Trade and industrial policy | Global Counsel
Role and responsibilities
- Analytical research and monitoring of developments for clients on a wide range of relevant policy issues impacting goods, services and investment;
- Identifying the implications from policy developments and changes to cross border trade and investment regimes for client’s supply chains and investments architectures;
- Support client-relationship management by leading projects and/or retainer workstreams within the trade & industrial policy practice to support clients in responding to policy and regulatory risks, including by proactively identifying how Global Counsel can support clients and their objectives beyond the successful execution of client requests;
- Presenting information clearly and compellingly in writing and through the visualisation of relevant data, including by drafting slide decks on PowerPoint;
- Proven experience in event management, including planning, coordination, and execution of events;
- Supporting the development and implementation of policymaker engagement by Global Counsel and its clients;
- Supporting business development by identifying potential clients, contributing to and leading pitch processes, and proposing and leading business development outreach campaigns; and
- Building and maintain a network of contacts among policymakers and wider stakeholders at senior levels.
Skills and profile
- Masters degree level qualification in economics, political science, law, international political economy or a related discipline;
- Excellent written English and comfort in using core software for data interpretation and visualisation, including Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint;
- 2-3 years experience working on trade and industrial policy issues in government, international institutions, think tanks, and/or the in-house policy team of a companies;
- Robust understanding of – or evidence of the ability to quickly master – at least 1-2 key trade policy areas. These include technical barriers to trade, trade-related intellectual property protection, SPS and agri-food regulations impacting cross-border trade, trade defence measures, and the role of mutual recognition and equivalence frameworks in trade policy. Additional areas of expertise and/or interest in supply chain standards and transparency, export controls and foreign investment mechanisms are a plus;
- Good understanding of the drivers and processes of policymaking and decision-making either in the UK or in the EU, in particular with regards to the trade and industrial policy agenda.
- Strong interest in the practical application of the above concepts and legal frameworks to key economic sectors, including life sciences/pharmaceuticals, food and drink, tech and semiconductors, automotives, chemicals and services;
- Other languages are desirable but not essential;
- A motivated self-starter who works well independently and as part of a team.
- Department
- Trade and Manufacturing
- Locations
- Brussels
Brussels
Why join
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An opportunity to work with world-class advisers and political experts in a fast-growing firm, alongside a strong professional development program including a personal training budget.
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A competitive salary and bonus structure, a robust benefits package and opportunities to work from our offices across the world.
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A commitment to work-life balance, with flexible working, 25 days holiday allowance plus public holidays, enhanced parental leave, discretionary winter holiday office closures, and sabbaticals.
Our commitment to diversity
We are committed to equal opportunities, respect and wellbeing for all staff and applicants for employment. We are committed to building a team that genuinely reflects the diversity of the places we work. We are committed to achieving a culture where there is regard for all and there is no place for discrimination and harassment of any type.
Our aim is for GC to be a company where all our colleagues have the opportunity to grow, develop, succeed and be their authentic selves whatever their sex, race, colour, class, religion, age, national origin, disability status, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, redundancy, leaves of absence, salary and training.
About Global Counsel
Global Counsel brings together a team with diverse experience across the public and private sectors. Since our establishment in 2010 we have developed a wide range of services and capabilities for corporates and investors.
Global Counsel helps companies and investors across sectors to anticipate the ways in which politics, regulation and public policymaking create both risk and opportunity, and to develop and implement strategies to meet these challenges. We provide them with due diligence support to build compelling, evidence-based campaigns to engage in policy debates.
Our work is supported by high quality analytical content and collateral that is politically and economically informed and which builds quickly into executable strategy.
Our team is led by former public policymakers and political advisors with experience at the highest level of government. We have offices in London, Brussels, Washington DC, Singapore and Doha and are supported by a network of partners in other key markets.
Associate, EU Trade & Industrial Policy
This is a full-time role based in Brussels with the possibility for work travel. Salary is competitive and dependent on experience. Please submit your application before 7 February 2025.
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