Policy Trainee (Marine/Water)

Milieu Consulting SRL

Brussels, Belgium

Milieu Consulting is a multi-disciplinary consultancy based in Brussels with a record of excellence in international and European policy and law – in fields such as environmental protection, energy, climate change, fundamental rights, justice, home affairs, social affairs, public health, consumer protection, financial services, agriculture and health and safety. We provide our expertise mainly for European institutions and other public sector clients. Despite having grown rapidly over the years we retain a very informal, collaborative and largely non-hierarchical working environment.

Please visit our website at www.milieu.be to understand more about our activities and our corporate culture.

We are looking for a policy trainee with a background in environmental policy, in particular on marine or water issues, for an immediate position to support our busy team. The trainee will work closely with our policy team and be involved in our work on marine and/or water policy and regulatory framework, both for projects and proposals. This is a unique opportunity to join an outstanding and committed multi-disciplinary team of experts. The trainee contract is for a 6 month period and is a paid contract. There is the possibility of a formal appointment after that time.

This will involve in particular:

Processing and analysing data on the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, the Marine Framework Strategy Directive, the Floods Directive, the Water Framework Directive, EU Mission: Restore our Oceans and Waters, and other water/environmental policies;
Supporting the drafting of sections of reports and other deliverables under the supervision of senior team members;
Gathering information and conducting research through desk studies, collection of quantitative data and stakeholder consultation via emails and interviews to support studies and proposals on a wide set of environmental topics;
Supporting management including communication with partners and external experts and internal/external reporting tasks.

Key qualifications for the position:

Masters degree or higher in environmental policy or other relevant discipline;
Background and experience in European public policy analysis; knowledge of the EU, regional and international regulatory/policy framework on the protection of the marine environment and biodiversity (in particular of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Regional Sea Conventions and EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters) is an asset;
Knowledge of the EU, regional and international maritime and fishery policy (in particular the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund) is desirable;
Minimum one year prior work experience; focus on ocean governance, marine conservation or water-related issues is considered an advantage;
Experience in an EU institution or a consultancy would be an advantage;
Well-organised, practical-minded and able to prioritise a busy and varied workload;
An independent, self-starter personality;
Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of other EU languages is strongly desirable;
Strong computer skills, particularly Microsoft Word and Excel.