Policy Coordinator

Break Free from Plastic (BFFP) is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in September 2016, over 3500 organisations from 186 countries have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and to push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. In Europe, the movement counts 127 members in 33 countries, coordinating their work to achieve systemic change. Ten of those organisations form the Rethink Plastic alliance, the EU policy arm of the Break Free From Plastic movement. 

Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) hosts the coordination team of the European chapter of the movement.

You are a creative and organised person, as well as experienced in advocacy, campaigning and coordination. You know how to navigate the EU policy-making systems, design and implement advocacy strategies and explain complex issues to different audiences.

You are very good at anticipating challenges, planning ahead,  jumping on opportunities, and quickly finding creative solutions, with a particular appetite for strategic thinking and building synergies, and are capable of running different tasks simultaneously.

You are passionate about addressing plastic pollution and its root causes, and have experience coordinating  groups and/or projects. You enjoy solving problems and empowering collective work at the service of systemic change.

You excel at personal relations and enjoy teamwork; and you like working in an agile international environment with colleagues across the globe.

As the Policy Coordinator for the BFFP Europe movement and the Rethink Plastic alliance, you would be responsible for:

Coordinating the implementation of the BFFP Europe advocacy strategy 

• Oversee and support effective implementation of the BFFP Europe advocacy strategy, and support synergies with other pillars of the strategy
• Create tools that support policy information and experience sharing between BFFP members
• Support the coordination of the BFFP Europe movement on the Global Plastics Treaty process
• Participate in the relevant task forces of the BFFP Europe movement 
• Facilitate collaborative evaluation of progress made collectively towards the achievements of the BFFP Europe 
• Contribute to the organisation of the BFFP Europe members’ meeting (typically every two years), and lead joint advocacy activities of the movement in Brussels (typically once a year)
• Support cross-regional work by identifying and enhancing synergies and complementarity between the work in Europe and in other regions or globally

Coordinating the Rethink Plastic alliance advocacy strategy

• Develop and oversee the implementation of the Rethink Plastic alliance advocacy strategy, with the Rethink Plastic comms coordinator 
• Oversee and coordinate the advocacy work of the alliance, which is led by the alliance organisations, and monitor the EU policy agenda relevant for plastic
• Support building synergies between the different pieces of the work of the alliance, and work with the Rethink Plastic comms coordinator to bring elements together in an integrated narrative
• Co-lead the Rethink Plastic alliance meetings, including two in-person meetings per year, with the Rethink Plastic comms coordinator
• Co-organise an annual meeting with each member of the coalition to assess work done and discuss plans for the future
• Develop and maintain relationships with key external stakeholders as relevant (allies, change agents, decision-makers, funders) 

Fundraising, budget and grant management 

• Coordinate the fundraising efforts of the Rethink Plastic alliance and contribute to the BFFP Europe coordination fundraising strategy
• Maintain strong relationships with the Plastics Solutions Fund, and other funders
• Monitor and implement the Rethink Plastic budget, under the supervision of the BFFP Europe Grants & Operations Manager and BFFP Europe Coordinator
• Oversee the narrative and financial reporting for the Rethink Plastic alliance and contribute to reporting for Break Free From Plastic coordination

Contributing to the BFFP Europe coordination team 

• Line manage the Rethink Plastic comms coordinator (to be confirmed)
• Attend team meetings, including weekly team check-ins and quarterly global team calls
• Contribute to the organising of the monthly calls with the BFFP Europe movement, notably with regards to policy relevant updates and actions 

• Contribute to the regular updates to the European Support Team about movement and external development

Experience 

Essential 

• Substantial experience developing and implementing advocacy strategies, at national and/or EU level 
• Experience working in coalition or movement settings
• Experience in campaign coordination and/or project management 
• Ability to interact with a variety of stakeholders including decision-makers, businesses, industry associations, local and national authorities and CSOs
• Experience with budget and grant management 
• Experience in fundraising 

Desirable 

• Experience in people management 
• Experience in the BFFP movement 
• Experience in working with people from different cultures and nationalities in a way that facilitates an intersectional approach

Knowledge, skills and understanding 

Essential

• Strategic thinking, with the ability to leverage opportunities and synergies
• Knowledge of EU institutions and EU decision-making processes 
• Excellent command of English, and the ability to communicate complicated messages clearly and appropriately to different audiences
• Interest in issues associated with plastic along its supply chain 
• Ability to manage and, as relevant, mediate differences of opinion or disagreements
• Appetite and skills for facilitation (in person and online)
• Strong networking and team building skills appropriate for a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment

Desirable

• Knowledge of the decarbonisation, chemicals, industrial and circular economy agenda in the EU, and beyond
• Knowledge of the main actors of the plastic, chemicals and packaging sectors, in Europe and beyond. 
• Knowledge about international plastics policy and/or the plastics treaty
• Passion for social and environmental justice
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• Solid IT competences with collaborative tools (Google Drive, Slack, Asana, Zoom, Google Groups)
• Other languages, apart from English, are a plus

Personal qualities

Essential

• Empowering leadership approach built on clear communication, effective delegation, continuous feedback, mutual trust, and a strong commitment to well-being
• Excellent interpersonal skills and team player
• Excellent listener and communicator
• Impact driven, solution orientated, and resilient
• Organised and able to prioritise 
• Capacity to run different tasks simultaneously
• Appetite for working in an agile European and International environment
• Willingness to work with flexible schedule, as required on rare occasions 
• Willingness to travel internationally, as required 

This is a full-time position based in Brussels, under a Belgian contract. 

A valid working permit to work in Belgium is required. We offer a permanent contract, with a probationary period of 6 months. 

We offer a competitive gross salary in the range of € 4026-5047/month, which is fully calculated according to your transferable years of experience, the requirements of the current job offer, and in alignment with the salary policy of our fiscal sponsor in Belgium. 

In addition to this, we offer benefits such as lunch vouchers; a 13th month salary payment proportional to your time worked during the year and holiday pay.

Team members also benefit from 26 vacation days plus additional leave between Christmas and New Year, progressive discretionary leave policies, travel insurance and a 4-day working week.  

We take pride in our ability to support one another's work in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect; and look forward to introducing the successful candidate to our welcoming and highly motivated team and network members.

Starting date: July - August

At BFFP Europe, we understand that not all individuals have the same opportunities to engage in paid work or studies both within and outside of the movement. We highly value passion and experience in addressing plastic pollution, environmental, social, health and human rights justice. We are open to receiving applications from those who may not fulfil all the required skills but have the interest, passion and lived experiences to fulfil the role. In this respect, we encourage people from a diverse intersection of backgrounds to apply. 

Please follow this link where you will be asked to fill in your basic information and send your CV and motivation letter. All these materials should be provided in English and in pdf. 

Please contact us at justine@breakfreefromplastic.org if you have any questions, stating in the subject line Re: BFFP European Policy Coordinator Vacancy. Please note that applications via email will not be accepted - only through the application form provided through the link above. 

Deadline for applications: 14 May 2025

We expect the first round of interviews to take place on 19-21 May, after which there will be a written assignment for the candidates selected for the second round of interviews.The second round of interviews is expected to take place on 5 June. 

We will confirm these dates with selected candidates.