(Senior) Research and Advocacy Officer – Public Finance

Finance Watch, the Brussels-based public-interest advocacy association dedicated to making finance serve society, is looking for a (Senior) Research and Advocacy Officer to strengthen its team by undertaking research and advocacy work, as well as capacity-building efforts.

The (Senior) Research and Advocacy Officer will join the Research & Advocacy Department, and will report to the Head of Research & Advocacy. Each member of this department works on specific areas of financial regulation and delivers:

• policy-oriented research from a public-interest perspective, including the identification of the main issues and related legislative solutions;
• advocacy, including building policymakers’ support for Finance Watch’s proposals;
• regular contribution to communications, convening and capacity-building efforts in relevant areas of expertise.

The Research & Advocacy Department has regular direct contacts with international, EU and national policymakers. Additionally, this department works in close collaboration with the entire Finance Watch organisation, including its members, and with other civil society partners.

The (Senior) Research and Advocacy Officer takes responsibility for legislative files and initiatives related to their subject matter expertise and defined area of responsibility. Specifically, these include public finance architecture (EU fiscal rules, debt sustainability analysis, national reform plans) and consideration of sustainability/climate risks within the macroeconomic and debt sustainability projections.

Specific topics of responsibility are defined in the job description and redefined annually, based on the work program and our multi-year strategies.

Core Responsibilities

Policy and advocacy

• Conduct policy-oriented research and make policy proposals.
• Develop policy positions in collaboration with the Head of Research and Advocacy.
• Represent Finance Watch externally with policymakers, regulators and supervisors, financial industry participants and civil society (bilateral meetings, conferences and other events).
• Participate in industry events, as well as high-level events with policymakers, in order to represent civil society’s views.
• Develop advocacy tactics and plans.
• Execute advocacy plans targeted at policymakers and regulators.
• Build and maintain relationships with policymakers and supervisors on an ongoing basis.

Work with Finance Watch members

• Interact with Finance Watch members on the files they are responsible for, via
• Posting on the Members’ Hub;
• Organising regular working groups (at least every two months);
• Consulting members on the draft publications ahead of the release.
• Contribute to the efforts of identifying and engaging new members .
• Interact and, where appropriate, coordinate advocacy efforts with other civil society organisations (CSO), academics and experts on the topics related to their areas of expertise.

Contribution to awareness-raising

• Contribute to the debate and comment on social media .
• Communicate regularly with journalists on the files they are responsible for.
• Draft blogs and articles , when appropriate.
• Contribute to the Finance Watch newsletters .
• Organise events (workshops, roundtable discussions, panel discussions, conferences etc.) to support research and advocacy efforts.
• Contribute to design communications and campaigning strategies.

Data management

• Contribute to the growth and maintenance of the Finance Watch database of relevant contacts (policymakers, Civil society organisations, academics etc.).
• Contribute to drafting funding applications and the periodic reporting to funders/donors.

What does success in this job look like?

• Finance Watch strengthens its profile as a leading public-interest, expert voice in the respective subject matter area.
• Finance Watch develops a comprehensive, communicable, consistent and high-quality corpus of policy analysis and recommendations.
• Policymakers (regulators) and supervisors take onboard Finance Watch policy proposals and recommendations as part of the supervisory and legislative process.
• Finance Watch is able to anticipate major moments for action , with a mix of reactive and proactive outputs.
• Finance Watch delivers its Research & Advocacy strategy and objectives on time and properly reports on the actions and results (for the respective area of responsibility).
• Collaboration and communication with the rest of the organisation is effective and transparent, and contribu