Practice Director/Deputy Managing Director EU Agri Food Policy

Arcadia International E.
E.
I.
G. is a Brussels-headquartered consultancy focused on agriculture and the food and feed value chain. Our team and expert network deliver policy studies and evaluations for EU institutions, including the European Commission and Parliament. As we develop our work in France, we are seeking a senior consultant to help lead Arcadia’s next stage. The opportunity As Practice Director / Deputy Managing Director, you will lead business development, shape bids and research methodologies, direct selected projects and manage day-to-day operations. You will work alongside two established senior managers, who will remain active as technical and legal experts, and progressively take on broader leadership responsibility. This is a hands-on role with room to influence the direction of a specialist consultancy. What you will do
• Build a pipeline of EU institutional and French opportunities; assess tenders and develop client and consortium relationships.
• Lead competitive proposals, from bid strategy and research design to team selection, budgets and submission.
• Direct studies and evaluations, oversee quality, delivery, resources and project economics, and maintain client relationships.
• Coordinate and mentor consultants and external experts, strengthening their project-management autonomy.
• Develop practical methods and responsible uses of digital and AI tools for research, proposals and quality assurance. What you bring Substantial policy consulting or evaluation experience delivering work for EU institutions, with direct involvement in winning competitive public-sector tenders.
• Strong methodological judgment: you can turn complex terms of reference into rigorous, deliverable proposals.
• Experience directing multidisciplinary projects, managing budgets and working with clients, experts and consortium partners.
• An entrepreneurial approach, sound commercial judgment and the willingness to write proposals and engage in delivery yourself.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Useful additional

experience:
Knowledge of agricultural, food or environmental policy; EU procurement and framework contracts; business development in France; professional French; or practical use of AI and digital tools in research or consulting. The ideal candidate is a builder rather than only a manager: someone who enjoys creating opportunities, developing relationships, testing new ideas and taking personal responsibility for business growth. He should be comfortable working in a lean organisation, without relying on extensive corporate support functions, and be willing to remain directly involved in proposals, methodologies, client discussions and project delivery when needed. Why join us You will have meaningful autonomy in a focused team, access to deep sector expertise and the opportunity to shape services, partnerships and the organisation’s future leadership. The role has potential to develop into Managing Director or Managing Partner, subject to performance and mutual fit. Location and engagement Location is flexible. We will agree a working arrangement that supports collaboration with the team and engagement with clients and partners. We are also open to discussing the form of engagement with the successful candidate. Compensation We will discuss a package that reflects the scope of the role and the candidate’s experience. It may combine fixed compensation with a performance-related element linked to sustainable growth and profitability. A longer-term partnership or equity pathway may also be explored, subject to mutual agreement.