Reporting directly to the Chief Executive (CE) and the Deputy Chief Executive (DCE), the Executive Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external contacts on all matters pertaining to the CE and DCE. The Executive Assistant also provides regular support to the COO and Senior Management Team.  

The role requires a creative individual who enjoys working within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment that thrives on inclusiveness, efficiency, results and empathy. The ideal candidate will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations. With strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organisational skills, this person also has the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities. The Executive Assistant will have the ability to work independently on a day-to-day basis and must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.

• Flexible, conscientious, hardworking individual with a can-do attitude
• Strong organisational skills that reflect an ability to perform and prioritise multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners and donors
• Expert-level written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capability
• Emotional maturity
• Highly resourceful team player, with the ability to also be extremely effective independently
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high-performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent technical diploma required
• Basic understanding of how the European Union works
• Minimum four to five years of experience supporting executives, preferably in a mid-sized non-profit organisation
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat, and Social Media web platforms. Experience with database management a plus
• English language C1 level, excellent written German and French would also be a strong advantage

• Direct support to the leadership (70%)
• Operations team support (25%)
• Governance procedures support (5%)

1. Direct support to the leadership

Help manage access to CE and DCE by deciding on priorities (working closely with CE and DCE)

Take charge of scheduling meetings in very dynamic environment of appointments, setting up phone calls and any necessary follow-ups, both internally, coordinating with relevant EPC colleagues, and externally.

Monitor CE’s inbox: filing/sorting messages, drafting and sending responses on behalf of CE that reflect CE’s tone and vision.

Make sure CE and DCE are equipped with relevant preparation for meetings (agenda, list of participants, items for CEO decision, hospitality, taking pictures, booking and arranging the room/meeting connections such as Zoom), thereby liaising with relevant colleagues across the organisation. Follow-up on meetings with EPC team to check that action points have been carried out and to follow-up if no response has been received.

Manage CE and DCE communication (in cooperation with the Comms & Events team); ensure their profiles are maintained on the website and LinkedIn and handle media requests.

Provide briefing notes for speeches and top-level meetings, thereby liaising with relevant EPC colleagues and organising research support.

2. Operations Team Support

Take notes in Management Team meetings and ensure follow up of actionable items, maintain the agenda in collaboration with COO.

Support EPC’s membership database.

3. Governance Support

In collaboration with COO, ensure that the EPC adheres to Belgian governance legislation, prepare Governing Board meetings, take minutes in Governing Board meetings and ensure follow-up.

Deadline for applications is 12pm on Friday 20th December 2024. This will be the last day that we sort applications that we would like to interview.

Candidates who meet the above requirements should send by e-mail a short motivation letter together with a CV to Emma Woodford at cv@epc.eu.  Please mention Executive Assistant + Name Surname in the subject field of the email.

Due to the holiday period, we will only contact candidates for interview as of January 6^th only.

Interviews will be held in person or online on January 14^th,  2025

In view of the expected high number of applications, we will only be able to contact the candidates shortlisted for an interview. Thank you for your understanding and for your interest in this vacancy.

The EPC is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and particularly encourage applicants from groups of society that are not well represented in Brussels think tanks, Brussels-based civil society or European policy making.