Public Affairs Official

We are now recruiting a Public Affairs Officer for an Airline Association Group based in Belgium. This is a unique opportunity for someone who has a background or strong interest in aviation & airline regulations & law. Prior knowledge of European aviation & Airline matters proceeded by the European Commission is desired as you will be tasked to analyse and report on the data as well as effectively communicating the changes/initiates to the Airline association. 

It will be crucial to monitor the work of the European commission on selected topics and share the most important issues with the members, organize meetings with members and its task forces. It is a stand-alone position that will be expected to run the entire office.
 
Job description

• Run a small office, including management of correspondence, proceeding with payments, calls, preparation of correspondence, reports, working papers etc. in English, including drafting, editing and proofreading.
• Organise regular conferences for members
• Propose and develop strategies in order to influence the European air transport policy vis-à-vis EU institutions and other regulatory and international aviation organizations
• Analyse and assess the impact to members of all legislative proposals and policy developments emanating from these institutions and organizations
• Develop and write the Association's positions in public and regulatory affairs areas affecting the leisure and scheduled air transport industry
• Organize and coordinate together with the Director General the work and activities of the Association's task forces involved in aeropolitical affairs and provide political advice in relation to other Associations' activities.
• Develop and enhance lobbying efforts with regulators, parliamentarians and other EU States' permanent representations to promote the Association positions
• Coordinate the Association's public affairs policy with other airline trade associations and stakeholders in air transport
• Report to and assist the Director General on policy matters related to the Association's functions and objectives and the implementation of the Board of Directors directives
• Development of a new communications strategy and objectives for the Association in cooperation with the Director General
• Responsibility for internal and external publications to promote the Association’s activities and policies
• Representation of the corporate image and positions to external organisa­tions to raise the profile of the Association
• Ensuring robust media relations, including activity in social media
• Increasing airline and associate membership of the Association through effective communica­tion, marketing and benefit programmes
• Reporting to the Director General.

 
 Essential Requirements: 

• Hold a university degree
• Proven professional experience in air transport policy and regulatory matters, in lobbying and public affairs issues, preferably gained with airlines
• Full knowledge of the workings of the European institutions and their decision-making procedures and an understanding of the role of worldwide aviation organizations
• Keen interest in monitoring and analysing EU legislative and policy developments in the field of air transport and tourism
• Proven excellence in writing concise position papers in order to represent the policies of the Association
• Ability to successfully steer work of airline experts' groups, develop a consensus, understand a technical brief, take minutes and write accurate reports of meetings
• Ability to credibly convey the Association's positions to international institutions and regulators
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and oral/written communications skills
• At ease mixing in a multicultural environment at all business levels, confident and able to integrate into a small Brussels-based team environment
• Ability to deal and interact with the expanding different categories of members
• Sense of compromise and diplomacy
• Full command of the English language (mother tongue level), both written and spoken; good knowledge of French; other EU languages an asset
• Ability to write concise briefing papers representing the views of the Association
• Ability to understand a technical brief, and take minutes and write accurate reports of external meetings