Policy Officer – Human Rights (APA)

We are seeking a highly motivated Policy Officer - Human Rights to join MEP Catarina Vieira's team in Brussels as a Accredited Parliamentary Assistant (APA).

The successful candidate will provide support to MEP Vieira, primarily in her work in the Human Rights Subcommittee (DROI), including in her role as the coordinator for the Greens/EFA Group. Additionally, the role includes assisting with other policy work linked to her portfolio.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor and track developments related to human rights
• Assist in the preparation of amendments, voting lists, reports, letters, questions to the Commission, speeches, and speaking notes
• Support the work of MEP Vieira as DROI coordinator for the Greens/EFA, including preparing coordinator’s meetings
• Liaise with relevant stakeholders, including NGOs, offices of other MEPs,
  government representatives, and counterparts at other EU institutions
• Organize and coordinate meetings, events, and conferences related to human rights
• Prepare communication outputs related to the field of human rights (in collaboration with the Communications and Media Officer)
• Follow relevant debates and policy developments in the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET)
• Assist with coordination of other policy work where necessary
• Support the team with other ad-hoc duties

Essential Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in political science, human rights or international law, international relations, or another relevant field.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience.
• In-depth knowledge of human rights issues and EU human rights policy.
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Fluency in Dutch and English.

Additional Desired Skills:

• Fluency in additional EU languages.
• Expertise in the fields of business and human rights, labour rights, indigenous rights and other relevant human rights issues related to sustainable trade.
• In-depth knowledge of international law and relevant UN organisations
• Experience working in civil society or international organisations
• Experience working in or with the European Parliament

What we offer:

• The opportunity to work in an international and dynamic team at the centre of EU policy making, fighting for sustainability and human rights
  An initial 1 year contract, with the intention of extending it until June 2029
• A 36 hour work week (Monday to Thursday)
• A starting gross monthly salary set at Grade 8 (approximately 3700 euro, plus 16% expatriation allowance if applicable).
• Benefits as established by the European Parliament, including partial cover of health insurance and public transport costs, a pension scheme, and professional development opportunities

Starting date:
Open for discussion with the selected candidate, but ideally 1 September 2025.

To Apply:
Please submit your CV and cover letter (in English) to catarina.vieira@europarl.europa.eu with the subject “Application Policy Officer - Human Rights”.

Deadline:
We will review applications on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We will close applications on June 1st.

Process:
The first round of interviews will take place between June 10-12.

The second round of interviews will take place between June 23-26.

At least one of the interview rounds will be in person in Brussels, with the option of the other round being online, depending on the availability of candidates.

Selected candidates may be asked to complete a short assignment.

Upon completion of the hiring process, all information submitted by  candidates will be deleted in accordance with data protection rules.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We encourage all candidates to apply, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age. Candidates who do not meet all our requirements but who are motivated and eager to learn are also welcome to apply.