Join the team! Public affairs manager at HOTREC

Position: Public Affairs Manager at HOTREC

HOTREC-Hospitality Europe is looking for a public affairs manager to join its team in Brussels.

Who we are

HOTREC-Hospitality Europe is the voice of the hospitality industry in Europe. Bringing together 47 national associations from 36 countries, representing hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés, the association secretariat is based in Brussels. HOTREC missions are to represent the interests of the hospitality sector to the European Institutions as well as fostering the exchange of best practices among the membership.

The European hospitality industry represents a great diversity of companies: from an abundance of microenterprises and SMEs (99% of the companies) to large multinationals, chains and franchises; from boutique experiences to large-scale events and high-standard establishments; catering for all types of consumer needs and demands. The sector is a major employer and creates positive side-effects for other businesses, for local culture and city centres. It is closely connected with the travel and tourism sectors. COVID-19 has significantly impacted the hospitality and tourism industry. Support to businesses and recovery are key challenges to be addressed. In addition, the industry is on the front line to deal with many key societal issues of today: sustainability and energy efficiency, social issues, digitalisation, food and farming policies.

The role

HOTREC - Hospitality Europe – is looking for a Public Affairs Manager to lead its work on economic and digital policies. In this role, you will monitor relevant EU policy initiatives in various fields, including payment legislation, competition, copyright as well as digital/tech topics work with HOTREC’s members to develop advocacy actions, organising expert Working Group meetings and draft position papers, speeches and presentations and make use of data sets (e.g. Eurostat). You will ensure that business views are well understood by policymakers, through contacts with EU institutions, participation in conferences and written communication.

Reporting directly to the Director General and working closely with members, the public affairs manager will contribute to the teamwork, bringing motivation and experience to advance strategic priorities of HOTREC.

Main tasks 

• Provide timely and actionable analyses of EU policy developments likely to impact hospitality businesses;
• Draft position papers, oversee their dissemination and develop strategic recommendations;
• Engage and maintain close relationships with EU decision-makers (Commission, European Parliament, Council) and network of stakeholders;
• Organise activities including meetings, seminars, and conferences abroad (in person and by teleconference);
• Coordination of consultations with HOTREC Members; organising expert Working Group meetings;
• Keep association members informed of relevant developments with engaging content;
• Support in preparation for HOTREC executive meetings;
• Write insights for internal and external communication material;
• Prepare contributions (presentations, speaking points, etc.) for public appearances and various meetings.

Requirements

• University or post-graduate degree in law/economics/political sciences with any other relevant degree to be considered;
• Experience in advocacy-related work and in engaging with key EU stakeholders;
• Relevant professional experience in a similar job, e.g. as part of a governmental organisation, political office, consultancy, trade association or as part of an in-house government affairs/communications team;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both in written and oral English (the working language of HOTREC). Experience in writing articles and delivering presentations is a plus;
• Excellent understanding of EU Institutions’ decision-making process and the principles of EU law;
• Solid skills in collecting, handling and analysing data – someone who enjoys working with numbers;
• Good political, strategic and technical understanding of policies relating to digital and data, competition, payment systems & services, and copyright;
• Familiarity with international and European standardisation procedures is a plus;
• Project management skills would be an asset;
• A great team player and an excellent communicator with good networking skills;
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills;
• Very good command of IT tools.

About the offer

• Represent and shape the future orientation of an established European industry as part of an association of national associations;
• Join a compact, enthusiastic and people-oriented team of EU affairs professionals;
• Interesting work across the wider gastronomic and tourism sector (restaurants, cafes, hotel standards) with the opportunity to build an extensive EU affairs network and occasional business travel across the continent;
• Flexible work arrangements and salary package including benefits such as health & life insurance, eco-cheques, lunch vouchers, transportation allowance and others.

How to apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their applications consisting of a CV and cover letter to Hugo Tosello, Recruitment Executive at [email protected].

Deadline to apply: 25/06/2022

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.