Director and Head of Brussels Office

Background 

The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) represents the Swedish forest industries, which are essential contributors in the green transition to a more resilient, circular, and biobased EU economy. The industries refine wood resources to bio-based products, such as pulp, paper, board, packaging material, sawn timber, refined wood products, biobased electricity and heat and advanced biofuels. The core business is industrial activities based on wood sourced from sustainably managed forests, but among the industries are also some of the largest private forest holdings in Europe. Any forest, climate, environmental, energy and product related EU policy is of high importance. 

SFIF employs some 40 team members at its Stockholm office. As of 2019, SFIF is permanently represented in Brussels and the office currently consists of three full-time employees, the Head of the office and two Policy Advisors. The present Head is now moving forward in her career, and SFIF is therefore looking for her replacement.  

Job Description 

As Director and Head of the Brussels office, you build on the successful base that SFIF has established in the last couple of years.  This encompasses, for example, to: 

• Secure that SFIF’s policy monitoring is professional, and continuously refined.  
• Define EU policy priorities and resource allocations, which allow SFIF to create impact.  
• Explore ways for SFIF to be more proactive in its advocacy.  
• Build strong relations with relevant EU decision makers. 
• Cooperate with other trade organization, both in Brussels and elsewhere in Europe.  
• Take active part in defining and executing communication activities versus stakeholders in Brussels, such as newsletters, media alerts and events. 

You lead the work at the Brussels office and you work closely with colleagues in Stockholm as well as with member company representatives. You report to SFIF’s CEO and you are a member of the SFIF Management Team. 

Your profile 

Essential requirements: 

• At least ten years of postgraduate professional experience. 
• A relevant academic degree, for instance in law, political science, technology, or economics. 
• Several years of hands-on experience of working within or versus the EU policy system. 
• Proven experience in staff management and organizational development. 
• An established network of Brussels contacts. 
• High-level communication skills.  
• Fluency in spoken and written English. 
• Ability to understand and communicate in a Scandinavian language. 
• Willingness to travel within the EU, especially to Sweden but also elsewhere.  

Advantageous skills: 

• Experience from working in a business and/or industrial organization. 
• Knowledge about forest-based value chains. 
• Experience in event organization and management. 
• Experience from working in an international environment, particularly working across different cultures and languages. 

Place of work 

At the premises of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise at 3 rue du Luxembourg in Brussels. 

Why should you be interested in this opportunity?  

• Represent an industry that truly makes a difference in reaching a climate-neutral, resource efficient and circular society.  
• Expand your industrial and business knowledge as well as your professional public affairs network, and gain visibility among some of the biggest Swedish companies.  
• Be part of an inspiring work environment with fast and dynamic decision making and a dedicated team of highly driven professionals 
• Enjoy the informal and transparency-based leadership and team culture, aimed at empowering team members to take ownership of their work 

Interested in learning more about the Swedish forest industry?  

Please visit www.forestindustries.se or www.skogsindustrierna.se .    

Contact Person

Anna Aleksandra Koj