European Youth Forum is hiring a Governance Officer

About the Role

The European Youth Forum is the largest platform of youth organisations in Europe, representing millions of young people through national youth councils and international youth NGOs. We promote young people’s active democratic participation and their social, economic, political and environmental rights.

We are recruiting a Governance Officer acting as secretariat member of the EU Youth Dialogue, based in Brussels. The successful candidate will work in the Strategy and Partnerships Department within the Membership/Governance team, reporting to the Membership and Governance Manager and in collaboration with the Democracy and Youth Organisations Policy Teams.

The Governance Officer will work on managing the day-to-day work of the EU Youth Dialogue secretariat, having regular meetings with external stakeholders, such as the European Commission and National Governments. As the priorities and working areas of the Youth Forum are defined by its Member Organisations and Board, the Governance Officer will act as a point of support to Member Organisations that are engaged in the EU Youth Dialogue and to the Board meetings.

Responsibilities

Governance – Secretariat of the EU Youth Dialogue

• Ensure quality governance of the dialogue – including that all actors know and respect their roles and responsibilities.

• Take care of knowledge management and information storage, including file storage for collaborative documents

• Together with the Policy Officer, prepare for European Steering Group (ESG) meetings, taking place approximately once per month;

• Support the implementation of the Cycle and onboarding of future Cycles

• Support the monitoring and implementation of EU Youth Dialogue outcomes

• Liaise with National Working Groups (NWGs) and INGYOs on the EU Youth Dialogue

Governance – Board-Statutory Meeting Support

• Guide the team on the expected deadlines to what concerns pre- and post-Board meeting activities. (in line with statutory calendar)

• Prepare the online link and attendance sheet

• Communicate with the events manager on the logistic arrangements

• Participate in the Board meetings (especially the ones in-person)

• Take minutes during Board meetings, highlighting key decisions, action items and deadlines. Maintain the decision tracker, together with the full-time president (if any)

• Ensure the minutes are available to members once approved.

• Ensure the finance team has the required documentation for the Audits

• Follow Statutory Calendar

Profile of the Ideal Candidate

• A higher education degree in business & administration and/or law or other relevant field is strongly desirable but can be compensated by relevant NGO and/or non-formal education experience;

• Up to 2 years of experience in similar positions (governance officer, assistant to managers or board of directors, assisting to or supporting executive management processes);

• Previous experience in NGO work, particularly in an NGO network/platform and/or youth organisation (as an employee or a volunteer);

• Experience of organising political meetings, with a sensitivity to their confidentiality, and experience in their logistical preparation (including document management and other follow-up);

• Sensitivity to youth policy issues and a good knowledge of the European institutions, especially regarding the topic of Youth Dialogue;

Personal Skills

• Good organisational skills, attention to detail, oral and written communication skills;

• Excellent networking, intercultural and interpersonal communication skills;

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team on a common project;

• Ability to travel and to work flexible hours if required, including occasional weekends. Willing to live in or relocate to Brussels or the surrounding area;

• Computer literacy: good working knowledge of G-suite and Mac operating systems.

Terms of the Contract

• The contract is open-ended and full time (35 hours per week) with starting date is as soon as possible.

• The gross monthly salary according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement currently applied at the European Youth Forum is €2754 to €2865 Euros (gross) depending on experience.

• Benefits include:

  • 5 extra-legal holiday days (pro-rata basis)

  • Hospitalisation insurance

  • Eco-cheques (pro-rata basis)

  • STIB Annual subscription

  • A relocation package (subject to budget restrictions)

• Candidates for this position should be willing to travel and work flexible hours including if required occasional weekends. Overtime may be recuperated as time off in lieu, whilst weekend and evening overtime is also compensated.

• This position being based in Brussels candidates should be willing to relocate or live in the surrounding area.

Application Procedure & Timeline

Prepare ONE PDF document with:

• Your updated CV (maximum 2 pages)

• Cover letter, explaining your motivation (maximum 1 page)

To submit your application for this vacancy, please send an email at [email protected] by Sunday, 7 December 2025 (23:59). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, we encourage you to submit yours as soon as possible.

Interviews for this vacancy will be held in the first half of December 2025 and the successful candidate will be expected to start as soon as possible.

Due to the high number of applications usually received for European Youth Forum vacancies, only candidates short-listed for interviews will be contacted. If you do not receive a response within 3 weeks of the application deadline, please assume that your application was not successful. We sincerely appreciate your interest in this position and the time you put into applying. All candidates are kindly requested to refrain from any phone inquiries.

Recruitment Policy

• Anti-discrimination: All appointments are made in a transparent way and comply with all relevant employment regulations. No job applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, gender, gender identity, marital status, caring responsibilities, sexual orientation, disability or chronic illness.

• Volunteering: Any relevant volunteering experience is considered equal to any other professional experience.

• Work permit: All applicants, whether EU or non-EU citizens, are considered equally. The Youth Forum welcomes all nationalities and will take any work permit request at its charge.

• Conflict of interest: All applicants should be informed and should inform the Youth Forum of any possible conflict of interest. Selected candidates should be aware that working and/or volunteering for a Member Organisation of the European Youth Forum, institutions, political parties or other representative civil society organisations at the European level might not be compatible with working at the Youth Forum.