The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) runs advocacy and campaigns work on the health implications of everyday exposure to hazardous chemicals and pesticides.

Our diverse policy work on chemicals aims to promote the uptake of environmental health science in policy and regulations and to speed up the transition to a toxic-free future where chemicals no longer contribute to disease and environmental degradation.

What we are looking for:

HEAL is recruiting a science communications and outreach officer to join our chemicals and health team at the Brussels secretariat, who will help us continue our successful advocacy and campaigns and contribute new ideas. We are looking for a creative expert who has experience in translating environmental health-related science and policy into dissemination plans, media and outreach activities. The successful candidate excels in strategic thinking, collaboration and taking initiatives for change, and is committed to improving environmental health policy and mobilising public engagement to demand political change.

Main tasks and responsibilities include:

Work closely with the HEAL chemicals and communications teams as well as with HEAL members, scientific institutions, and partner organisations to develop policy briefs, communication and stakeholder engagement tools, and science policy news in order to support HEAL’s work on education and advocacy around chemicals exposure and health impacts;
Develop and disseminate multi-language outreach materials and contribute to developing public health interventions to reduce chemical exposure, particularly early life exposure;
Support the lead chemicals programme officer in analysis, research, scoping on EU chemicals policy files and initiating and coordinating strategic communications opportunities;
Prepare external communication including presentation of positions, scientific evidence and public health concerns for the public and the press;
Provide practical support to our public awareness raising and education work, including event organising and coordinating outreach to and liaison with relevant HEAL constituencies and partners.

Skills and Experience:

Required:

Native or equivalent English speaker. Fluency in another European language a bonus;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
University degree and a minimum of 5 years relevant work experience in science policy translation, coordination or communications;
Experience in media and press outreach, public dissemination and communication to a wide range of audiences including policymakers, academics, health and disease groups and the general public;
Experience in stakeholder engagement and policy advocacy with EU and national institutions, agencies, scientific bodies, health professionals and disease prevention groups;
Excellent organisational skills and project management experience.

Desirable:

In-depth knowledge of public policy related to chemicals, pesticides, health outcomes or disease prevention, and EU policies such as REACH, pesticides or human biomonitoring;
Experience with scientific or health info visualisation and the creation of shareable materials;
Experience with design and editing for social media.

Employment contract:

This position is full time, long term and based in the HEAL Secretariat office in Brussels, Belgium. HEAL offers a competitive salary and extra benefits.

Information & Application:

To apply, please send your CV, a motivation letter, 2 samples of written work to sara@env-health.org. The letter of motivation should detail why you are interested in the position and how your skills and experience are relevant to our work.

Deadline: Open until filled. Online interviews foreseen as of May 2020 onwards.
Start date: As soon as possible.

Please do not call or send receipt-enquiry emails, faxes, or make in-person visits. Only candidates selected for interviews will receive a reply.

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is the leading not-for-profit organisation addressing how the environment affects human health in the European Union (EU) and beyond. HEAL works to shape laws and policies that promote planetary and human health and protect those most affected by pollution, and raise awareness on the benefits of environmental action for health. HEAL’s over 80 member organisations include international, European, national and local groups of health professionals, not-for-profit health insurers, patients, citizens, women, youth, and environmental experts representing over 200 million people across the 53 countries of the WHO European Region.

As an alliance, HEAL brings independent and expert evidence from the health community to EU and global decision-making processes to inspire disease prevention and to promote a toxic-free, low-carbon, fair and healthy future. HEAL is independent of any political party or commercial interest. The alliance receives funding from the European Union, governments and private foundations as well as through membership contributions. We do not accept funding from sources with commercial interests (www.env-health.org).

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