Senior Consultant – EU Food & related policies

About ICF

At ICF, we help governments, regulators and international institutions solve complex problems and improve the quality of life of people around the world. We provide critical insight, rigorous analysis and practical solutions to support evidence-based policymaking. Working at ICF means combining intellectual rigour with a passion for meaningful work on some of today’s most pressing public policy challenges.

Who We’re Looking For

We are looking for a Senior Consultant to join our European public policy practice, with a focus on EU food and health-related policies, including food safety, nutrition, animal welfare, plant health and One Health.

You will work closely with EU institutions and agencies such as DG SANTE, HaDEA, EFSA and DG AGRI, supporting research, project implementation and business development activities.

ICF has a strong and expanding portfolio of work in EU food and health policy, delivering assignments under framework contracts and open tenders for key EU institutions and agencies. Selected recent examples include:

• DG SANTE – Food Contact Materials (FCM) Delivery of a study supporting the revision of EU Food Contact Materials legislation, assessing safety and sustainability challenges across the FCM sector. The work reviewed the regulatory framework and market developments, engaged stakeholders through targeted consultations, and identified priority gaps and policy measures to inform future EU action.
• EFSA – Food risk and benefit communication: Delivery of analytical support to EFSA through framework mechanisms, including rapid evidence reviews on consumer understanding of food-related health risks and benefits, feeding directly into EFSA’s risk communication and stakeholder engagement activities.
• EU food and health policy research & evaluation: Ongoing proposal preparedness for assignments across food safety, nutrition, animal health and plant health policy areas for EU institutions and agencies, covering research, evaluation and implementation support under multiple framework contracts and competitive tenders.

As a Senior Consultant, you will help deliver and further develop this portfolio, while progressively taking on responsibilities in proposals, client engagement and team coordination.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Conducting EU-level research, evaluation and analytical projects, using both qualitative methods (e.g. interviews, desk research, thematic analysis) and quantitative approaches (e.g. data analysis, CBA/CEA, statistical analysis and triangulation).
• Supporting delivery of projects on time, within budget and to a high standard, by overseeing junior team members activities, conducting high-quality research and analysis, and supporting the project management teams in oversight and delivery.
• Leading or contributing to report writing, presentations and briefings for EU institutions and agencies.
• Actively contributing to business development, including planning capture activities, identifying upcoming opportunities and leading or supporting proposal development (tenders) in the EU food, plant, animal welfare and one health policy fields.
• Leading or substantially contributing to proposals across research, evaluation, impact assessment and implementation services. Key areas of work include methodological approach conceptualisation, organisation of the work and team sections and overseeing contextual background research supporting proposal efforts.
• Staying up to date with EU food, agriculture, animal welfare and plant health policy developments, anticipating future support needs of EU institutions.
• Expanding our network of partners, thematic experts and wider connections with whom we can collaborate on to effectively win and deliver new assignments in this field.
• Building and managing day-to-day relationships with EU institutions, escalating issues as needed to project leadership.
• Contributing to team development, including informal mentoring and support to junior colleagues.

The successful candidate is likely to have:

• A Master’s degree in public policy, agricultural or food policy, veterinary or life sciences, public health, economics, or a closely related discipline.
• Around 5-7 years of professional experience working on EU policies and programmes, ideally in food safety, nutrition, agriculture, animal welfare, plant health or closely related fields.
• Demonstrable experience delivering EU-funded service contract research, evaluation or implementation projects, preferably for European Commission DGs or EU agencies. Relatedly, demonstrated network of experts and relevant stakeholders active in these policy fields.
• Strong qualitative and/or quantitative analytical skills and experience applying them in multi-country or comparative studies.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to produce clear, high-quality reports for EU clients.
• Experience working in a consultancy or advisory environment and contributing to proposal development is desirable.
• A solid understanding of EU institutions, policymaking processes and funding mechanisms, including framework contracts.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of additional EU languages is an asset.

Why Join ICF?

• Work on high-impact EU policies at the intersection of food, health, agriculture and sustainability.
• Engage directly with leading EU institutions and agencies.
• Be part of a collaborative, international and intellectually stimulating working environment.
• Benefit from opportunities for professional growth, increased responsibility and leadership development.
• Contribute to building and shaping ICF’s work in a growing EU policy area

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

 

Brussels, Belgium (BE75)