Consultant – EU Education, Training and Skills Policy – Policy Research and Programme Implementation

About ICF

ICF (www.icf.com) is a consultancy firm with offices in the UK, Belgium, US and worldwide. At ICF, we help governments, public agencies and international institutions solve complex problems and improve the quality of life of people around the world. We offer critical insight, rigorous analytical techniques and implementation support to deliver innovative solutions and thought-provoking analyses for our clients.

Today, ICF is a global consulting services company with over 7,000 full- and part-time employees, but we are not your typical consultants. Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

About the role:

We are looking for a Consultant to join our well-established Research and Implementation team in the field of Education, Training and Skills. The consultant will join a leading provider of services in Education and Skills for the European Commission, in particular DG EAC and DG EMPL, as well as other agencies of the European Union and various national governments. As well as research, analysis and evaluation work, this role sits in a practice at ICF which also manages a spectrum of large programmes. We provide technical assistance, insights, research, networking and other implementation services to EU institutions, particularly the European Commission. Our current portfolio of projects supports the main Directorates-General of the Commission, spanning Research and Evaluation work for DG Employment and Social Inclusion, Mutual Learning Services for DG Employment and Social Inclusion, supporting the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES), providing support services to the ESF + programme, supporting the European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work on behalf of the European Labour Authority, operating the European Centre of Expertise on labour market policy and labour law, supporting the EQAVET Network, designing and delivering training services, working within the framework of DG REFORM – to name a few.

As a consultant, your work will include working on education, employment and social policy-related subjects, supporting evidence-based policy through comparative data collection and analysis, the provision of expertise and advisory services, policy and programme evaluations as well as technical assistance. The key areas and projects we are recruiting for include education and training related policy subjects with DGs and agencies of the European Union. Depending on your experience, you would support the delivery of research contracts and policy implementation programmes and deliver specific activities within programmes, reporting to Senior Consultants, Programme and Contract Managers. You could work across more than one project and be expected to:

• Support the delivery of policy research involving analytical, investigative and other fact-finding work, conducting data collection and analysis and the interpretation of results under supervision of senior staff.
• Carry out primary data collection through various research methods, reviewing and compiling secondary data as well as carrying out data analysis to contribute to parts of our research or evaluation reports.
• Undertake high-quality research and data collection and analysis activities. Conduct qualitative analysis (experience with NVIVO an advantage). Conduct quantitative analysis (experience with Excel essential; experience with STATA or R an advantage).
• Arrange, conduct and facilitate interviews, surveys, focus groups and stakeholder meetings. Develop, conduct and analyse case studies. Assist with report-writing and presentations.
• Produce policy content in different forms. Examples include thematic or analytical papers, case studies, good practice fiches, mapping and comparative exercises, monitoring and evaluation surveys, stakeholder interviews, etc.
• Prepare reports, presentations and other written deliverables for a range of audiences, from technical reports through to website content.
• Contribute to the organisation and support of programme-related activities with the aim of building capacity, such as working groups, secretariats, helpdesk or advisory services, communities of practice and expert networks and more.
• Contribute to the design and organisation of face-to-face, virtual and hybrid workshops and events, supported by a dedicated event logistics and technical team. With a strong focus on content development for our more senior consultants, your work could include supporting elements of the agenda, writing summaries, and supporting event discussions.
• Contribute to aspects of proposal-writing and preparations, supporting sections of the technical offer, and coordinating with relevant experts.
• Undertake other consultancy tasks, as required, working independently.

At Consultant level, you will typically support senior consultants and senior members of the team as they manage packages of activities and deliverables.

Required experience:

• University degree or equivalent in a related discipline, for example, public policy, politics, economics, law
• 4+ years professional experience in consultancy, public policy and/or government affairs in the EU, with experience in the context of European social policy, and the indicated policy fields of: education, training and skills.
• Knowledge and interest in education and social policy, employment policy, labour mobility, areas linked to the European employment strategy.
• Strong organisational and coordination skills, including time management, multi-tasking and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong foundation in research and analysis, including qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including interacting with multi-national and multi-disciplinary stakeholders.
• Excellent writing skills, including editing and proofreading skills.
• Excellent oral and written English; fluency in at least one additional European language is an asset.
• Knowledge of communications methods and tools in the context of disseminating outputs
• Advanced computer user skills (e.g. Microsoft applications, Nvivo, R, Stata, Microsoft Copilot).

Personal Qualities:

• Ability to self-organise, prioritise and manage/ work with multiple teams in parallel under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• High level of ability and confidence to perform tasks with limited supervision
• Ability to work flexibly to meet client and organisational priorities and needs
• Sound research and business ethics, including the protection of proprietary and confidential information
• Excellent verbal, written, analytical and communication skills in English – additional European languages an advantage
• Ability to work with all levels of internal staff, as well as clients and sub-contractors
• Ability to work within multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary teams spread across several countries
• Willingness to travel within Europe, as required

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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.

Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair and equitable interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process. 

However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodations that involve the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at candidateaccommodation@icf.com. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed. 

Brussels, Belgium (BE75)

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