Policy Advisor

**General Information**:
**Vacancy number**
- 1071/2025

**Recruitment type**
- Secondment

**Posted date**
- 03-Oct-2025

**Deadline to apply**
- 09-Nov-2025

**Duty station**
- Strasbourg

**Entity**
- Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law (DGI)

**Description & Requirements**:
**Your Team**

The team you will work with, the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention), is primarily responsible for the follow-up on the implementation of the Bern Convention, the European Diploma of protected areas, the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest, and biodiversity-related issues.

The team is located within the Department of the Reykjavik Process and the Environment, which oversees the implementation of the Council of Europe Strategy on the Environment, and encompasses the secretariats of the Bern Convention, the Landscape Convention (Florence Convention), and the European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement.

**Your Role**

As a Policy Advisor, you will:

- provide policy advice, analysis and strategic input to senior management, governing bodies and Contracting Parties on the implementation of the Bern Convention, with a focus on areas of special conservation interest (Emerald Network) and on natural and semi-natural areas of exceptional importance for the preservation of biological, geological and landscape diversity (European Diploma);
- contribute to the planning, organisation and delivery of meetings of the Bern Convention’s statutory and monitoring bodies (Standing Committee, Bureau, Groups of Experts) in accordance with the programme of activities adopted by Contracting Parties in liaison with the Secretary of the Convention;
- promote the contribution of the Council of Europe to achievements of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular n° 13, 14, and 15, and to the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework, ensuring these objectives are embedded across relevant programmes;
- contribute to the coordination of the implementation of the Vision and Strategic Plan of the Bern Convention for the period to 2030, identifying synergies and building partnerships to maximise impact;
- advise and assist the Secretary of the Bern Convention in contributing to the Reykjavík process on the environment and in implementing the Council of Europe Strategy on the Environment and its related Action Plan, ensuring coherence and complementarity with other key conventions and initiatives;
- coordinate, gather, research and critically analyse data and information to inform evidence-based decision-making, drafting high-quality documents, reports, statements and contributions for senior audiences;
- contribute to the communication strategy of the Secretariat of the Bern Convention (publications, press releases, articles for the website, and news on any other means of communication), enhancing visibility and impact;
- ensure quality control of outputs by reviewing, proofreading and verifying the accuracy of documents and translations prepared by the Secretariat and its partners.

**Requirements to apply**

You must:

- have the support of the member State seconding you to the Council of Europe;
- hold a higher education degree or qualification equivalent to a master’s degree (**2nd cycle of the Bologna process framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area**) in fields such as biology, biodiversity conservation, natural sciences, environmental protection and management, ecology, sustainable development, political science, law or similar topics;
- have at least 5 years of relevant professional experience acquired in the field of wildlife and/or environmental protection, management and policies;
- have very good knowledge of one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe (English or French) and good knowledge of the other (French or English);
- be a citizen of one of the member States of the Council of Europe.

**Key competencies**
- Operational - Planning and work organisation
- Operational - Analysis and problem solving
- Operational - Drafting skills
- Interpersonal - Teamwork and co-operation
- Professional and technical expertise:
**Desirable competencies**
- Operational - Results orientation
- Operational - Concern for quality
- Professional and technical expertise:

- experience in secretariat work of intergovernmental and/or experts committees.

**What we offer**

This vacancy is for a secondment, ruled by Article 23 of **Committee of Ministers’ Resolution CM/Res(2012)2**. You can consult the conditions of secondment to the Council of Europe (days of leave, allowances etc.) on the webpage **What we offer**. This secondment foresees the relocation allowance and the travel expenses from the Organisation as indicated in Article 23 of the Resolution.

This secondment should start as soon as possible.

**Applications and selection procedure**

**Important information