Job title: Chemicals & Plastics Policy Coordinator

Location: Brussels

Eligibility: All candidates must hold the right to work in Belgium or the EU.

Hours

Full-time contract (38 hours per week).

HCWH Europe offers a 9-day fortnight, where each employee gets an extra-legal holiday every second Friday.

We are currently trialling a four-day week (8h/day) to aid productivity and support a better work-life balance.

Salary & benefts

Salary dependent on qualifcations and experience.

HCWH Europe offers a competitive salary with additional benefts including meal vouchers, monthly travel support, hospitalisation insurance, holiday payment, and a 13-month salary.

Application closing date

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 1/10/2023

HCWH Europe reserves the right to close the application process upon selection of a suitable candidate; early applications are therefore encouraged.

Interviews will be held in the frst half of October.

Starting date: As soon as possible

About Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe

HCWH Europe is a non-proft organisation that works to transform healthcare worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice.

HCWH has offces in Europe, US, and Asia as well as a global team that works across all regions. HCWH works closely with health professionals, hospitals, healthcare systems, NGOs, local government, ministries of health and international organisations. HCWH Europe is active in 26 countries of the WHO Euro region and has a growing number of members. The HCWH Europe offce is located in Brussels, Belgium. www.noharm-europe.org

Position overview

HCWH Europe is seeking a knowledge leader on (toxic) chemicals, materials and plastics who can help deliver the Circular Healthcare programme and contribute to the organisation’s strategic goals.

Reporting to the Circular Healthcare Programme Manager, you will form a key part of a dynamic and growing team and contribute to environmental sustainability in Europe’s healthcare sector. You will support key activities within HCWH Europe’s Circular Healthcare programme, which aims to accelerate the transition of healthcare towards a circular economy with sustainable supply chains and toxic-free and longer-lasting products, respecting the waste hierarchy.

Supported by the Circular Healthcare team, your main responsibility will be to coordinate the policy pillar of the Born Free Generation project, starting in Autumn 2023.

By studying the impact of relevant products and processes within the healthcare sector on human and planetary health, you provide expert input to the projects and actions of the entire HCWH Europe team. This ensures that we focus on actions with signifcant impact.

By raising awareness among policymakers (targeting health system representatives and health ministers), you will promote the adoption of this innovative model and the above recommendations. To do this, you will organise activities such as workshops, send joint letters to public health authorities signed by health professionals, and collaborate with regional and municipal public health authorities.

An important part of your task will be targeting key policies at the global, European, and national levels to restrict unnecessary single-use plastics and harmful chemicals/materials in healthcare and support the shift to reusable medical devices.

Some examples of advocacy linked to the Born Free Generation project:

• Internationally, we will advocate that the healthcare sector is not exempt from any restrictions as part of the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
• In Europe, our efforts will focus on advocating the phase-out of harmful chemicals under REACH, such as PVC-healthcare products.
• Nationally, our advocacy efforts will focus on a select number of European countries to authorise the reprocessing of medical devices.

The ideal candidate should have detailed knowledge about the health and environmental impacts of key chemicals of concern and will also be a confdent and engaging communicator, able to convey complex technical information to a broad and non-technical audience, and comfortable in any speaking environment. You will help educate and inform stakeholders about the environmental and health impacts of harmful chemicals that can be found in products used in healthcare settings, e.g., EDCs and CMRs.

Key responsibilities

• Drive green chemistry approach in healthcare.
• Promote sustainable and toxic-free child care.
• Advocate for healthcare sector inclusion in global chemicals treaties.
• Collaborate with NGOs on joint advocacy actions.
• Prepare policy briefs on reducing plastic in healthcare.
• Support substitution of harmful medical devices, e.g. phase-out of PVC healthcare products.
• Advocate for reprocessing of medical devices in European countries.
• Provide support to the HCWH Europe staff regarding materials and processes.
• Represent HCWH Europe in policy discussions and presentations.
• Create written content on chemicals, waste, and circular economy.
• Coordinate effective communication and collaboration with chemicals experts, working groups and members of HCWH Europe’s networks.
• Organise meetings and engage with stakeholders.
• Respond to public consultations.
• Organise events and webinars on chemicals in healthcare.
• Contribute to fundraising proposals.
• Coordinate chemicals strategy with global team and offces.

Required qualifcations and experience

• Master’s degree in chemistry, biology, ecotoxicology, environmental/natural sciences, chemical/bioengineering, occupational and environmental health (a combination of relevant technical experience/education may be accepted as a substitute).
• Minimum three years of experience in environmental or health issues.
• Experience or interest in circular economy and/or environmental health policy.

Desired knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Knowledge about the chemical and toxic properties of plastics, products and processes.
• Understanding the operations of EU institutions and the formation of EU policy would be an advantage.
• Working knowledge of the EU Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, particularly in relation to healthcare would be an advantage.
• The ability to take initiative and follow through to achieve precise results.
• The ability to think strategically and creatively while organising time effciently.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work within a team and autonomously.
• Enthusiastic and fexible in undertaking a broad range of work with tight deadlines.
• Proactive, highly organised and results-focused, able to manage different demands independently.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, and networking skills.
• Working knowledge of standard offce software (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Strong communicator with excellent profciency in written and spoken English. Working knowledge of another European language would be an advantage.

How to apply

All candidates must hold the existing right to work in Belgium or the EU. To apply for this position, please send an email to jobseurope@hcwh.org

• Include your last name and the job title in the subject line, i.e., LAST NAME Circular Healthcare Policy Offcer.
• Attach your CV and a cover letter (Word or PDF format) explaining your motivation for the position.
• Please let us know where you found the position advertised and when you would be able to start.

Please note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Job Email id: jobseurope(at)hcwh.org