Career advice from a policy officer at the European Commission

As the name suggests, policy officers are integral to the European Commission’s policymaking process. But what does the day to day look like? And how does one get started in the job? From health and climate change to trade and digitalization, the EU’s authority influences a wide range of policy areas, and as a result, officers can specialize in a range of fields. Piotr Kowalczyk, EU policy officer at the European Commission, works closely with green finance and investments at the Directorate General for Environment of the European Commission. “Working for the EU is very different from working for intergovernmental organizations,” Kowalczyk told Devex. “As a supranational body, EU policies and laws are binding on the Member States.” But the role of a policy officer demands more than technical expertise. These professionals are tasked with assessing impacts, and shaping proposals that align with EU treaties and values. Communication and negotiation skills are also very important, as policy officers must navigate the intricacies of a multi-institutional system while balancing competing national and political interests. We spoke with Kowalczyk about how he came to this role, the challenges involved, and what skills aspiring professionals can focus on building to progress in their career. Over the last 12 months, there were 485 policy officer roles listed on Devex’s job board. You can see a range of private and public, governmental and nongovernmental policy officer jobs currently listed on the Devex Job board. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. How did you end up working as a policy officer at the European Commission? Coming from a multicultural family, with a French mother, a Polish father and Czech and Italian ancestry, I always felt an emotional bond with European integration and the concept of Europe in general. It led me to pursue an MSc in Political Economy of Europe between Sciences Po, in Paris, France, and the London School of Economics, in London, United Kingdom. Upon completing my studies, I undertook a series of traineeships, including one at the European Commission. As there was no immediate job opportunity at the European Commission, I decided to move into management consulting. Whilst working as a consultant, I took part in the competitive exam to become an EU civil servant, which I eventually passed. So, after four years of consulting, I joined the European Commission as an EU official in December 2021. What does your role involve? I work as a Policy Officer at the Directorate General for Environment of the European Commission. I am part of a team that focuses on green finance and investments – i.e. how to increase the amount of capital that flows into the green transition and how to decrease the amount of capital that goes into unsustainable activities. In practice, I contribute to preparing legislative documents. I also meet with companies, civil society, and academia to discuss our policies. I supervise the work of consultants. I negotiate policies with other Commission services. I present EU policies at events, panels or conferences. I interact with researchers and analysts to produce the analysis, data and research that I need to advance my files. What skill sets have you found to be most valuable in your career? First, analysis and problem-solving. I am always confronted with new issues with a high degree of technicality, which requires diving quickly into a topic to rapidly identify options or solutions. Second, prioritising and organising. I always have to juggle multiple priorities from various stakeholders. This requires structuring my day-to-day work and adjusting my priorities to deliver quality and results on time. Third, teamwork. All files and topics at the European Commission require mobilising diverse skill sets and multiple pieces of expertise that cannot be mastered by one person alone. I have focused on building communication skills throughout my career, both orally and in writing. Articulating your thoughts and communicating them with impact to various audiences is essential to progressing at the European Commission and beyond. What are some common challenges in your role or sector? First, the topics involve a high degree of scientific complexity and high political stakes. It requires supporting any piece of work undertaken with conclusive scientific evidence. It also requires carefully assessing the political landscape to ensure that our policies can get sufficient traction. Second, and although evidence is accumulating, it remains sometimes challenging to effectively demonstrate the economic and competitive benefits of environmental policy. Additional research, economic modelling and statistical work is required. Third, it is essential to ensure that the benefits and costs of environmental policy are fairly distributed. For instance, the costs of restoring nature can be focused on one group of stakeholders whilst the benefits are spread across multiple groups. We have to reconcile these two aspects and ensure that the stakeholders that are most impacted are appropriately supported. For professionals aspiring to follow a similar path, what practical advice would you give? Be patient. Securing a job in the European Union institutions is a complex process that takes time. Be resilient, too. It is highly unlikely that you will succeed on the first attempt. Keep honing your skills and trying, and eventually, you will succeed. Also, consider working in the private sector for a while. Getting a grasp of the functioning of economic operators is essential to effectively change our socio-economic system and ensure that it becomes sustainable. Lastly, keep learning and remain curious. Solving the climate, nature and pollution crises requires innovative technological and political solutions. It also requires mobilising and including all corners of society to succeed. Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.