Keywords: Open Source and Digital Policy / EU Funded Projects / Communication / Business Development
Interviews: Ongoing until the position is filled
Location: Brussels, Belgium, with remote working flexibility, travel required for APELL activities
Start Date: Second half 2026
Contract: 80-100%, 1 year contract, with high potential of renewal
The Role
As responsible for EU Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, you are the representative of APELL, the main representation of Open Source business interests in Europe. On behalf of APELL’s member organisations, and their members, you are a trusted point of contact towards policymakers in the European institutions, to our partners, and potential future supporters. You contribute to the design of policy recommendations, and advocate APELL’s objectives to external stakeholders, the press and the public, as well as inside the organisation. Your work is an important corner stone of the further development of APELL as an organisation and for the development of new opportunities for Open Source business in Europe, and beyond. Your responsibilities will include:
EU Affairs & Policy
- Design and coordinate APELL’s policy and advocacy activities at EU level
- Deliver policy analysis and advice to APELL, its members and partners
- Develop policy positioning on relevant dossiers and legislation
- Represent APELL towards the European Commission, Parliament and other European stakeholders
- Monitor relevant EU policy developments and provide strategic advice to APELL, its members, and partners
- Develop powerful messaging and strategic communication to influence public debates and policy dialogues, supporting APELL’s mission
- Engagement with press and media and maintain dependable relationships with press and media contacts at EU level
- Coordinate with APELL members’ efforts in national press and media relations
Members and Strategic Partnerships
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with policymakers, European institutions, research organisations, industry, and other relevant stakeholders
- Develop long-term relationships supporting APELL’s strategic objectives
- Drive and expand APELL’s membership growth
- Foster dependable relationships with current and new sponsors and partners to secure funding and support for APELL’s events, initiatives, and projects
- Identify new collaboration opportunities
APELL Advisory Board
- Contribute to the strategic development of the APELL Advisory Board
- Develop the Advisory Board as APELL’s primary platform for engagement with European Open Source businesses
- Recruit new, and cooperate with the existing Advisory Board participants
- Coordinate the Advisory Board’s activities, policy briefings, and membership engagement
- Develop the Advisory Board as a sustainable source of recurring funding for APELL
EU Funding and Project Development
- Identify and develop new Horizon Europe and other relevant EU funding opportunities, aligned with APELL’s mission
- Build and maintain partnerships for future project consortia
- Support the preparation of new EU project proposals with technical, ecosystem, and implementation expertise
- Contribute to proposal development where policy, stakeholder engagement, press and media contacts, and strategic partnerships are required
- Participate in project and consortium development activities prior to grant award
Who you are
Your experience and skills include:
- A university degree or similar relevant qualifications and work experience
- A profound understanding of EU policy relevant for the OSS business ecosystem
- Demonstrable experience in advocacy or policy within the ICT or OSS realm
- Excellent communication skills, in particular for relaying technical subjects to non-technical audiences
- Excellent written and spoken English; additional EU languages are a plus
- The initiative, reliability, and the ability to multitask and prioritise effectively
- A commitment to APELL’s values of promoting an open, ethical, and inclusive digital future
- Ability in project management, with a track record of managing and delivering projects
- Experience in building and maintaining relationships with sponsors, partners, and stakeholders
- Ability to analyse policy, market trends and adapt strategies to meet evolving industry needs
Download the full job description (PDF)
Original job posting at APELL
Apply now
Submit your CV and cover letter to jobs[at]apell[dot]info. For questions, reach out to the same email. Be the voice for Open Source Software businesses in Europe and help us drive digital innovation forward!
Please refrain from including a photo of yourself or information about your age, gender, marital status, or similar details.
Diversity & Inclusion
APELL welcomes applications from women, BIPoC/BAME (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour/Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic), people with disabilities, migration backgrounds, and persons from other groups underrepresented in EU policy spaces, and in the IT and Open Source sector in particular.
Please feel free to mention in your application if you belong to these groups, but refrain from including a photo of yourself or information about your age, gender, marital status, or similar details.
AI-assisted applications
As an association representing interests of a diverse but specialised field, it is important for APELL to get to know you and in particular your communication and advocacy skills. APELL asks applicants to prepare their application using their own skills and expertise and without relying on generative AI tools. If you use such tools in your application, including for drafting, translation or summarisation, please disclose the tool and model used, dates and times of prompts, the prompts, and unedited output (two pages maximum). This disclosure allows APELL to evaluate applications and ensure fairness in the process.
About APELL
APELL is the European Open Source Software Business Association, representing member organisations in more than ten European countries and the Open Source industry. APELL advocates for Open Source Software businesses in Europe. Founded in 2020, the association empowers its network with peer support, collective marketing, and policy advocacy on national and EU levels. Its mission is to forge a sovereign, inclusive, and ethical digital market rooted in Open Source principles, advancing opportunities for its members and shaping Europe’s digital future.
