Director, Advocacy

AFME (Association for Financial Markets in Europe)

Director of Advocacy for AFME focusing on European capital markets regulations and advocacy strategies. Engaging with EU and UK policymakers to promote capital market development.

Posted 6/15/2026full-timeBrussels • 🇧🇪 BelgiumLead💰 €115,000 - €130,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Drive AFME’s MIFID/MiFIR related advocacy work: partner with members and policy teams to establish clear advocacy objectives for our work in this strategic area for the organisation, in both the EU & UK. Formulate and deliver tailored positions, supporting analysis and tailored outreach plans with respect to relevant official sector stakeholders and private sector partners.
Develop and execute advocacy plans in other policy areas depending on the evolution of the financial services policy landscape and the organisation’s priorities
Working closely with our communications team, drive public communication strategies across key regulatory issues.
Actively shape AFME’s strategic advocacy priorities and contribute to AFME-wide initiatives to relay these to senior official sector stakeholders; provide high-level briefings to senior management and relevant member committees as needed.
Leverage and grow a network of contacts including relationships within the European Commission, the European Parliament, ESMA, Member States, NCAs and UK authorities.
Build industry collations with trade associations representing the financial service industry and beyond, including the buy-side, financial market infrastructures, corporates and civil society, understanding their positions and objectives.
Represent the association’s views in various associations, fora, at conferences, etc.
Contribute to our international engagement as part of GFMA, AFME’s global umbrella organisation.

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years’ experience in European financial services policy acquired within the EU institutions or other relevant authority (e.g. securities regulator, etc.), a top tier financial institution or financial market infrastructure, trade association or similar.
Demonstrated knowledge of the EU & UK regulatory framework for equities and fixed income trading (MIFID/MiFIR) and of EU & UK legislative/regulatory and/or supervisory processes.
In depth understanding of European capital markets landscape and the role of AFME’s member banks therein.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and one additional EU language.
Ability to distil complex, technical issues into briefings for senior management and impactful political and/or public communication.
Familiarity with the relevant European trade association landscape.
Highest professional integrity, strong self-motivation, collaborative attitude and intellectual curiosity.
Ability to function effectively and calmy in a challenging, fast-paced team environment.
Proven ability to work across a wide range of policy issues and rapidly develop technical understanding of new areas.
Demonstrated experience of the regulatory/supervisory environment within one or more Member States

Benefits

Comp & perks

27 days Annual Holiday Allowance
Additional 1 day Birthday Holiday
Additional 3 days Christmas Holiday
Hospitalization Insurance
Dental Insurance
Pension Scheme – AFME contributes 10% of an employee’s basic salary
Life Assurance of 4x base salary
Disability Protection
Worldwide Business and Leisure Travel Insurance
Meal and Eco Vouchers
Cycle to Work Scheme
4pm Friday Finish
Hybrid working 3x office days and flexi-start/finish times

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

MIFIDMiFIREU regulatory frameworkfixed income tradingequities tradinglegislative processessupervisory processescapital marketspolicy analysispublic communication strategies

Soft Skills

verbal communicationwritten communicationcollaborationself-motivationintellectual curiosityability to distil complex issuesadaptabilityteamworkstrategic thinkingrelationship building