About this role
The Junior Associate will provide analytical and coordination support to the Battery Passport programme, with a particular focus on the Battery Benchmarks sustainability framework. The role combines standards and regulatory research, consultation analysis, drafting, data organisation and practical support to working groups, governance meetings and operations. This is a hands-on junior role in a small, internationally oriented team. It requires comfort moving between technical sustainability content, data handling and processing, and routine delivery tasks, including meeting administration, document control, stakeholder follow-up and event logistics. Key responsibilities Battery Benchmarks development Analyse, catalogue and synthesise feedback from GBA member and public consultations. Map voluntary ESG and responsible-sourcing standards relevant to battery and critical-mineral value chains. Maintain regulatory and standards mappings and propose evidence-based updates to Battery Benchmarks modules and supporting documentation. Support development of thematic modules. Assurance and credibility Conduct background research on data assurance, verification, conformity assessment and certification approaches relevant to the Battery Passport. Prepare comparisons, notes and materials for review by programme leads and external experts. Consultation and capacity building Support the design and delivery of consultation surveys, webinars, outreach materials and the analysis of responses. Draft and organise capacity-building and e-learning content using existing GBA frameworks and technical source material. Policy and regulatory monitoring Monitor developments affecting batteries, critical minerals, sustainability reporting and responsible sourcing, and maintain a structured regulatory tracker. Draft concise internal summaries and, where requested, first drafts of policy-facing materials. Working-group and Secretariat support Prepare agendas, slide materials, minutes, action logs and member-input records for working groups, steering committees and governance meetings. Support member-management processes, mailing lists, document repositories, event preparation, on-site delivery and post-event reporting. Synthesise publications and market information into briefs, web copy or social-media drafts, and undertake other reasonable Secretariat tasks as required. Excellent verbal and written communications in a culturally diverse and politically sensitive environment. Demonstrated ability to design and implement AI-enabled workflows, including task-specific agents, to improve data handling, optimise internal processes, and support the ongoing maintenance of GBA standards and regulatory mappings. Required qualifications and experience A completed master's degree in sustainable development, environmental policy or governance, international development, sustainability management, responsible business, supply-chain governance, or a closely related field. Demonstrable professional experience analysing sustainability or ESG standards, regulatory frameworks and responsible-sourcing requirements in complex value chains. Demonstrable research familiarity with battery or critical-mineral value chains, or with a closely comparable global industrial supply chain involving material environmental and human-rights risks. Experience organising and analysing qualitative and quantitative information, including structured datasets, document review and synthesis of stakeholder input. Ability to turn complex technical or policy material into accurate, concise written outputs for non-specialist and specialist audiences. Strong organisational discipline, including document management, meeting preparation, minute-taking and follow-through on actions and deadlines. Professional fluency in written and spoken English. Ability to work from Brussels and to participate in occasional early-morning or late-afternoon international meetings; willingness to travel occasionally for GBA events. The successful candidate must be legally entitled to work in Belgium before commencing employment. Demonstrated experience using AI and data-analysis tools to develop efficient workflows, manage and interpret complex datasets, and support the ongoing maintenance of standards and regulatory frameworks. Desirable qualifications Working knowledge of the EU Batteries Regulation and one or more relevant sustainability or reporting frameworks (for example GRI, ESRS/CSRD, responsible-minerals due diligence standards, EcoVadis or life-cycle assessment approaches). Experience with stakeholder consultations, multi-stakeholder initiatives or expert workshops. Applied capability in Excel and at least one data-analysis or visualisation tool such as Power BI, R or GIS. Experience with collaborative platforms such as Microsoft 365, Teams and SharePoint. Working knowledge of French or another language relevant to GBA's international stakeholder base. Experience using carefully governed AI-assisted research or monitoring tools, with appropriate source checking and data-handling discipline. Working arrangements The role is based in Brussels and involves close collaboration with a small Secretariat and external technical advisers. Workload will vary with consultation, governance and event deadlines. Administrative and coordination work is an integral part of the position, not an incidental duty. Some meetings are scheduled across international time zones, and occasional travel or on-site event support may be required.