Vacancy Tech Mergers Project Coordinator (32 or 36 / week)

SOMO is hiring a coordinator to lead the Merger Monitoring Project, together with a new global coalition of civil society organisations working to limit the power of tech corporations. The project aims to address harmful tech mergers, by monitoring upcoming mergers, and to organise a strategic response from civil society organisations. The coordinator will work with anti-monopoly and digital rights organisations, such as the Balanced Economy Project, Data Privacy Brazil, Open Markets Institute, and others from across the world, alongside SOMO’s Big Tech and monopolies researchers.

About SOMO

SOMO investigates multinationals. Independent, factual, critical and with a clear goal: a fair and sustainable world, in which public interests outweigh corporate interests. We conduct action-oriented research to expose the impact and unprecedented power of multinationals. We promote fundamental changes in our economic system to stop and reverse the harms done by multinationals. Cooperating with hundreds of organisations around the world, we ensure that our information arrives where it has the most impact: communities, courtrooms, civil society organisations, media, politicians, and more.

In recent years, SOMO has grown from a small-scale organisation to a non-profit organisation with about 50 passionate employees, who work to contribute to a fair, just and sustainable world.  The majority of SOMO’s staff work from our Amsterdam office, and collaborate with partners across all regions of the world.

The work culture at SOMO can be described as open, democratic, and informal. Employees are involved, passionate, and focused on collaboration. People are ambitious, critical, with a drive to contributing to a fair and just world.

Structure

SOMO is organised in several expertise teams: Advocacy and Networks, Climate Justice, Commodities and Sustainable Chains, Tax and Economic Justice, Corporate Research, Communications, Operations, and Management. SOMO also coordinates and participates in several (inter)national civil society networks.

Job description

SOMO is looking for someone to lead an exciting new project to limit the power of Big Tech. After years of unchecked growth, Big Tech firms have consolidated their grip over the economy at the expense of people’s privacy and ability to control their own data, workers’ rights, and small businesses. Key to achieving this power has been a string of corporate takeovers.

The Project Coordinator will lead the development of a global civil society network to revert the increasing concentration of market power of tech firms, by seeking to reform mergers and acquisitions processes across jurisdictions.

The coordinator will act as the central point for the network, preparing legal and advocacy materials, setting up information and monitoring mechanisms, representing the organisation towards media and regulators, and supporting the work of member organisations.

This will be a varied role that will give the chosen candidate the ability to work with a diverse network of partners and actively contribute towards the growing anti-monopoly movement.  

Main responsibilities

• Act as the central contact point for the network internally and externally, with responsibility for internal and external communications;
• Represent the network externally, including towards regulators, allies and media;
• Prepare and support advocacy materials and activities around priorities and within the framework of the established annual plan;
• Conduct and implement policy and legal research with the support, and in consultation with, the network members;
• Map and outreach to potential new members/partners;
• Be responsible for the day-to-day functioning of the project;
• Facilitate mutual communication and knowledge sharing by members;
• Organise project and internal meetings;
• Support working groups and keep an overview of the groups’ activities;
• Be responsible for reporting and accountability (annual plan, budget, annual report) with support from SOMO’s colleagues.

Key requirements / skills

• At least 4 years of experience working in advocacy or policy research in relevant areas (ie. competition policy, digital regulation, data protection, digital/human rights);
• Demonstrable knowledge of and affinity with competition policy and/or digital policy;
• Proven ability to manage a project, including planning, executing and learning;
• Ability to work within networks and nurture cooperation;
• Excellent command of English, spoken and in writing. Proficiency of at least one other widely spoken language;
• Good writing, communication, and presentation skills for various target groups;
• Ability to deal with a wide range of people and organisations, and operate in different situations;
• Independent and pro-active, while also being a good team-worker and networker;
• Ability to meet deadlines, work under pressure;
• Legal ability to work in the EU.

We offer

• An exciting position within an international civil society network.
• A gross monthly salary between € 4,097 -€ 5,346 based on 40 hours a week (depending on experience).
• An additional monthly allowance of € 60 to spend on whatever makes your work easier.
• € 250 to set up a work station at home (and the option to work from home).
• 25 paid vacation days, 7 additional paid holidays, and optional unpaid vacation days.
• A conditional End of year bonus payment
• Good professional schooling and development possibilities, including a yearly study budget of € 1,500
• We initially offer a one-year contract of 32 or 36 hours per week (depending on the candidate) with the intention to make the contract permanent.
• Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands or Brussels, Belgium.  

Interested?

Please send your application in English to jobs@somo.nl before 13 October.

Please ensure your application consists of 1 PDF document, comprising

1. a maximum 1-page letter of interest addressing the key requirements/skills;
2. a maximum 2-page CV; and
3. a maximum 2-page writing sample.

Please title the PDF document, ‘First name Last name – Tech Mergers Project vacancy’. Applications that do not meet these requirements may not be considered.

We aim to hold the first round of interviews in the week of 16 October and the second round of interviews in the week of 23 October.

SOMO believes in the power and necessity of a diverse and inclusive organisation. We are striving for more diversity and better representation of people with different backgrounds in our team.