Call for applications: Director of Mentoring Europe

Location:
Brussels 

Contract:
Full-time or 4/5 
18 months renewable 

Start date:
ASAP

About Mentoring Europe ​

Mentoring Europe is the European network bringing together organisations, practitioners, researchers and stakeholders committed to the development of high-quality social mentoring across Europe. 

Over the past years, Mentoring Europe has played a key role as an organic network in structuring the field at European level, notably through the organisation of European Mentoring Summits, the production of expertise, and the launching of a dialogue with EU institutions and policymakers.

Building on this strong foundation, Mentoring Europe is entering a new phase of development, aiming to consolidate its structure as the European reference platform for mentoring, strengthen its political and institutional positioning, and secure the conditions required to deploy mentoring at scale and with quality across all EU Member States.

About the Role

The Director of Mentoring Europe provides strategic leadership for the development, structuring and visibility of social mentoring across Europe. 

The role aims on the one hand to strengthen a coherent European mentoring ecosystem by connecting organisations, improving quality and impact and building collective expertise.

On the other hand, leveraging on the community impact and expertise the role aims to ensure that mentoring is recognised and supported as a structural, evidence-based and high-impact policy tool at European and national levels, and that long-term European and public funding mechanisms are mobilised to support its large-scale deployment. 

This position sits at the crossroads of network leadership, EU advocacy, knowledge-building and quality assurance, to create the conditions for scaling high-quality, impactful mentoring initiatives across Europe.

Key Objectives

The Director of Mentoring Europe will lead the implementation of a shared European vision for mentoring, structured around five strategic pillars: Visibility, Advocacy, Community, Quality and Expertise.

Key Responsibilities

1. VISIBILITY – Structuring and Promoting the European Mentoring Field

  • Oversee the management of the European mentoring network

  • Define and articulate a shared European common ground on mentoring, aligned with social impact objectives including definition, common values and ethical charter.

  • Analyse and frame the current context of mentoring in Europe (state of play, trends, challenges and opportunities).

  • Design and implement a visibility and development strategy for the European mentoring network

2. ADVOCACY – Influencing European Policies and Funding

  • Define and implement a European advocacy strategy (including clear and concrete advocacy objectives) for mentoring, building on existing work and past knowledge.

  • Represent the mentoring field in dialogue with EU institutions, networks and strategic partners. Promote mentoring as a structural, cross-sectoral solution for social inclusion, education, employment and cohesion across Europe.

  • Organise advocacy and awareness-raising events, including targeted communication actions at EU level.

3. COMMUNITY – Building a Strong and Active European Mentoring Network

  • Foster a dynamic European community of mentoring organisations, practitioners, researchers and partners. Encourage synergies, peer learning and collaboration. 

  • Design and lead European events such as the European Mentoring Summit, online workshops, webinars, peer-learning meetings.

  • Define and implement the communication strategy including regular newsletters and network updates, website content and social media presence, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

4. QUALITY – Strengthening Impact Through Shared Standards

  • Capitalising on existing tools, quality labels and operational research, lead the development of practical tools and resources to help mentoring organisations develop quality and impactful mentoring

5. EXPERTISE – Building Knowledge and Evidence on Mentoring

  • Strengthen links between practice and research, fostering dialogue between practitioners, academics and policymakers. Promote practice-based and participatory research, supporting evidence generation from the field.

  • Contribute to the dissemination of best practices, lessons learned and innovation in mentoring.

Profile & Skills

Experience

  • Experience in the management and administration of non-profit organisations

  • Experience in network coordination (particularly second- or third-level structures), advocacy and programme development at European level.

  • Strong understanding of Mentoring, social inclusion, education, youth, employment or related social policies.le

  • Proven experience working with EU institutions, European networks or international NGOs.

Skills & Competencies

  • Strategic leadership and vision-building

  • Strong knowledge of the EU institutions and advocacy skills

  • Strong community management, facilitation, coordination skills

  • Excellent communication and representation skills

  • Strong organisational and project management abilities

Languages

  • Fluent English and French required

  • Other European languages are an asset

What We Offer

  • A strategic leadership role with high European visibility and impact
  • The opportunity to shape the future of mentoring at European level
  • A dynamic, values-driven and collaborative environment
  • Flexible working conditions and international exposure

Application