Ecorys is a global research-based consultancy that helps our clients make a positive impact on society. We are leaders in research and consulting, monitoring and evaluation, programme management and communications services. We provide the evidence and advice that our clients need to tackle the issues that affect communities around the world. Our staff are justifiably proud of our innovative and thought-provoking contributions to policy and programme delivery. We are an independent employee-owned company. We combine our passion and our business professionalism to make a difference in the world.

With over 600 employees from over 40 nationalities, speaking over 30 different languages, we operate across the globe with offices in Rotterdam, Brussels, the United Kingdom, several other European cities, India and Africa. We work in over 150 countries globally.

What you will be doing:

You will join our ‘Resilient Economies’ team in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The team consists of multi-cultural professionals from around the world. Our organisational structure is inspired by design centric leadership – a modern organisational set up that is rooted in design thinking. This approach fosters people-centric solutions and experiences, holds the key to driving innovation while maintaining structure. It attempts to strike the delicate balance between top-down direction and inspiration and bottom-up creativity and ownership. 

As a Senior Consultant within Ecorys, you will play a key role in supporting our Trade and Private Sector Development pillar contributing to sustainable growth of Ecorys NL business. 

You will support the capabilities of Ecorys Netherlands in research and consulting, monitoring and evaluation, and integrated services that address the needs of our clients across the EU market and international market. 

You will work across the project acquisition and implementation cycle, including leading business development (market positioning, proposal writing, coordinating bids) and the implementation of technical assistance projects, studies, and M&E projects (e.g., independent evaluations, impact assessments, ex-post and ex-ante evaluations, reviews) in the area of trade, private sector development, and entrepreneurship. 

The senior consultant role includes but is not limited to:

• Leading key strategic projects in the field of Industry (Trade, private sector development, markets) and Green Transition (Energy, Circular Economy, Advisory services). Projects span across evaluations, studies, impact assessment or technical assistance. Approximately 50% of your role is delivering projects and overseeing project delivery teams) and 50% of your time will be dedicated to supporting acquisitions and winning work. 
• Development and maintenance of existing market areas and / or products as well as opening and developing new markets and products for the portfolio and across the company.
• Support of the portfolio in strengthening its strategic partnerships and further develop our pool of partners, universities and associates. 

What we will need from you

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree in a subject relevant to the work areas (Economics/Trade) of the Resilient Economies Team
• Post graduate, professional or vocational qualification in a subject relevant to the work areas of Resilient Economies
• Minimum 6 years of experience in working on topics related to International Trade, Private Sector Development and Entrepreneurship
• Experience in leading and managing projects in the field of trade, entrepreneurship, private sector development, impact finance for EU institutions and international donors relevant for the Resilient Economies sector. 
• Experience with best practices in social and/or environmental sustainability, environmentally sensitive, gender-responsive, and/or youth-focused trade and private sector development approaches is strongly preferred. Experience with industrial policy, value chains, or the agri sector are a plus.
• Understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, incl. survey design and implementation, and data analysis methodologies
• Strong writing and analytical capacity
• Data analysis and modelling skills, incl. familiarity with data analysis languages and tools (e.g. R, STATA, SQL, etc)
• Strategic thinking and problem solving
• High level cross cutting expertise in various methodologies research, evaluations and TA
• Negotiation and stakeholder management
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English
• Financial management and accounting particularly commercial know-how in reducing project slippage

Please note that you will not be short-listed if you don’t have 6 years’ experience and experience in Trade and Private Sector Development. In order to get short-listed please outline in your cover letter how you comply with the above requirements.

Our offer:

• An international organisation with highly motivated staff
• An organisation motivated to work on key societal challenges 
• A large degree of freedom and flexibility 
• An organisation that welcomes new ideas 
• A salary based on your background and experience
• An excellent and flexible pension scheme
• We are employee owned and offer the opportunity to buy company shares
• 30 annual leave days and possibility to buy and sell leave days   
• A hybrid working policy with flexibility to work from home and from elsewhere

How to apply:

We encourage interested and qualified candidates to submit their CV and motivation letter in English via our online application form by 5pm Friday 16th May 2025. Early applications are encouraged and reviewed daily.

Only candidates who meet the essential requirements will be shortlisted. Short-listing also depends on a tailored cover letter that outlines how you meet these requirements.

Please refer to the attached job description for full details of the role and its responsibilities and requirements. 

If you would like to find out more about this opportunity and our company, please visit our website: https://www.ecorys.com

Before You Apply: Important Information for Applicants

1. Thank you for your interest in this opportunity—we’re excited to meet candidates who are passionate and well-aligned with our mission. To help us assess your application efficiently and fairly, please take note of the following before submitting your materials:
2. CV Format: Please submit your CV in Europass format, with clear details of your project experiences (name of client, value of project and your role) and professional background.
3. Cover Letter: Alongside your CV, include a cover letter that outlines how your skills and experience match the requirements of the role. We’d love to understand your motivation and what you can bring to the team.
4. Location Requirements: This role is based in our Rotterdam office, and remote work is not possible. Exceptions may be considered at the final stage for candidates who are already based in Croatia, Bulgaria, or Spain. If you are located elsewhere and are not willing to relocate, we kindly ask you not to apply.
5. Additional Form: Please complete the attached form and include it in the same file as your cover letter when submitting your application.