Director - Communications and Events

European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers

About the Organisation

FEFCO represents the European corrugated cardboard industry and acts as a trusted and influential voice in Brussels. In a fast‑evolving EU policy landscape, FEFCO works to promote corrugated cardboard as the sustainable packaging solution of choice, strengthening visibility for its members across Europe.

About the role

The team is now looking for an experienced Director to lead and execute FEFCO’s communication and event strategy, reinforce its advocacy work, and support the mission to remain one of the most credible and effective trade associations in Brussels. As a Director of Communications & Events, you will drive FEFCO’s communications strategy, manage high‑level industry events, and ensure strong and consistent messaging across all channels.

You will work closely with the EU Affairs colleague and the wider team to support FEFCO’s influence and visibility at the European level. You will also play a key role in managing relationships with members, partners, media, agencies, and other stakeholders. This position offers a unique mix of strategic leadership, hands‑on content creation, campaign management, and event execution.

Responsibilities

Communication Strategy & Campaigns:

• Support and implement FEFCO’s communication strategy with the EU Affairs Director.
• Help strengthen FEFCO’s reputation as a credible and influential trade association in Brussels.
• Develop and run communication campaigns highlighting corrugated cardboard as a sustainable packaging solution.
• Translate complex policy and technical topics into clear, engaging messages for different audiences.
• Define key messages aligned with FEFCO’s strategy, priorities, and advocacy objectives.
• Work closely with communication agencies and external providers to produce high‑quality campaign materials.
• Ensure consistent messaging across campaigns, events, publications, and social media.
• Turn strategic priorities into strong communication narratives that support FEFCO’s visibility and policy goals.
• Coordinate with internal teams and committees to gather information, validate messages, and ensure alignment.
• Produce engaging content for the website, social media, newsletters, publications, and blogs.
• Manage social media execution and follow‑up across channels.
• Provide agencies with updates, news, and relevant materials to support ongoing communication work.

External & Internal Communications:

• Prepare the working document, and the meeting of the FEFCO Communication Committee together with the Chair
• Present the work of FEFCO at relevant internal meetings (GA, Board Committees)
• Manage all communication channels (website, newsletters, social media, publications).
• Translate FEFCO’s policy goals into creative briefs, overseeing the full production pipeline by managing external agencies, developers, and designers to deliver high-quality social media assets, posts, tweets, videos, and blogs.
• Oversee press releases, media relations, and interactions with external communication agencies.
• Maintain and improve internal communication tools, including FEFCO’s internal platform.
• Uphold the federation’s reputation by ensuring all public-facing campaigns and messaging adhere to the highest ethical standards and EU transparency guidelines for interest representation.

Event Management:

• Lead the operational execution and communication for FEFCO’s flagship events:
  • FEFCO Summit: A high‑level conference gathering ~250 industry stakeholders.
  • FEFCO Technical Seminar: Europe’s main platform for the corrugated sector with over 1,000 participants and a 150‑stand exhibition.
• Overseeing end‑to‑end event operations, from venue sourcing and preparatory site visits to on‑site coordination.
• Managing event budgets, timelines, and planning processes to ensure smooth and efficient delivery.
• Working closely with all operational partners, including venue teams, project directors, stand builders, audiovisual providers, caterers, and other service suppliers.
• Ensuring seamless collaboration between FEFCO teams, suppliers, and external agencies to deliver high-quality, impactful events.
• Developing and executing comprehensive event communication plans (pre‑event, on‑site, and post‑event), ensuring strong visibility and engagement across channels.

Digital & Data Management:

• Oversee continuous improvements to FEFCO’s event and communication tools (database, templates, registration modules, payment systems, mobile app).
• Ensure integration with tools such as Mailchimp
• Manage and update the website’s content, ensuring information is accurate, current, and visually refreshed.

Publications & Intelligence:

• Produce the bi-annual newsletter (content gathering, writing, layout coordination).
• Coordinate the annual Activity Report.
• Conduct intelligence monitoring on marketing and industry topics.
• Prepare and distribute press clipping compilations (1–2 times per month).

Additional Responsibilities:

• Participate in meetings, EU events, fairs, and conferences.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of interns.
• Contribute to various cross-team initiatives within FEFCO.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience & Skills:

• Senior-level experience in communications, ideally in EU affairs, with prior exposure to relevant topics such as sustainability, packaging, or regulated sectors, is considered an advantage.
• Strong understanding of EU policy processes.
• Excellent writing and speaking skills in English (additional EU languages are an asset).
• Ability to develop strategic communication plans while executing hands‑on tasks.
• Skilled at simplifying complex topics into impactful messages.
• Comfortable in a small, international, member‑driven organization.
• Able to manage multiple projects and prioritize effectively.
• Strong sense of ownership, responsibility, and initiative.

Extra Valuable Qualifications:

• Experience in trade associations or member-based organizations.

Compensation & Benefits

• A small, dedicated, and supportive team that values collaboration.
• Direct involvement in shaping FEFCO’s communication strategy and visibility.
• Strong autonomy and room for initiative.
• A mission-driven environment with meaningful impact for an entire industry.
• Opportunities to work with diverse stakeholders at the European level.
• Hybrid working possibilities.
• A competitive remuneration package aligned with your level of seniority.

Working locations

• Brussels, Belgium
• Occasional international travel.

How to apply

• Interested candidates are asked to submit their application, consisting of a CV and a Cover Letter, to Sergey Golyshin, Director - EU Recruitment at [email protected].

Interviews

• Candidates will be assessed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with early applications to be encouraged.

Return to listing