Secretary General

European Data Centre Association

About the Organisation

European Data Centre Association is the leading European trade association representing the data centre industry, and the collective voice of the operators, technology providers and national trade associations building Europe’s digital infrastructure. EUDCA’s members include leading data centre operators, technology providers and National Trade Associations, working together to support the sustainable growth of Europe’s digital infrastructure. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Brussels, the Association operates as a non-profit under Belgian law and is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from across the industry.

The Association works closely with the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States and industry stakeholders to help shape policy on digital infrastructure, energy, sustainability, competitiveness and Europe’s digital future. Its Policy and Technical Committees bring member expertise directly into the European debate, and its flagship annual report, The State of European Data Centres, has become a reference point for policymakers and investors alike.

Over the last 18 months, EUDCA has achieved more than half of its five-year growth ambition, significantly expanding both its membership and its policy influence. As the European policy landscape becomes increasingly complex, EUDCA is evolving from a founder-led organisation into a mature, institutionally driven European industry platform. The appointment of the next Secretary General represents a strategic leadership transition that will position EUDCA for its next phase of growth, influence and organisational maturity. Data centres are the physical foundation of Europe’s digital economy. Every cloud service, AI model, payment system, hospital record and public administration platform in Europe depends on them.

Yet the sector is still too often debated as an energy consumer rather than understood as critical infrastructure underpinning European competitiveness and sovereignty. Demand is accelerating sharply. EUDCA’s State of European Data Centres 2026 report finds that commercial colocation and hyperscale facilities now provide more than two-thirds of Europe’s IT power, driven by cloud and AI adoption, and forecasts European IT power demand to grow at a compound annual rate of 17% through 2031.

In 2025 alone, colocation data centres contributed an estimated EUR 53 billion to European GDP. A sector at the centre of European policy. That growth places the industry at the intersection of several of the most contested files in Brussels: energy and grid access, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Union rating scheme for data centres, sustainability and water reporting, permitting and land use, competitiveness and simplification, AI deployment and digital sovereignty.

EUDCA is a founding member of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, through which the industry has committed to climate neutrality by 2030, and has actively contributed to European consultations on grids, energy efficiency and carbon accounting. The next Secretary General will lead the industry’s case in that debate: shaping how European policymakers understand digital infrastructure and ensuring the sector is treated as a strategic asset in delivering Europe’s digital and industrial ambitions.

About the role

The European Data Centre Association is seeking a Secretary General to lead the Association through its next phase of development as the recognised European voice of the data centre sector. The role combines strategic leadership, policy influence, coalition building, senior stakeholder engagement and external representation. The successful candidate must be deeply established in the Brussels policy ecosystem, with a proven ability to build trusted senior-level relationships repeatedly as political, institutional and industry leadership changes.

Reports to the Board of Directors; monitored and appraised by the President/Chairman. The Secretary General is the leader of the Association, its primary external interlocutor and the most senior executive of the Secretariat. The role is accountable for the organisation and all its activities, under the supervision of the Board of Directors. The Secretary General will provide strategic direction, political judgement and an external leadership presence. The role requires oversight and intervention where needed, not operational micro-management.

The Challenge:

• Position EUDCA as the leading and most trusted voice of the European data centre industry.
• Strengthen the Association’s influence across the European
• Commission, Parliament, Council and Member States.
• Align the interests of large operators, National Trade Associations and ecosystem partners behind coherent European positions.
• Build strategic coalitions that extend EUDCA’s influence beyond its own membership.
• Help shape the European debate on digital infrastructure, competitiveness, energy, sustainability and AI.
• Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Secretary General is the most senior executive of EUDCA and its primary external interlocutor.
• Secretary General is accountable for the organisation and all its activities, and leads through clear direction, delegation, empowerment and accountability.

Responsibilities

Strategic and Organisational Leadership:

• Provide overall executive leadership and implement the policy and strategic direction established by the General Assembly and Board of Directors.
• Propose organisational strategy, priorities and activity plans to the Board and oversee their implementation.
• Maintain close relationships with the President, Board, members and Secretariat and ensure timely reporting, transparency and accountability.
• Ensure the Association operates within its Articles of Association, policies and governance framework.
• Anticipate emerging political, regulatory, energy, sustainability and digital infrastructure developments and translate them into strategic priorities and opportunities for EUDCA.

Political Influence and External Representation:

• Represent EUDCA and communicate its vision and agreed positions to European institutions,
• Member States, regulators, industry bodies, media and other stakeholders.
• Maintain senior relationships with international networks and government bodies in the data centre field, in cooperation with the President.
• Lead personally on the external relationships and policy files of greatest strategic importance.
• Convert access into influence by shaping narratives, building effective coalitions and influencing outcomes across the European
• Commission, Parliament, Council and Member States.
• Continuously create and renew senior-level relationships across changing political and institutional cycles, rather than relying only on an inherited network.

Member Alignment and Coalition Building:

• Act as an intermediary between members, the governing bodies and the Secretariat.
• Ensure appropriate service delivery to members and support the continued development and growth of the Association.
• Work with committees, national trade associations and external partners to coordinate positions and delivery.
• Align diverse stakeholder interests and bring operators, National Trade Associations and ecosystem partners behind coherent and credible European positions.

Governance, People and Financial Oversight:

• Ensure effective preparation of Board and General Assembly agendas, papers, minutes and reports, in cooperation with the President and Secretariat.
• Hold overall responsibility for Secretariat leadership, recruitment, performance and resource deployment.
• Oversee financial management, budgeting, income development, contracts and appropriate financial controls in cooperation with the Treasurer.
• Ensure that projects, communications, membership processes and organisational systems operate within approved priorities and policies.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Essential Experience:

• Significant senior leadership experience in European public affairs, policy, government relations, an industry association or a comparable stakeholder environment.
• A strong understanding of the European institutions, their decision-making processes and the interaction between EU and Member State policy.
• Experience representing an organisation externally and engaging senior political, institutional and industry stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in building coalitions and aligning organisations with different or competing interests.
• A demonstrable history of operating effectively within Brussels, including the ability to establish trusted relationships at senior level and rebuild networks as individuals, administrations and political priorities change.
• A professional record that evidences integrity, discretion, sound judgement and trustworthiness.

Leadership Approach:

• Strategic, politically astute and able to distinguish interventions that can shape outcomes from activity that provides visibility but limited impact.
• Credible and confident with Boards, member executives, policymakers, officials, partners and the media.
• Collaborative and able to listen, synthesise and turn diverse perspectives into clear priorities and positions.
• Comfortable operating in a complex, member-led environment with high expectations and limited resources.
• Leads through clear direction, delegation, empowerment and accountability rather than operational micro-management.
• Maintains sufficient overview to identify risks, dependencies and strategic gaps, and contributes ideas or decisions at the right moment.

Personal Qualities:

• High integrity and discretion.
• Strong political judgement and emotional maturity.
• Relationship-led, resilient and credible.
• Clear, persuasive and concise communicator.
• Pragmatic, decisive and comfortable with ambiguity.
• Trusted by stakeholders across institutional and industry boundaries, with a reputation that can strengthen EUDCA’s standing.

Working locations

• Brussels, Belgium

How to apply

• All approaches and applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. To apply for this position, please send your CV together with a motivation letter to:
• Natalia Kurop M: +32 488 945 579 at [email protected]
• Mark Dober M: +32 477 950 466 at [email protected]

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