Public Affairs Advisor

About this position

As a Public Affairs Advisor at TNO, you closely monitor developments in politics, the media and society and translate these into strategic advice for the organization. You are a visible and connecting link between TNO and its external environment and play a key role in building and maintaining relationships with companies, knowledge institutions, politicians and interest groups, with a particular focus on digital technologies.

Public Affairs positions TNO as a knowledge partner for policymakers, monitors relevant societal and political developments, and actively engages in lobbying on strategic themes and projects. You will be part of TNO’s Corporate Communications team and work closely with colleagues in media relations, internal communications and employer branding. Through your expertise, you will directly contribute to strengthening TNO’s reputation, visibility and societal impact.

Your substantive focus will be on digital technologies. You will therefore work closely with the M&C team of the ICT, Strategy & Policy (ISP) unit, which is functionally managed by the M&C Business Partner ISP. Together with these colleagues, you will position TNO not only as the independent R&D lab of the Netherlands, but as the architect and orchestrator of Europe’s digital future.

In this role, you will actively build sustainable relationships and strategic alliances around the core priorities of the ISP unit. You will translate themes such as digital sovereignty, responsible AI, post-quantum cryptography and next-generation digital infrastructure into concrete Public Affairs strategies. You will advise project teams on stakeholder management and play a key role in national flagship initiatives such as GPT-NL and the Dutch AI Factory.

In doing so, you will navigate the political landscape in The Hague with ease, closely follow parliamentary processes and the House of Representatives, and know how to identify and capitalize on opportunities in policy and legislative processes at the right time. You will act as a connecting link. You bring together experts, consultants and project leaders and know how to turn ideas into a shared and coherent position.

You will take the organization along in your vision of Public Affairs and know how to translate complex, deep-tech issues into a clear and compelling political and administrative message. In addition, you will prepare the Executive Board and senior management for engagements within the political and administrative landscape. You translate complex dossiers into concrete stakeholder profiles, briefings, position papers and speaking notes, ensuring that colleagues are always well prepared for important conversations.

You are a strong sparring partner who knows how to translate abstract and complex topics into concrete and strategic advice. Thanks to your sharp analytical skills, you quickly identify trends and developments, both within the organization and externally. You communicate easily at different levels and know how to convince and influence others.

In addition, you bring:

• You are an entrepreneurial and strategic bridge-builder with strong influencing skills and a well-developed political and organizational awareness.
• You are a true connector and find it easy to establish relationships with others.
• You have a clear affinity with digitalization and technological developments.
• You are customer-focused and maintain short, effective lines with experts and stakeholders.
• You have completed a university-level degree.
• You have 3–5 years of relevant experience in Public Affairs or demonstrable professional experience within or around the Dutch House of Representatives.
• You have experience with issue, reputation and stakeholder management.
• You closely follow political developments in The Hague and understand the dynamics of politics and society.
• You have a relevant network within Dutch politics and the digital sector and are familiar with the various government ministries.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Dutch and English.

Challenging and varied work with…