Policy and Advocacy Specialist

FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Find out more about our sustainable campaigns and projects on

Would you like to contribute to something meaningful and work with us on our mission? This is your chance. We are looking for dedicated people to enrich our team.

• Contributing to the global affairs strategy in collaboration with relevant internal and external stakeholders 

• Developing and reviewing advocacy material, such as policy briefs, reports, fact sheets and other publications based on scientific research addressing policy makers, institutions, experts and other key stakeholders

• Monitoring external developments, expert publications, progress in the political and policy arena on the key asks tied to animal welfare in order to capitalise on opportunities when relevant 

• Establishing and maintaining contact with relevant stakeholders to gain allies and gather information that helps update policy proposals  

• Organising virtual and in-person advocacy events and meetings 

• Representing FOUR PAWS in meetings with relevant stakeholders and relevant international fora 

• Several years of relevant professional policy and advocacy experience (preferably in the field of animal welfare, One Health, environmental policy) in national, regional or international policy making fora (UN level)  

• Masters degree in relevant science or arts disciplines including animal welfare, environment, health, veterinary sciences, policy or law

• Very good understanding of the dynamics and mechanisms at national, regional (e.g. EU, ASEAN) and international (e.g. WHO, WOAH, FAO, UNEP, G20) levels  

• Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with experts, stakeholders working with relevant institutions and decision-makers at the highest level 

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills in English including presentation skills, proficiency in additional UN languages is advantageous     

  Strong project and organisational skills with the ability to multi-task across different functions   

• Ability to motivate and influence an international team, partners and allies to work together to achieve the programme objectives   

• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365: Sharepoint, Powerpoint, Word, Excel 

• Willingness to travel internationally as and when required  

• Passion for animal welfare and FOUR PAWS vision and mission 

• The opportunity to truly contribute to global animal welfare 
• An international, dynamic work environment 
• Flexible working times with the option of partial remote work 
• A dog-friendly workplace 
• Workplace health and wellbeing initiatives 
• Wiener Linien annual ticket (or partial contribution to Klima Ticket) and pension fund after probationary period 
• PAWSdays: extra days off at the end of the year on top of your 25 days of annual leave 
• Birthday leave: extra day off to use around your birthday 
• The yearly gross salary range for this position is EUR 41,000 - EUR 46,000 (full-time base, consisting of 14 payments) according to our internal compensation scheme 

Join our passionate team to make a difference for animals. Apply with your CV in English today.

Application deadline: 6th of January 2026

We reveal, rescue and protect unique animals from many different species through systems change and by creating species-appropriate environments at our sanctuaries 

We celebrate our colleagues' differences and strive to create an inclusive environment because we believe that only by working together, we can advance animal welfare worldwide. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we strongly encourage candidates from all diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals with diverse lived experiences, racial identities, national origins, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and disability statuses to apply. We welcome everyone who wants to support our mission. Please contact - if you require assistance applying to this position. 

All interested individuals are invited to submit their applications for the position. Please note that in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, having a valid work permit for the respective country or being eligible to obtain one is a requirement for this position prior to commencing employment.