Vlaamse Overheid - Agentschap Binnenlands Bestuur opens the position of Beleidsmedewerker Schaal en Bestuurskracht (Policy Advisor on Regional Scale and Governance Strength) for the purpose of Job Shadowing, offering PhD candidates (≥ 3rd year of the PhD trajectory) / postdocs affiliated with 1 of the 5 Flemish universities the possibility to see for themselves what tasks and responsibilities come with this particular job function. 

The Beleidsmedewerker Schaal en Bestuurskracht focuses on analyzing the scale of municipalities and Public Centers for Social Welfare (OCMWs), as well as the processes of autonomy and cooperation between them. It also examines municipal mergers, administrative capacity, and how scale impacts that capacity. Policy projects include evaluating legislation on municipal mergers, assessing regulations on intermunicipal cooperation, analyzing intermediate structures and the multi-level governance landscape in Flanders, and the integration of municipalities and OCMWs. The role is largely organizational, legal, and administrative in nature.

> Open to PhD candidates / postdocs with a background in Law - more specifically Administrative Law and (Public) Corporate Law, as well as Political Sciences - focusing on Local Politics and Public Management. Preference is given to candidates with a firm knowledge of Dutch. In addition, a strong interest in the legal or administrative aspects of organizational structures - such as public legal entities and the ways in which public authorities cooperate legally—is particularly important.

The team usually holds its team meetings on Mondays and has fixed collaboration days on Mondays and Thursdays.

The focus of Job Shadowing will be on networking and gaining an introduction to the subject matter and the team members. This may include attending the team meeting and having conversations with team members who will explain aspects of their work. It is recommended to discuss expectations in advance.

The Flemish Government offers a 1- or 2-day Job Shadowing experience. The dates for Job Shadowing will be decided upon in close consultation with the selected candidate.