Stephen Collins

Director of European Research Executive Agency

Brussels Metropolitan Area

About

Experience

  • Director at European Research Executive Agency (REA)
    Jun 2026 - Present · 1 mo

  • European Commission (23 yrs 9 mos)
    • Head of Corporate Organisational Change
      Feb 2022 - Jun 2026 · 4 yrs 5 mos

      Head of the unit in DG HR responsible for supporting change across the European Commission. Working with colleagues from other central services, we are 15 people supporting corporate projects such as the transition to flexible working and the adoption of collaboration tools (Microsoft Teams). We also support projects on request for help with strategic change in a Directorate-General, a team event in a Unit and projects in between. As well as support for projects, we organise and deliver training on participatory leadership and consulting, we help to support a community of practice of internal facilitators across the Commission. We use what we learn from all this to advise on key issues to be addressed for the Commission to be as effective and efficient as possible.

    • Acting Director for Organisational Design & Development
      Apr 2021 - Aug 2025 · 4 yrs 5 mos

      Acting Director of the Organisational Design and Development Directorate in DG HR. The Directorate has around 80 staff in 5 units: - Workforce foresight: working to enhance geographical balance in the Commission's staff and develop scenarios for future needs in terms of staffing and skills - Staffing & organsiation: managing allocation of staff and reorganisation requests for the DGs of the Commission - Organisational change: supporting Commission-wide and DG-level change projects - Internal communication: managing Commission-wide internal communication including the intranet - Data analytics: providing HR data and analysis, including staff surveys

    • Head of Organisational Development Projects & Knowledge Management
      Jan 2016 - Feb 2022 · 6 yrs 2 mos

      Managing HR Modernisation project, changing the way HR is organised in the Commission and saving 300 jobs; Managing the introduction of the Staff Matters Portal, an IT tool for q&a from staff on HR issues; Coordinating the implementation of the synergies & efficiencies review, including support for change in the management of communication, IT & logistics; Coordinating support for organisational development projects in DGs; Managing the HR contribution to better knowledge management in the Commission; Developing an organisational development strategy for the Commission

  • European Commission (6 yrs 11 mos)
    • Head of Investment Section, Delegation to Czech Republic
      Jun 1997 - Aug 2001 · 4 yrs 3 mos

    • Infrastructure Programme Manager, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Enlargement DG
      Oct 1994 - Jun 1997 · 2 yrs 9 mos

  • Programme Manager, Know How Fund Russia at Foreign and Commonwealth Office
    Sep 1993 - Sep 1994 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Desk officer, EU development aid at DFID
    Aug 1992 - Sep 1993 · 1 yr 2 mos