Clean Energy Transition Expert

Clean Energy Transition Expert

EERA – European Energy Research Alliance

Brussels, Belgium

Description of EERA mission

The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) AISBL is the largest clean energy research community in Europe and worldwide. EERA brings together more than 250 universities and research organisations from 30 European countries. The key role of EERA is the coordination of public research and innovation activities related to the energy transition in Europe, in close cooperation with the European Commission. EERA is the official research pillar of the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan). In full alignment with the EU 2050 Climate objective, the mission of EERA is to “catalyse European energy research to achieve a climate-neutral society by 2050”.

Transitioning to a climate-neutral society consists of a sustainable and socially fair transformative process shifting from fossil fuels towards the use of low-carbon energy technologies and systems. It encompasses the technological, social, economic, and political dimensions and requires accelerated cross-sectoral, multidisciplinary, and collaborative transformative actions to concur in the upcoming decades.

With the aim of addressing complexity, EERA currently runs 18 Joint Research Programmes (JPs), which altogether cover the full research spectrum on low-carbon energy technologies and systems, as well as on environmental, societal, and policy aspects of the clean energy transition.

To pursue its strategy, EERA is currently looking for a Clean Energy Transition Expert to support its Secretariat office in Brussels.

The Clean Energy Transition Expert will be part of the EERA Secretariat team, which coordinates the work of EERA JPs and bridges clean energy research and policy in the EU. A successful candidate is expected to have a strong interdisciplinary background in sustainability, climate, clean energy technology and systems, or any other relevant area. An understanding of Social Science and Humanities’ (SSH) disciplines is a plus. The expert should possess a holistic understanding of the climate and clean energy research and policies and be able to synthesize and integrate research activities carried out by EERA, translating them, where relevant, into recommendations for policymakers.

A successful candidate will reinforce EERA’s position as a high-profile organisation, providing cutting-edge expertise on energy transition scenarios, by closely collaborating with researchers from the JPs, experts at the Secretariat, EU policymakers, and networking with partner organisations in Brussels.

She/he/they are expected to have a very good understanding of the EU and international climate and energy policy landscape and the EU policy-making process. A selected candidate will contribute to elaborating a unified, transformative, and systemic vision of future energy generation, storage, distribution, and consumption in Europe and will support EERA in making a significant contribution to the EU energy transition policy debates from an R&I perspective.

She/he/they will work at the EERA central office, located in the EU district in Brussels.

Key Responsibilities

Clean Energy Transition Intelligence

• Working closely with and establishing professional collaborations with the experts from the EERA Secretariat, the Joint Programmes, and relevant experts outside EERA to execute the EERA mission;
• Contributing to a collaborative environment that fosters the co-creation of new ideas and innovative approaches;
• Leading policy-relevant research initiatives that reflect the interdisciplinary, systemic, and cross-sectoral nature of the Clean Energy Transition;
• Promoting an in-depth, holistic understanding of the challenges related to the transition of the EU (and beyond) towards a climate-neutral society by 2050 through regular monitoring of a variety of expert, policy, academic literature, and media materials;
• Leading the writing process for high-level EERA documents (e.g., position papers, white papers, research briefs, research reports) in collaboration with colleagues from the EERA Secretariat, Joint Programmes’ researchers, and, potentially, external experts.

Clean Energy Transition Outreach

• Providing a strong contribution to the external dissemination of EERA expertise on the Clean Energy Transition by participating in and contributing to energy-and-climate related events, workshops, conferences, and meetings in Brussels, the EU Member States, and Associated Countries, as well as through collaborations with the media;
• Actively contributing to the dissemination of up-to-date information within the EERA community regarding opportunities for EERA to contribute to the EU policymaking and policy implementation process.

Skills and Experience

General requirements

• A university degree (Master’s level or PhD), preferably an interdisciplinary degree in energy, climate policy, sustainability, political science, or another related field. An understanding of Social Science and Humanities (SSH) is a plus;
• At least 8 years of relevant work experience in the field of energy and climate, preferably at the EU or international level;
• Holistic understanding of the energy system and the complexity of the clean energy transition, including advanced knowledge of clean energy technologies, infrastructures, and energy use;
• Passion and deep commitment to contributing to the design and implementation of climate-neutral and socially just clean energy transition solutions;
• Professional-level oral and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of other European languages is an asset;
• Work permit in the EU.

Professional Skills

• Excellent proven academic, coordination, and teamwork skills;
• Proven experience in coordinating activities and fostering collaboration in a multinational environment;
• A proven track record of written academic or policy-related non-academic publications;
• Problem-solving skills, with the ability to creatively synthesise knowledge from different disciplines;
• The ability to conceptualise and communicate complex issues effectively, both verbally and in writing, to policymakers, expert, and non-expert audiences;
• Good knowledge of the European Institutions and proven experience in EU climate and energy policy analysis;
• Good knowledge of the EU climate and energy research and policy landscape;
• An established network with clean energy stakeholders and with the energy-and-climate research communities within the EU and beyond is a plus.

Personal Skills

• Ability to work equally comfortably and efficiently both as part of a team and independently;
• Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines;
• Ability to cope with uncertainty, conflicting constraints, and changing goals and priorities;
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to lead and engage in the work of a multinational and multidisciplinary team;
• Tactful, diplomatic, and non-judgmental attitude;
• Flexibility and availability for occasional travel, mostly within the EU;
• Good sense of humor.

Terms of the contract

• Open ended contract (contrat à durée indéterminée) under Belgian law;
• Competitive salary package in line with experience and credentials, together with a highly stimulating international work environment;
• Work Location is 72, rue de Namur, 1000 Brussels;
• Starting date is as soon as possible.

Application

Please send your CV and motivation letter to Mr. Ivan Matejak and Ms. Ganna Gladkykh at i.matejak@eera-set.eu and g.gladkykh@eera-set.eu with the subject line “Application: EERA Clean Energy Transition Expert“ by the 14^th of April 2024, 00:00 CEST. Both the CV and motivation letter must be sent in PDF format. The CV should be a maximum of 2 pages in length, and the motivation letter should be a maximum of 1 page.

The motivation letter should highlight your relevant experience and motivation for the position. Contact information for two references from your most recent professional assignment must be included in the CV. They will not be contacted without the applicant’s consent. The applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The selection of the candidate will be based on the merit principle. All applicants will receive a response.