Senior Clean Energy Transition Expert (m/f/d)

Description of the Mission

The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) AISBL is the largest low carbon energy research community in Europe and worldwide. EERA brings together more than 250 organizations from 30 countries, the key role of EERA is the coordination of public R&D on 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 “catalyze European energy research to achieve a climate neutral society by 2050”.

Transitioning to a climate neutral society consists in a sustainable and socially fair transformative process shifting from fossil fuels towards a generalized use of clean energy technologies and systems. It encompasses all the technological, social, economic, and political dimensions and requires accelerated cross-sectoral, multi-disciplinary and collaborative transformative actions to concur in the 3 coming decades.

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 policy and social aspects of the clean energy transition.

Furthermore, EERA has recently developed a robust conceptual framework to define best possible technological and societal pathways to climate neutrality. Under this framework, “The EERA White Paper on the Clean Energy Transition”, JPs work in synergy under a single unified systemic and holistic vision.

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

The Senior Clean Energy Transition Expert will be part of EERA Secretariat team which bridges clean energy research and policy in the EU. A successful candidate is expected to have a solid, preferrable interdisciplinary, background in sustainability, climate, and clean energy technology and systems. The expert should be able to have a holistic understanding of the climate and clean energy research and policies and should be able to synthesize and integrate research activities carried out by EERA and translate them, where relevant, into recommendations to policymakers.

A successful candidate will reinforce EERA’s positioning as a high-profile organization, providing cutting-edge expertise on high systems-level energy transition scenarios, by closely collaborating with research leaders from the JPs and experts from the Secretariat.

She/he is expected to have deep knowledge and understanding of EU climate and energy regulation and good understanding of 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 the EU society and will enable EERA to best contribute to EU energy transition policy debates from an R&I perspective.

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

Key Responsibilities

Clean Energy Transition Intelligence

• Work closely and establish professional collaborations with EERA experts from the Secretariat, from the JPs and the EERA community at large, leveraging the complementarity of skills and knowledge, towards the execution of the EERA mission;
• Contribute to a collaborative environment fostering co-creation of new ideas;
• Facilitate and lead advanced research initiatives pertaining to the systemic, cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary nature of the Clean Energy Transition;
• Develop an in-depth, holistic understanding of the challenges pertaining to the transition of the EU (and beyond) towards a climate-neutral society by 2050 by regularly monitoring a variety of expert, policy, academic literature, and media materials. Plan and write high-level EERA documents (e.g. position papers, white papers, scientific briefs, scientific reports), in collaboration with the EERA Secretariat experts, JPs’ experts both in response to external requests and as a pro-active expression of EERA’s strategy to policy-makers in the EU.

Clean Energy Transition Outreach

• Provide a strong contribution to the external dissemination of EERA expertise on the Clean Energy Transition by participating/contributing actively in energy-climate related events, workshops, conferences and meetings in Brussels and in the EU Member States and Associated Countries, as well as through publications in the media;
• Contribute actively to the dissemination within EERA of up-to-date information regarding the EERA contribution to the EU policy priorities and strategy;
• Become a recognized expert in the Clean Energy Transition.

Skills and Experience

General requirements

• A university degree (Master Level or PhD), preferably interdisciplinary degree in energy, climate policy, sustainability, political science or other related field;
• At least seven years of relevant work experience in the field of energy and climate, preferably at the EU or international level; passion and deep commitment to contribute designing and implementing climate-neutral and socially just clean energy transition solutions;
• Legally entitled to work in the EU.

Professional Skills

• Excellent and proven academic, organizational and teamwork skills;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of other European languages is an asset;
• Proven record of written academic or non-academic publications;
• Problem-solver, creative and able to synthesize knowledge from different disciplines and conceptualize complex challenges;
• Able to communicate effectively – verbally and in writing – complex issues to policymakers, expert and non-expert audiences;
• Proven experience in coordinating activities and fostering collaboration in international environment;
• Good knowledge of the European Institutions and proven experience in EU climate and energy policy analysis;
• Good knowledge of the EU climate and energy eco-system (familiarity with the EU Green Deal, the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan), the Clean Energy for all Europeans package, the European Climate Law, is highly recommended;
• Well established network with the clean energy stakeholders and with the energy/climate research communities within EU and beyond.

Personal Skills

• Ability to work equally comfortably and efficiently as part of a team and independently;
• Ability to prioritize workload and meet deadlines;
• Resilient to stress and able to cope with uncertainty and conflicting constraints;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to lead, animate or work as part of an international team;
• Tactful, diplomatic, and non-judgmental, able to relate to people in diverse situations;
• Comfortable in international environments;
• Flexibility and availability for travelling, especially within the EU;
• 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 (in pdf format) to Mr. Ivan Matejak (secretariat@eera-set.eu) mentioning “Application EERA Senior Clean Energy Transition Expert” by 21 October 2022, EOB.

The motivation letter (1 page maximum) should highlight your relevant credentials and motivation for the position. Contacts of referees for the most recent professional assignment must be included in the CV (will not be contacted without applicant’s agreement).

The selection of the candidate will be based upon the merit principle. All applications will be answered.