Expert: Resilience and Climate Adaptation
Start date: 01 November 2024
Duration: 2 years (extension intended)
Location: Freiburg, Germany
Deadline for application: 23 September 2024
Do you want to contribute to making our cities better places to live?
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network working with more than
2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active
in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission,
nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development.
ICLEI‘s European Secretariat is based in Freiburg (Germany), with specialised offices in
Brussels and Berlin. ICLEI Europe has more than 150 staff from all over Europe and beyond,
covering a broad variety of professional disciplines and expertise.
Working with us, you will have opportunities to:
• Deepen your understanding of how cities design and implement sustainability and climate
neutrality policies, what kind of challenges they face and how best to support them;
• Work with leading urban researchers, politicians and practitioners on European
innovation projects, to provide solutions for today’s urban challenges;
• Contribute to European and international processes that influence urban policies, such as the
EU Green Deal, the EU Missions, the New European Bauhaus, the UN SDGs, and others;
• Be part of an internationally recognised organisation that inspires, supports and critically
evaluates new trends in (co-)creating sustainable and climate neutral cities;
• Grow professionally in a flexible, family-friendly work environment with opportunities for
personal development, European travel, and professional cultural exchange.
We are looking for a new colleague to join our Resilience and Climate Adaptation team with
the following experience, skills and character:
• Solid understanding of integrated sustainable urban development principles and
processes, with a focus on resilience, climate adaptation, environmental management,
water resource management and/or disaster risk reduction;
• At least 3-4 years of professional experience, working in a project-based environment,
ideally for and with local governments or other urban actors;
• Very good and clear oral and written communication;
• Confident interacting and collaborating with a wide range of partners, from grassroots
organisations to ministries;
• Proficient in English and at least one other European language, spoken and written;
more languages are an asset, i.e. German;
• Curious, creative, collaborative, proactive, while able to work independently and stay
grounded in a dynamic, sometimes fast-paced, international environment.
Your position will include the following main tasks:
• Implementation of project work package and tasks, including workflows within the team
and together with external partners, cities, and funders;
• Fluent and adequate written and oral internal and external communication with (project)
partners and funders to ensure a smooth workflow on the operational side;
• Strong engagement in project and service implementation especially in processes
supporting local and regional governments to plan and realise resilience on the ground
as well as administrative tasks;
• Organisation of, developing agendas for, and facilitating project-related meetings and
other events convening stakeholders from a wide range of organisations;
• Desk research and analysis tasks as input to facilitation processes for cities, workshops
and events, presentations as well as policy and advocacy work;
• Developing formats of exchange, evaluation, peer-learning, and capacity-building
among cities; designing and facilitating creative workshops and events that encourage
participants to interact, learn and network;
• Support to ICLEI Europe’s advocacy work on climate change adaptation and nature-
based solutions at European and global level, with an additional focus on the Mission
for Adaptation to Climate Change and Societal Transformation, the Mission for Climate-
Neutral and Smart Cities, as well as the EU Green Deal as a whole;
• Further development, promotion and application of ICLEI services and products
supporting the resilient and nature-based development pathways;
• Responsibility for tasks related to the acquisition of future projects, writing of project proposals.
We offer you the following conditions:
• Initial 2 years contract with an intention to continue afterwards;
• Gross salary according to the Expert position in ICLEI’s salary grid
(indicative: €51.000 – €53.000 per annum);
• Place of work: Freiburg/Germany;
• 40h working week with flexible working time and the possibility to work up to 50% remote;
• 6 weeks of paid leave per annum;
• Working language is English;
• Occasional travel within Europe is foreseen.
Please note that applicants must – due to legal reasons – hold EU citizenship or a valid
EU residence permit and a valid German work permit. Applications not meeting these
conditions can unfortunately not be considered.
Deadline for application: 23 September 2024
Please apply in writing, including a CV and letter of motivation to:
jobs.europe@iclei.org
Be aware that applications are reviewed continuously upon arrival; therefore, application as
soon as possible is advisable. For more information about ICLEI visit:
ICLEI Europe’s Equal Opportunity and Employment Policy
ICLEI Europe’s hiring policy is geared to ensure that the organisation hires employees
without regard to their race, colour, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital
status, socio-economic background or sexual orientation. ICLEI’s policy is that applicants
for employment and career progression are considered solely based on their qualifications
and competencies.
