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 Governance Innovation team with the following experience, skills and character: 

• Solid understanding of integrated sustainable urban development principles and processes, with a focus on integrated urban planning, social innovation and/or social 

entrepreneurship, and behaviour change; 

• At least 3 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; 

• Curious, creative, collaborative, while able to work independently and stay grounded in a dynamic, sometimes fast-paced, international environment. 

Your position will include the following main tasks: 

• Collaborative implementation of projects on integrated urban planning and urban regeneration; 

• Design and facilitation of capacity-building programmes for cities with partners and colleagues; 

• Regular communication with relevant organisations and institutions; 

• Organisation and facilitation of, and contribution to virtual, hybrid and in-person meetings, including trainings, interactive workshops, international project meetings, and conferences; 

• Researching and writing publications targeted to urban practitioners, including reports, briefs, case studies and news articles; 

• Contributing to project acquisition efforts, including concept development and project design, writing, and budgeting. 

We offer you the following conditions: 

• Initial 24 months contract with high potential for extension; 

• Gross salary according to the Expert position in ICLEI’s salary grid 

(indicative: EUR 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. 

Apply here - Deadline for application: 15 May 2024 

Please note that we review applications continuously upon receipt and early submissions are encouraged. For more information about ICLEI Europe visit: www.iclei-europe.org For any questions, please contact us at: jobs.europe@iclei.org 

More information regarding our current vacancies is available here: https://iclei-europe.org/jobs/

ICLEI Europe’s Equal Opportunity and Employment Policy 

ICLEI Europe’s hiring policy is geared to ensure that the organization 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.