Start date: 01 July 2025

Duration: 24 months (extension intended) Location: Freiburg, Germany

Deadline for application: 15 March 2025

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 Clean Industrial 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;
• A minimum of 1 years’ work experience, 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.