POSITION

We are hiring a candidate with strong motivation to assist us in the launching, shaping and implementing of our community spaces to activate, empower and inspire local leaders towards a climate-neutral Europe. 

Energy Cities’ members can join and benefit free-of-charge from five action-oriented Hubs, aligned with our intervention systems and impact targets. 

The candidate will specifically assist with the development and set-up of our Hub “Resource-wise & socially just local economies”.

This hub will inspire cities with alternatives and new narratives for rethinking local social and economic models based on local resources while ensuring solidarity and equity in society. 

MISSIONS AND ACTIVITIES

• Support the exploratory work to further define the scope of the Hub in collaboration with Energy Cities’ members (organizing exploratory webinars and interviews, synthesis and follow up)
• Do research on local regenerative economy, economy of the commons (sharing economy), functional economy, circular economy, sufficiency, doughnut economy, degrowth – carbon gentrification, frugal city, urban metabolism, (s)low tech, resource-efficient cities.
• Carry out specific interviews with Energy Cities’ member cities to understand their achievements and needs in the field of: (1) Sufficiency and just transition (2) Regenerative local economies, economy of functionality and (3) circular economy/urban planning (recycling of vacant spaces, temporary use)
• Prepare case studies on the above-mentioned topics
• Contribute to mapping the European ecosystem of key actors, organizations and initiatives within these fields
• Support with digesting the new expected EU policies, depending on when these will be published (new legislation for sustainable products building on the existing Ecodesign Directive, the European Textiles Strategy, revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, legal framework for green claims) etc.
• Support project managers in preparing a pipeline of projects in the above-mentioned fields
• Support with setting up a learning programme for the cities on the above-mentioned topics
• Support global coordination and communication activities within HUB5: contribute to newsletters preparation, info sharing on our community platform, organization of workshops and webinars, storytelling, preparing main takeaways
• Support the overall coordination across the 5 hubs, specifically in relation to the tasks of: info-sharing and external communication.
• Support the overall hubs’ community platform help desk

 CANDIDATE’S PROFILE AND SKILLS

Eligibility

• Level of education: Bachelor’s degree
• Candidates must be enrolled in a university (post Bachelor)
• Post-graduate candidate will not be taken into consideration unless a contract can still be signed with a University

Academic background

• Candidates should have an academic background in: Circular Economy, Sustainable development, Energy and Climate, Economics, Industrial Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Urban Planning, International Relations (related to climate and energy), with an interest and focus on circular economy and business models, sharing economy.

Language

• Excellent command of English

Other skills

• Excellent writing skills and spirit of synthesis
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good organisational capacities, ability to prioritise and manage workload
• Ability to work in an international team
• Ability to take initiative
• Good command of computer skills: Microsoft Office, Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter), Canva or similar would be a plus

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Work place location: Energy Cities – 2B chemin de Palente, 25000 Besançon (please note that depending on the sanitary situation, you may have to telework) 
• Dates of the internship: As soon as possible 
• Duration:  6 months (with 1 day of holiday per month of internship) 
• Allowance: EUR850 /month 

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN US?

• Applicants must have the legal right to work and live in France
• Applicants must be enrolled in a university or alike
• To apply, fill in the form below
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted and interviewed

Internship location: Energy Cities’ office in Besançon (France) if COVID-19 pandemic allows

Supervisors: Kinga Kovacs, Thibaut Maraquin

Internship timing: full time, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Duration: 6 months

Deadline to apply: 15 June

Notifications of selected candidates: 21^st June

Interviews with shortlisted candidates are foreseen on 22-23 June