Project manager – Fossil Free Cities


Energy Cities is looking for a Project manager who will:

  • Contribute to the development and the implementation of Energy Cities’ strategy on fossil-free districts and buildings, energy communities and future-proof local governance.
  • Build capacity of local authorities and influence narratives at national and European levels to achieve our mission.

Main tasks & responsibilities

Supporting the implementation of Energy Cities’ activities in the following EU-funded projects:

ASCEND (Accelerate poSitive Clean ENergy Districts): Overall support to project management specifically to:

  • Capacity building programme: coordinate the implementation and documentation of thematic online workshops on topics of Positive Clean Energy Districts – PCEDs, facilitate online webinars and workshops, support online learning platform management, support in the organisation of site visits and expert trainings.
  • Preparing & implementing PCED in multiplier cities: support cities in the creation of semestral monitoring reports on the advancement of their PCEDs.
  • City alliance network: Support cities in the establishment and animation of local city network alliances around PCED and other smart city topics, including event organisation and activity tracking.

LIFE LOOP (Local Ownership Of Power): Assisting the coordinator in the overall project management, including monitoring key performance indicators, and leading tasks related to sustainability, replication, and results exploitation.

SCALABLE CITIES: Providing general support to the main project manager, specifically in:

  • Action Grant Management Support (monitoring grant agreements and interacting with beneficiary cities).
  • Facilitating the City Coordinators Group by organizing and facilitating meetings and workshops.
  • Contributing to the development of the demand map for cities’ investment needs.

In practice, you will organise and facilitate meetings, develop publications/deliverables to share knowledge and projects’ outcomes, write case studies, engage with several partners and members, and manage projects’ activities (deliverables’ production, quality assurance, risk, cost and schedule management, monitoring of impacts, partners and stakeholders’ meetings, and reporting of activities to the European Commission and other funders).

You could also actively participate on Energy Cities’ business development activities, mainly by developing new partnerships and taking part in the preparation of project proposals under EU funding programmes (LIFE, Horizon Europe, INTERREG, among others).

You will have the opportunity to participate in the development of the association and work on different topics to make Energy Cities a better place to work (e.g. development of organisational tools and process, greening and teleworking policies, etc.). 

Background & experience

  • A master degree in one of the following areas: engineering, economics, sustainable energy & climate, sustainable urban development & planning or similar
  • At least 3 to 5 years of relevant experience
  • Experience in urban sustainability (namely in fossil-free districts and buildings and/or in energy communities ) and EU programmes
  • Interest in system change approaches (governance issues, transition management, stakeholders and citizen engagement, urban and energy planning, policies and financial instruments, etc.)
  • Availability to travel, in Europe in particular (mostly missions of 2-3 days)

The skills we are looking for

  • Excellent level of English (C level – CEFR)
  • Independent user (B level) of other EU languages is considered a plus
  • Excellent organisational skills and capacity to work autonomously
  • Ability to take initiative and a proactive approach to improve what exists and address issues and barriers
  • Ability to engage and work with stakeholders
  • Good negotiating skills and capacity to present our priorities in a convincing manner
  • Ability to work in an international and intercultural team and environment

The team

Our staff includes 40 people based in two offices, in Brussels and Besançon. Our internal governance is based on the Holacracy principles: every decision is taken by the person or the “circle” (team) that is responsible for it. Team members have no function or title, they are fulfilling a role, or several ones defined in our “constitution”. The latter changes each time we identify a new need, making our organisation not only relatively horizontal with a co-ownership of the strategy, of its development, but also very agile. Learn more about Holacracy.

Motivation to apply

You wish to use your project management skills to support cities in their transition

You wish to engage with cities to reinforce their role in the transition

You want to be part of a mission-oriented organisation  organised according to the holacracy principles

Contract information

We are offering a 2 years contract.

Locations: Besançon (France) or Brussels (Belgium) – Please note that this job is an on-site position. We enjoy a part-time teleworking policy but expect our collaborators to regularly come to the office to ensure effective teamwork and cohesion. Salary conditions (depending on your profile and experience):

  • For Belgium: 39.500 EUR to 44.800 EUR
  • For France: 35.200 EUR to 39.300 EUR

Social advantages (depending on the country): attractive health and disability insurance, restaurant vouchers, transport allowance, teleworking allowance.

Holidays:

  • For Belgium: 20 days (legal) + 26,5 days (extra-legal)
  • For France: 25 days for 35 hours per week OR forfait jour of 205 working days and remaining days are paid holidays

You want to know more about our organisation and internal policies? Find out more here: https://linktr.ee/energycities

Want to join us?

Submit your CV and a motivation letter via the form below.

Applicants must have the legal right to work and live in Belgium or France

Closing date for applications: 26/05/2024

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted and interviewed.