Overview

BirdLife Europe and Central Asia (ECA) is looking for a dynamic, passionate and committed energy professional to support BirdLife Partners on EU energy strategies and policies with a specific focus on offshore development.

Division: European and Central Asian Division
Unit: Policy
Location: Brussels

Overall Purpose of the Job

The European energy system is under massive change, speed and scale will intensify and impact all nature environments. BirdLife wants to contribute in a constructive way to find the solutions that will allow scale in renewable energy sources and electricity grids while at the same time protecting nature and ecosystems.

The new staff will support and coordinate the vast BirdLife network with expertise from across Europe on how to facilitate a nature-friendly energy transition into the national and the European policy processes. The Senior Energy Officer will share its technical knowledge with national Birdlife representatives and contribute at informing and shaping national and European energy policies especially for offshore, interact with industry players, project developers, and policy makers and constructively propose solutions to enable reaching the high renewable and electricity grids deployment targets.

Among the Main Responsibilities for the Senior Energy officer are:

  1. Contribute to the mission and work of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) in coordination with RGI, Renewables-Grid Initiative e.V.
  2. Oversee the formulation and promotion of the BirdLifes positioning and consensus within the network on the deployment of offshore wind in the wider context of the energy transition.
  3. Lease with BirdLife partners on engaging with their national governments on energy transition issues in a by contributing to defining and writing offshore expansion policies/guidelines.
  4. Be a key reference point in explaining the links between energy infrastructure needs, constraints, and limitations of available options and specifically the role of offshore renewable energy infrastructure towards climate protection and, ideally be a driver for more nature protection in the offshore environment.
  5. Assist in developing constructive working relationships with key influential bodies, especially the European Commission & European Parliament, other NGOs and industry players, to win their support for our programmes and policies individually and collectively, including providing briefs and papers for decision-makers.
  6. Co-operate with relevant colleagues, in particular support the Head of EU Policy, and other policy and conservation officers, the other Task Force Coordinators. Interact with energy/climate specialists from partner organisations and involve them in relevant discussions to develop and promote BirdLife’s position and to provide support for their implementation.
  7. Contribute to fundraising activities.
  8. Contribute as appropriate to any BirdLife ECA publications and media interactions.

Qualifications Desired

We are looking for a candidate with the following characteristics:

  1. A solid proven technical understanding of energy systems, energy policies and the energy transition, including the role of offshore in reaching decarbonization targets
  2. At least 5 years of proven relevant experience
  3. Ability to work in teams and independently; relate with senior industry and public official representatives, participate in experts groups and actively contribute at shaping opinions and increasing knowledge
  4. Understanding of conservation and biodiversity issues in relation to the energy transition
  5. Fluent in English in all forms. Additional European languages are an asset
  6. Ability to travel within Europe
  7. A good understanding of the EU institutions is an asset
  8. High standard of computer literacy (Excel, Word, Power Point and Outlook and the Internet)

What We Offer

The contract will run initially for 2 years with the possibility to extend it. The work location is Brussels. Partial home office arrangements available with at least 2 days a week office presence required.

How to Apply

Please submit a full CV, a comprehensive cover letter (all in English). In the cover letter please describe your reasons for applying for the position, your main interests and skills that you feel you can bring to the role, and when you are able to start. Please send your application by email to recruitment.europe@birdlife.org.

Please include in the email subject: Senior Energy Officer.

Closing date: No closing date is set for this position. Applications are processed as they come and until we have found a suitable candidate.  

Additional information

Only candidates with relevant experience will receive a reply.

The selection process will include both remote and face to face interviews if the pandemic situation allows.

About BirdLife

BirdLife ECA is a Partnership of 48 national conservation organisations and a leader in bird conservation. Our unique local to global approach enables us to deliver high impact and long term conservation for the benefit of nature and people.

BirdLife ECA is one of the six regional Secretariats that compose BirdLife International, the global authority on the status of bird species. Based in Brussels, it supports the European and Central Asian Partnership and is present in 47 countries including all EU Member States.

With more than 4.100 staff in Europe, 2 million members and tens of thousands of skilled volunteers, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, together with its national Partners, owns or manages more than 6,000 nature sites totalling 320 000 hectares.

In Brussels, the BirdLife ECA team works mainly on EU policy issues and aims at improving EU legislation relating to the environment and biodiversity