Project Manager – Sustainability assessments, European Environment Agency (EEA) Contract Agent

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is organising an open competition with a view to recruiting two contract agents to work within the area of sustainability assessments and further with a view to establishing a reserve list.

The European Environment State and Outlook 2015 report (SOER 2015) published in March 2015 provides a comprehensive assessment of past trends and future outlooks for Europe’s environment and of opportunities to recalibrate policies, knowledge, investments and innovations in line with the long-term vision of the European Union 7^th Environmental Action Programme (7^th EAP).

This vision foresees by 2050 that Europeans will live well, within the planet’s ecological limits where prosperity and healthy environment stem from an innovative, circular, low carbon economy where nothing is wasted, and where biodiversity is protected, valued and restored in ways that enhance our society’s resilience, setting the pace for a global sustainable society. Similar long-term perspectives are embedded in global processes most notably the UN post-2015 agenda towards Sustainable Development Goals.

The SOER 2015 main messages are four-fold. EU environment policies have delivered substantial benefits for the environment, economy and people’s well-being; major challenges remain. Europe faces long-term, persistent and emerging challenges linked to unsustainable production and consumption systems, within a rapidly changing global context. Achieving the 2050 vision requires system transitions, driven by more ambitious actions on policy, knowledge, investments and innovation. Doing so presents major opportunities to boost Europe’s economy and employment and put Europe at the frontier of science and innovation

In this context, the European Environment Agency is increasing its capacity to produce knowledge and assessments in support of long-term sustainability goals within Europe and between Europe and the global level. The focus is on improving the evidence base on systemic challenges and system transitions in support of the 7^th EAP, the SOER 2020 and global assessment processes, using foresight and other integrated assessment methods.

Under the responsibility of the Head of Sustainability and Foresight Group, reporting to the Head of Integrated Environmental Assessments Programme, the Project Manager shall be responsible for knowledge support and analysis in these areas.

The position will entail the following tasks:

• Act as reference persons in the European Environment Agency for long-term sustainability assessments;
• Undertake be-spoke assessments in the area of ‘socio-ecological and socio-technical systems & sustainability transitions’;
• Contribute to knowledge development in the area of foresight and long-term transitions;
• Contribute to knowledge development in the area of foresight  in relation to planetary boundaries and their implications  for Europe;
• Contribute to integrated assessments and indicator-based reports;
• Contribute to the knowledge base development in the area of transitions with the  EEA member countries (EIONET network), especially Eionet National reference centres for Forward-looking Information and Services (FLIS) and State of Environment reporting (SoE);
• Produce short papers and concise policy briefings;
• Represent the Agency through networking with relevant external partners and stakeholders, in particular with the EU institutions and EEA member countries (EIONET network), and other relevant EU and International organizations

The place of work will be Copenhagen, Denmark.

Closing date for application: Friday 04 September 2015, at 12.00 (Central European Time)

Read more and apply here.