Published 24 May 2023
Demos Helsinki is part of a consortium of leading organisations that will make it possible for European cities to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Horizon-funded project, called NetZeroCities, started in October 2021.
NetZeroCities is a part of the EU Mission ”100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030”. It is a Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, rolling out to support the European Union’s Green Deal.
The project is designed around the explicit hypothesis that cities are central to the net-zero goal, as they account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions and are home to 75% of EU citizens. They are also centres of economic activity, knowledge generation, innovation and new technologies.
Demos Helsinki’s role is to help build frameworks for systemic transformation that includes climate governance structures, social innovations, citizen and stakeholder engagement, capacity building, as well as the development of a 100-city-mission platform, which will ensure continuous impact for the project.
We have two central positions open for professionals to join the effort in helping European cities to achieve their climate goals.
Role 1: Senior Expert
As a Senior Expert in the NetZeroCities project, your role will involve providing expertise and insights in areas such as climate governance and policy, urban planning, city investment plans and the built environment and, in general, contributing to the project’s goals of supporting European cities in achieving climate neutrality by 2030.
Examples of activities that will be initially expected:
- Delivering project tasks, building models and developing frameworks on, e.g. climate governance, social innovation, citizen participation, stakeholder engagement, built environment, urban governance and investment and financial planning on the city level to achieve climate targets.
- Contributing to developing climate governance policies and frameworks that facilitate the transition to climate-neutral cities. Provide insights and recommendations on effective policy instruments, regulations, and incentives to support cities’ efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Engaging with city officials, experts, and other stakeholders to understand their challenges, needs, and aspirations in achieving climate neutrality. Facilitate workshops, consultations, and knowledge-sharing sessions to foster collaboration and co-creation of sustainable solutions.
- Identifying and sharing best practices, case studies, and success stories from cities that have made significant progress towards climate neutrality. Disseminating knowledge and lessons learned to inspire and guide other cities in their transition efforts.
What traits likely indicate success:
- You are a seasoned expert with an understanding of and interest in some of the main themes (e.g. climate mitigation, urban planning and development, city investment plans) gained through work experience and/or studies
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders, build relationships, and facilitate knowledge exchange
- Ability to think holistically and develop innovative strategies and approaches to addressing complex challenges related to climate neutrality in cities
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to assess complex situations, identify barriers, and develop evidence-based recommendations and solutions
- Willingness to work in a dynamic and evolving project environment, adapting to new challenges and emerging priorities
What do we expect to happen in the first 12 months?
- Actively contributing with your expertise to the project’s activities, providing valuable insights and recommendations to guide decision-making and project implementation
- Sharing your expertise and knowledge with the consortium members, project team and relevant city stakeholders through presentations, workshops, reports, and other communication channels
- Participating in the assessment of project progress, evaluating the effectiveness of strategies and interventions and identifying areas for improvement
Some practicalities:
- Due to funding requirements, the employee needs to be positioned in Finland. Demos Helsinki has an office in Helsinki, but you can also live elsewhere in Finland.
- Some travel is required, but most meetings and workshops are held remotely.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are required.
- Salary: 4000/4600 € per month, depending on experience and expertise.
- Start of Employment: August or September 2023.
- Type of Employment Contract: Permanent (a 3-year fixed term contract is also possible).
Role 2: Project Coordinator
As a Project Coordinator, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the program lead in coordinating Demos Helsinki’s project team’s activities, ensuring efficient communication and collaboration within the team and among the consortium members, managing resources, and actively contributing to the project’s success. At the same time, you will have an expert role as part of Demos Helsinki’s NetZeroCities team.
Examples of activities that will be initially expected:
- Contributing to the work packages and tasks on e.g. climate governance, social innovation, citizen participation, stakeholder engagement, built environment, urban governance and investment and financial planning on the city level to achieve climate targets.
- Working closely with the program lead to coordinate the activities of the project team, ensuring alignment with project objectives, timelines, and deliverables, monitoring progress, identifying potential risks or issues, and proactively addressing them to keep the project on track, taking into consideration the autonomous role of experts and the low-hierarchical organisational model.
- Ensuring effective communication and collaboration among the team and with other consortium members. This may involve organising regular meetings, facilitating information sharing, and managing project documentation.
- Coordinating with the financial, legal, and people functions at Demos Helsinki and the NetZeroCities consortium in monitoring the project budget, ensuring that expenses are properly managed, working hours are reported, legal documents are processed, etc., to make sure that the project administration runs smoothly and to ensure accurate reporting back to the EU commission.
What traits likely indicate success:
- Understanding the role of cities in creating pathways towards a socially fair transition and a climate-neutral Europe, gained through work experience and/or studies
- Good project management skills and a willingness to learn to manage multi-stakeholder projects
- Possible experience working with cities and climate questions (e.g. urban planning, environmental office etc.)
- Curiosity, kindness, a proactive attitude, capability to think big and willingness to lead and be accountable
- Willingness to work in a dynamic and evolving project environment, adapt to new priorities, and manage competing demands
What do we expect to happen in the first 12 months?
- Actively contributing to the work packages and tasks as an expert
- Successfully improving the project management structures and practices, helping to ensure that they are efficient and effective in supporting project implementation
- Established methods in supporting the project administration coordinated with the Demos Helsinki financial, legal and people functions including resource allocation, hours reporting, budget monitoring and legal compliance, with accurate reporting to the EU
- The project team is receiving the necessary support ensuring the resources and coordination required to produce high-quality deliverables within the specified timelines
Some practicalities:
- Due to funding requirements, the employee needs to be positioned in Finland. Demos Helsinki has an office in Helsinki, but you can also live elsewhere in Finland.
- Some travel is required, but most meetings and workshops are held remotely.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are required.
- Salary: 3500 € per month.
- Start of Employment: August or September 2023.
- Type of Employment Contract: Permanent (a 3-year fixed term contract is also possible).
What is it like to work at Demos Helsinki?
You are Demos Helsinki. At Demos Helsinki, you get to be part of defining our agenda on climate governance and fair transition of European cities and building openings and projects you truly believe in. You have a great amount of freedom and thus accountability for your own work.
As stated in Demos Helsinki’s Impact Model, our ethos of fighting for a fair, sustainable, and joyful next era is visible daily. We approach societal change pluralistically. Thus, discussions and argumentation to avoid simple truths are key for us.
Demos Helsinki promotes equality in working life, and our office and all workspaces are physically accessible. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, a place where we can all be ourselves. This means, for example, flexible working arrangements and family-friendly employment policies. We treat others with dignity and respect, do not tolerate discrimination or harassment and educate ourselves constantly. We also take sticking to pre-agreed working hours seriously.
How to apply?
We have an anonymous application process in the first phase of the candidate selection. You can apply for these positions by filling out the application form, but the details irrelevant to the preliminary selection (e.g., your name and city) are temporarily hidden when we go through the applications. The anonymous application process ensures that the preliminary selection is influenced only by information that is relevant to the role.
>> You can find the application form here. <<
Based on this application, we will invite people to interviews starting during the application period. We will fill the position as soon as we find suitable candidates. The application period is open until Sunday 11th June 2023, 23.59 (EEST). All applicants will be informed of their status in the application process by 16th June.
For further information, you can contact Program Lead Erkki Perälä (+358 50 572 1930) erkki.perala@demoshelsinki.fi by phone Monday 29th May 11.00-12.00, Wednesday 31st May 14.00-15.00 or Friday 2nd June 10.00-11.00. All times EEST.