Join us as a City Innovation Expert (French speaking)

For 20 years, Demos Helsinki has contributed to a global movement of civil servants, practitioners, and experts engaged in solving the most urgent challenges of our times through public innovation. Demos Helsinki has extensive and multifaceted experience with hundreds of organisations internationally in nurturing innovation within urban and governmental contexts. 

Demos Helsinki is a globally operating independent think tank. We are a community of motivated experts working for a more fair, sustainable and joyful future, and we believe that change can only happen together. That is why we carry out consultative and research projects together with hundreds of partners, such as UN organisations, the European Commission, international foundations and companies. Unlike many other think tanks, we are predominantly project-funded and fully independent, without any political affiliations. Over the past 20 years we have grown into a +70-person organisation working on over 100 impactful projects per year. 

We have a strong and vibrant experience in working  in the field of urban transformations, city development, public sector innovation, green just transition, governance and other. Now we are expanding our team and capabilities in this field and offer a position for a seasoned innovation expert.  Please, don’t hesitate to apply even if you do not meet each and every requirement listed below.

City Innovation expert

You are an innovation practitioner with 5+ years of working experience and fluency in French to support our work in those geographic areas. This experience has equipped you with an interest in and an understanding of public governance and how cities, governments, and intergovernmental organisations work. You have worked directly in or with city governments, and are excited to work closely in this capacity to support cities to deepen their innovation capacities. You also have an interest and skillset in either the European policy landscape, data analytics or communications, to complement your city innovation expertise. 

We expect you have the following experience and skills: 

• Proven experience in applying a wide range of innovation methods and tools, along with a strong understanding of the latest trends in governance and public innovation.
• Experience working in or with public administrations, leading or managing change processes, and addressing complex urban challenges.
• Experience engaging in strategic dialogue with city leadership or senior officials, providing guidance on innovation models, policy direction, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, with experience in preparing various types of documentation (e.g., slide decks, reports, and other written materials) to support practical work.
• Ability to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders, helping them navigate emerging challenges and priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess complex situations, identify barriers, and develop practical, realistic recommendations and solutions.
• Fluency in French as a working language, with excellent written and verbal proficiency in English.

We’ll be especially excited if:

• You have experience working with complex challenges with or in city administration 
• You are impact and result driven, thrive in a fast-paced working environment and view challenges as opportunities for growth
• You have a complimentary skillset, such as data analytics and/or communications and copy-writing

Some practicalities:

• Location: Demos Helsinki has an office in Helsinki, Finland. You can work from Helsinki or elsewhere in Finland or abroad. Some travel is required throughout Europe, in particular to Brussels connected with our EU policy work, but most meetings and workshops are held remotely.
• Starting date and duration: Start date as soon as possible, to be agreed individually. 

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 the future of public governance. This work includes matters such as climate governance and fair transition in European cities, anticipatory approaches to policy making and strategy in different governments, and increasing skills and capabilities of government employees worldwide. We trust you to build 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 as a continuous, complex and collective effort without blueprints, proxies or simplified objectives. 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. 

How to apply? 

Please fill out this form by 21th March 15:00 (EEST). We use anonymous recruitment in the pre-selection phase so please follow the instructions given on the form and do not enclose any unnecessary personal information in your answers. 

For additional information about the position, please be in touch with:
Nina Langerholc at nina.langerholc@demoshelsinki.fi, or +386 51 383 963. 

Ifeoma Kulmala for questions related to working arrangements, recruitment process or relocation. You can reach Ifeoma at ifeoma.kulmala@demoshelsinki.fi, or +358 50 365 8993. 

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