All Things Urban

Eurocities is the network of more than 200 cities in 38 countries, representing 130 million people, working together to ensure a good quality of life for all.

You greet your neighbour as you leave home on your way to do work that is meaningful and decently paid. The air is clean and free of honking car horns. Using the free public wifi, you see that today the public square is a local artisans’ and farmers’ market. Your phone polls you on a few quick ideas that the local administration wants to try. You truly feel like you are a part of the city, and, as such, a part of Europe.

This is the future that European cities have been working to build through Eurocities since 1986. We help cities inspire each other. When a crisis hits, the urgency of local coordination and information sharing is starkly obvious – but with longer-burning issues like climate change, social equality and a vibrant economy this ‘glocal’ approach is no less essential.

That’s why we work with over 200 of Europe’s largest cities to improve the lives of over 130 million residents across 38 countries. That’s the ‘cities’ part of ‘Eurocities’. Hundreds of cities have already committed to getting carbon emissions down to zero, welcoming migrants and refugees, and governing through dialogue with their residents.

Local governments work on the ground with citizens and residents, and are essential partners for turning EU policies and ambitions into reality. As such, cities must be included directly in European decision making and should be in direct receipt of European funds. That’s the ‘Euro’ part of ‘Eurocities.’ So Eurocities, Europe plus cities, equals a better future for all.

Organisation

Eurocities, the network of major European cities, is recruiting a forum and project officer to join its Digital Transformation team.

The candidate would start as soon as possible and ideally no later than early July.

Eurocities is a dynamic and international team where we trust in people, value constructive exchanges and collaborative work. We help people thrive in a friendly, open and healthy environment while promoting a good work/life balance.

As forum and project officer, you will coordinate the work of the Digital Forum of Eurocities, providing advice and support to its working groups, task forces, the digital LAB and all other activities. You will participate in project implementation and actively contribute to policy work on digital transformation. This will include knowledge-sharing activities between cities and advocacy for cities towards the EU institutions. You will also establish synergies and links with other areas of work of Eurocities to develop new activities, grow knowledge, and ensure impact.

As part of the Digital Transformation team, you will support policy change on the ground to benefit the common good. In this role, you will:

maintain an up-to-date overview of policy developments in the area of digital transformation at the EU level and contribute with intelligence, expertise, and strategic insights to the policy work of Eurocities.
contribute to Eurocities’ advocacy work on digital transformation taking the lead on specific actions.
develop and maintain contacts with the EU institutions, member cities, and other stakeholders.
provide advice for and support to the work of working groups, task forces, and other structures related to the Eurocities community. Take the lead in the organisation of Forum meetings, online workshops and other activities.
establish and maintain an open, regular, and trusting relationship with Chair(s)/Vice-chair(s) of the Forum and WGs/task forces.
facilitate the active participation of members in Eurocities and EU activities, and ensure effective communication to members and more widely through the various channels available.
contribute to the implementation of EU-financed projects and the development of project proposals.
ensure that any potential synergies with other policy areas, projects, and communications activities of Eurocities are developed through coordination with relevant colleagues.
support Eurocities general policy and project work, as well as other activities in line with the overall objectives.

You are an experienced professional who is full of initiative, self-driven, curious, autonomous, creative, flexible and results oriented.

The skills and experience to be successful in this job include*:

a successful track record of 3 years of relevant work experience.
excellent knowledge of digital transformation and smart cities topics and issues. Knowledge on digital transformation processes and challenges at local level would be an asset.
master’s degree or equivalent in political science, international relations, urban development, EU studies, smart cities or similar.
thorough understanding of the EU institutions, decision-making processes, and funding instruments; experience in writing and implementing EU-funded projects would be an asset.
excellent knowledge of EU policies and programmes related to digital transformation/smart cities.
excellent oral and written communication skills in English; knowledge of other languages is considered a plus.
good knowledge of urban policies and cities in general, including the role of cities in the EU
excellent research and analytical skills, including the ability to collect, analyse, and present information in a clear and concise way.
experience in organising effective meetings and events, ideally in a membership association context.
experience in advocacy and influencing EU institutions and other relevant stakeholders.
strong organisational and coordination skills.
excellent organisational awareness.
good interpersonal skills and networking abilities in an international environment.
You have a strong interest for digital transformation and the impact of digital technologies at local level and you are:

a strategic liaison for a specific Eurocities community and key EU representatives.
a dynamic team player who also takes full responsibility for delivering results on own work.
agile in a changing environment with the ability to juggle competing deadlines.
a creative thinker, driven by the motivation to deliver outcomes for cities and citizens.
*We are looking for candidates who fulfil most of these criteria, but we encourage you to apply if you think you could be a good fit for the position, even if that is not the case.

We offer
a full-time position, as an employee, under Belgian legislation. The selected candidate will need to either live in Belgium or be willing to move to Belgium for the duration of the contract (candidates need to provide a Belgian address)
an open-ended contract starting as soon as possible and ideally no later than early July 2023
€2,800–3,000 monthly gross salary, according to profile and experience
flexible working hours
training opportunities
part-time teleworking
Benefits
Meal vouchers, pension plan, hospitalisation insurance, public transport costs, 13th month, éco-chèques, €90 net monthly teleworking allowance

2800-3000

We’re not fully sure whether this role is open to international candidates. If you would need visa sponsorship or work authorisation, we recommend checking directly with the employer before applying.