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 work in the field of Digital transformation.

The candidate would start as soon as possible and ideally no later than mid-June.

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 work/life balance.

Responsibilities
As forum and project officer, you will actively contribute to policy work on digital transformation and advocate cities needs towards the EU institutions. You will coordinate the work of the digital forum of Eurocities, providing support to its working groups, task forces, the digital LAB and all other activities. You will also establish synergies and links with other areas of work of Eurocities to develop new activities and more knowledge.

As part of the digital transformation team, you will support change and growth on the ground for the benefits of societies. In this role, you will:

Monitor policy initiatives and developments at EU level
Maintain an up-to-date overview of policy developments in the area of digital transformation 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, with member cities, and with other stakeholders
Establish and maintain an open, regular and trusting relationship with chair(s)/vice-chair(s) of the forum and WGs/task forces
Support the work of Working Groups, Task Forces and other structures related to the Eurocities community
Facilitate the active participation of members in Eurocities and EU activities
Take the lead in the organisation of forum meetings, working groups, task forces, online workshops and other activities
Ensure effective communication to members and more widely through the various channels available
Be responsible of the dissemination activities and publication editing, to be done with the support of the intern
Be responsible of the update of the Eurocities website, collaboration space and other communications-related tasks with the support of the intern.
Contribute to Project proposal writing
Support project management providing policy inputs and establishing link with policy work
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

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

The skills and experience to do this job successfully include*:

a successful track record of 3-5 years of relevant work experience in policy advocacy at EU level;
good knowledge of digital transformation and smart cities topics and policies. Knowledge on digital transformation processes and challenges at local level would be an asset;
master degree or equivalent in political science, international relations, urban development, EU studies, smart cities;
excellent oral and written communications skills in English, knowledge of other languages is considered a plus;
thorough understanding of the EU institutions, decision making processes and funding instruments; experience of writing and implementing EU funded projects would be a plus
good knowledge of EU policies and programmes related to digital transformation/smart cities
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 events
experience in coordinating working groups
experience in advocacy, lobby and influencing EU institutions and other relevant stakeholders
strong organisation and coordination skills
excellent organisational awareness
good interpersonal skills and networking abilities for an international environment
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
Have a strong interest on digital transformation and the impact of digital technologies at local level

*We are looking for candidates who fulfil most of these criteria, but do not hesitate to apply if you think that you could be a good fit for the position.

We offer
a full-time position, either 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). Or
a freelancer, based in any EU country and able to prove freelancer status as a natural person.
a one-year contract, renewable, starting as soon as possible and ideally no later than mid-June 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 per month of teleworking allowance, training opportunities.

How to apply
Applicants are requested to send a letter of motivation, explicitly describing point by point their relevant experience and linking it to the requirements for the position, in one page maximum, together with a CV by 12:00 on Wednesday 10 May 2023 to: Patricia de Wouters, Head of HR, at Jobs.policy@eurocities.eu.

Please send the documents in pdf format and mention ‘forum officer DT’ in the subject line.

Interviews are planned to be held in person or on-line on 23 & 24 May 2022.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. CV and personal data of non-selected candidates are not shared with anyone outside Eurocities and will be deleted immediately after the recruitment process. For more information, read our privacy policy.

eurocities.eu

€2,800 – €3,000 monthly gross salary, according to profile and experience

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.