Stellenausschreibung
Expert: Sustainable Financing
Start date: 01 March 2024 (or later)
Duration: 24 months (extension intended)
Location: Freiburg
Deadline for application: 01 February 2024
Do you want to contribute to making our cities better places to live?
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network working with more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development.
ICLEI‘s European Secretariat is based in Freiburg (Germany), with specialised offices in Brussels and Berlin. ICLEI Europe has more than 150 staff from all over Europe and beyond, covering a broad variety of professional disciplines and expertise.
Working with us, you will have opportunities to:
- Work with leading urban researchers, politicians and practitioners on European innovation projects, to provide financing solutions for today’s urban challenges;
- Help to close the financing gap for sustainable, climate-neutral and resilient cities by designing and implementing sustainable finance facilities and solutions;
- Contribute to European and national processes that influence financing policies and schemes, and motivate relevant political actors to get engaged in the process of improving relevant structures, processes and frameworks across all levels, particularly the EU Missions ‘100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities’ and ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’;
- Be part of an internationally-recognised organisation that inspires, supports and critically evaluates new trends in (co-)creating sustainable, climate-neutral and resilient cities;
- Grow professionally in a flexible, family-friendly work environment with opportunities for personal development, European travel, and professional cultural exchange.
We are looking for a new colleague to join our Team with the following experience, skills and character:
- Solid understanding of local government budgeting and financing with a particular view on investments and infrastructure development - this explicitly includes fiscal transfers and financing in the multi-level governance system in EU countries;
- Knowledge and expertise in legal and financial aspects of investment planning and PPPs;
- Specific expertise in financing related to climate change mitigation and sustainable urban transformation;
- Experience in working with private investors and capital in the framework of PPPs for the development of public infrastructure and multi-stakeholder approaches;
- Knowledge of relevant sustainable finance frameworks (e.g., ESG, EU Taxonomy) and approaches related to climate-related budgetary and financial risks (e.g., TCFD);
- Solid understanding of innovative financing approaches (e.g. local green bonds, crowd financing, cooperative financing etc.), and of innovative ways of (blended) financing the implementation of complex local transition programmes and integrated projects;
- At least 3-4 years of professional experience in relevant institutions/organisations, ideally for or with local governments or other public sector organisations;
- Very good and clear oral and written communication;
- Confident interacting and collaborating with relevant European initiatives and institutions and a wide range of partners across disciplines and sectors, in particular in the sphere of public and private financing and investment;
- Proficient in English and at least one other European language, spoken and written; more languages are an asset;
- Curious, creative, collaborative, whilst able to identify and expand the room of manoeuvre for local governments together with other stakeholders in a dynamic, sometimes fast-paced, European and international environment.
Your position will include the following main tasks:
- Conceptualisation and development of sustainable financing approaches and facilities in the context of sustainable, climate-neutral and resilient cities as part of projects related to the EU Mission ‘100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities’;
- Identification and mapping of relevant European and National funding platforms, European regional development funds, grants that are available to cities for public funding, and assessment of the compatibility of cities’ investment plans with available public capital sources at the different levels;
- Help identifying structural, processual and systemic obstacles in the public financing system, that are slowing down investments or are limiting investment capacities;