Job overview: The work will be varied and interesting and you will be involved in a range of projects of different size, timescale and subject matter. It will imply contributing to studies relating to all stages of the policy process, including the formulation, practical implementation and ex post evaluation of a range of policies and instruments at both EU and Member State levels. In particular, analysis may focus on valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, cost and benefits of environmental policies, market-based instruments (including environmental taxes and environmentally harmful subsidies), sustainable development indicators, eco-innovation and other environmental economics related subjects.
Sponsors and Clients: Work is usually undertaken for a range of sponsors and clients, including the European Commission and European Parliament, international organisations (e.g. UNEP, OECD), national governments and agencies, charitable foundations and environmental NGOs.
Your background: A background in environmental economics, or a combination of graduate and undergraduate knowledge of economics, environmental science, ecology or other environmental and economic subjects is essential. An understanding of EU policy and institutions is desirable.
Timing: We would like you to start as soon as possible.
Work areas and responsibilities are likely to include:
- Producing reports on particular aspects of European and Member State policies or prospective policies, with a particular focus on environmental economics. Note that IEEP’s approach is mainly policy-oriented, therefore the work will involve primarily the analysis of policies and their economic implications, rather than the use of quantitative modelling. The use and understanding of some quantitative analyses, however, may be required;
- Helping to deliver a variety of pan-European research projects for the European Commission and other clients and sponsors. These might include studies on biodiversity valuation (currently a strong stream of work, including work on the high level TEEB – The Economic of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) and other topics listed below;
- Maintaining the reputation of IEEP as a reliable, accurate and forward thinking authority on environmental issues in the EU and in Europe more widely – including participation in relevant meetings and conferences, presentations of our work and projects, contributions to papers for journals etc;
- Contributing to fundraising initiatives, including the preparation of competitive tenders and grant applications;
- Project management and contributions to the internal management of IEEP.
Working topics could include:
- Valuation of costs and benefits of biodiversity policy, including assessment of the economic consequences of not meeting biodiversity targets;
- Analysis and valuation of ecosystem services;
- Analysis of economic, social and environmental indicators for sustainable development and their potential uptake;
- Studies on environmentally harmful subsidies and their reform;
- Assessment of the use of market-based instruments for the environment, including environmental tax reform, energy taxation, emissions trading etc;
- Assessment of the benefits of improving environmental performance in non–EU neighbouring countries;
- Solutions for and implications of measures to green the economy, including the potential for eco-innovation, promoting clean technologies, green public procurement (GPP) etc;
- Analysis of the economic consequences of various policies and tools, including on jobs and employment, developing suitable methodologies where needed;
- Collaboration with and support to other institute research programmes (biodiversity, climate and energy, agriculture, industrial pollution waste and water, governance, fishery);
- Contribution to the preparation of periodic briefings and updates on environmental policy;
Please note that the above list is intended to give a flavour of the sorts of topics you might work on. The actual work will depend on a mixture of the specialism you bring to the job, the evolving environmental agenda, specific projects that we undertake, the skill composition of the rest of the team and priorities identified in IEEP’s development plan.
The post will be based in IEEP’s Brussels office. You will report to Patrick ten Brink, Head of the Environmental Economics Programme and Head of the IEEP’s Brussels Office. In addition you will work closely with a number of IEEP staff with a range of sectoral expertise.
IEEP is a small organisation so, like other staff members, you will be required to show commitment and flexibility in undertaking a range of general tasks in pursuit of the smooth running, effectiveness and development of the Institute.
The contract will be on a permanent basis, with a standard probationary period of six months.
Person-specification
The ideal candidate will have the following attributes.
Essential:
- A good honours degree (or equivalent qualification) and a postgraduate qualification in relevant disciplines (see above);
- At least three years’ experience in a relevant area;
- Track record in environmental economics and environmental policy work at EU, international and/or Member State level;
- Proven ability to write and communicate clearly in English;
- Willingness and enthusiasm to work on a wide range of issues;
- Ability to work under pressure and on own initiative;
- Enthusiasm and adaptability to work as part of a small interdisciplinary team;
- Willingness to travel;
- Relevant computer literacy, eg Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Desirable:
- Familiarity with EU policy processes;
- In depth knowledge of a particular area of our environmental economic portfolio (see above), in particular (but not necessarily) of biodiversity and ecosystem services valuation;
- Knowledge and proficiency (written and spoken) in at least one other European language in addition to English;
- Experience of project and/or staff management;
- Good presentation skills;
- A record of relevant publications in academic journals or press.
