Operations and Project Officer

Carbon Gap is an independent carbon dioxide removal (CDR) advocate in Europe, with a large number of policy professionals dedicated exclusively to CDR. Located in our Brussels-based, EU Carbon Removal Policy Centre and selected European capitals, Carbon Gap has established itself as a leading organisation in CDR policy advocacy as well as being a beacon in the scientific research and analysis which underpin our policy positions and interventions.

Since our launch at COP26 in Glasgow, we have published a series of public assets such as policy papers, thought leadership pieces, policy trackers etc. Our experts have been featured in the mainstream and climate media, and we have been selected on various EU CDR-related expert groups. This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of a decades-long mission to make Europe a global carbon removal leader and deliver the capacity necessary to meet Europe’s net zero commitment.

We are continuing to build out a team of experienced professionals and are looking for individuals early in their career with an interest in both the administrative operations of an organisation as well as helping to deliver projects. If you have the ambition to match our mission and are seeking a platform to scale your personal impact in a high empowerment and high accountability environment, we want to talk to you.

We are creating a new role for an Operations and Project Officer, working with our leadership team to provide both administrative, and operational support across the organisation. This is a hybrid role which will see you working across projects, finance, HR and fundraising and is a unique opportunity to see many aspects of the running of an organisation in one role. You will also take part in project management which means you will get exposure to our work in CDR and have the opportunity to learn as much as you would like on the subject. It is a hands-on role that will see different challenges daily, but in a structured and prioritised way.

We will support you in leveraging your experiences and skills to help us bring our CDR mission to life in Brussels, the EU and beyond. Your prior interest in climate, environment or sustainability will quickly make you an invaluable member of the efforts towards the knowledge, policy and ambition gaps that we are on a mission to bridge.

You will work directly with our leadership team. In this role you will;

• Have an excellent attention to detail:
  • Support our outsourced financial team by helping to ensure processes are followed and implemented
  • Support our leadership team with HR and other administrative day to day functions including the onboarding of new staff, coordination of holidays, travel and accommodation, planning of retreats and more
  • Be involved with key strategic items such as board meetings, budgets and financial planning
• Have a keen interest in project management:
  • We will train and support you to become a great project manager supporting our policy and research teams in their day to day work
  • Be responsible for the maintenance and effective use of our planning tools
  • Support our resource planning and effective use of our available resources both internally and externally
• Be interested in the effective running of an organisation
  • Support the team in drafting and implementation of processes and procedures in the organisation
  • Support managing relationships with external project managers and consultants
  • Be prepared to learn about the compliance and legal aspects of running a charity, assisting with audits, proper record keeping and compliance with UK and EU law
• Be a great communicator
  • Work with our leadership team on preparing pitch decks, outreach to potential funders and coordination and tracking of our efforts

• You will have a year of working experience, or the equivalent internships. You will have gained your experiences ideally within the context of a charity, NGO or other climate / EU policy organisation.
• You are committed to climate action. You can demonstrate previous interestand passion for any area of climate, environmental or sustainability communications and action. You don’t need to be an expert in carbon removal, but you do need to understand the climate crisis and have a desire to repair the damage we’ve done to the planet.
• You have a good understanding of what good project management looks like, even if you lack direct experience. You ideally have interest across many areas as this is not a role for someone who wants to specialise in only one area.
• You’re comfortable with new material. Diving into a new field, learning new acronyms and concepts don’t scare you. You want to become a master of new ideas and concepts.
• You make aren’t scared by complicated things. One of the main parts of your role will be problem solving – whether it be a resource conflict, or a last-minute dash to find a printer for an event, you are comfortable with being the person who solves problems.
• You obsess about the bigger picture. You’re not satisfied unless your work leads to tangible results and always want to know how what you’re doing now serves the long-term goal.

In your covering letter, please include short paragraphs on the following areas of emphasis to help us better assess your application:

• Why this role is of interest to you?
• Examples of previous accomplishments– we’d love to see examples of your work
• Your level of English, and if English is a second language, be able to demonstrate you can achieve at least a C1 level

• A permanent full-time work contract (40h/week) under Belgium law
• Competitive salary package, including benefits such as lunch vouchers, pension plan, medical plan and reimbursement of public transport
• Dynamic and supportive team with amazing colleagues and regular team socials
• Modern offices situated in the heart of the European district of Brussels
• Hybrid working regime
• Opportunities for training and personal development

 
Carbon Gap is an equal opportunity employer. We are dedicated to broadening opportunities for groups that are underrepresented in the climate and carbon removal spaces, and to building an inclusive team where people of different backgrounds can thrive. We strongly encourage applications from people who do not see themselves represented in the current climate ecosystem. If you feel like this description matches you and are able to do so, please mention it in your covering letter, and we will guarantee you an interview.

You don't need to meet all the requirements to be considered and we know you might need to grow into the role. If you feel like this role is the right one for you, please don’t hesitate to apply.