Policy Advisor - European Energy

Bring your policy expertise and analytical mind to a globally respected energy and climate think tank, and help shift Central and Eastern Europe towards clean energy

Description

Ember has a track record of changing policy to accelerate the global transition to clean power. We are now looking for a passionate Policy Advisor to build on the existing strength and impact of Ember’s European team. 

The new Policy Advisor, focused on Central and Eastern Europe, will enhance Ember’s reach and influence. You will work to ensure that CEE countries raise and implement their clean electricity transition targets. The role includes, in collaboration with other Ember teams, enabling lessons learnt in the CEE region to be shared across Europe and internationally.

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced energy and/or climate analyst, with a track record of working to change policy. You will need to have a proven record of producing compelling, data-led analytical outputs. You will also have a deep understanding of CEE politics and policy landscape as well as comprehensive experience in at least one of the CEE markets.

Background

The CEE region (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria) is currently facing multiple decisions that will shape the future of national energy systems. This is related to the National Energy and Climate Plan process due in 2024, but CEE countries also need to find new ways to ensure energy security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and tackle the cost of living crisis fueled by rising energy prices. Decisions made in CEE countries will impact EU-level politics - the region covers roughly 20% of the EU population and territory, 15% of the EU’s GDP and 17% of the electricity demand, and just 6 countries from the region (V4+2) elect 22% of the European Parliament. This is why securing ambitious climate targets and supporting their implementation in Central and Eastern Europe is so important, and was the original motivation behind Ember’s work in the region

In 2023 Ember published a vision of an interconnected CEE power system, with accelerated wind and solar targets that can bring security and economic benefits. We’ve built a power system model covering all of Europe and presented our modelling results in several CEE capitals. We will continue this work in 2024, refining the model and providing targeted analysis ahead of key political events. We will also tackle key barriers to renewables deployment such as grid connection queues and curtailment.

Key responsibilities

• Create and share powerful stories that reach, inform, influence and challenge CEE decision-makers

• Attend events and meetings, deliver presentations/webinars and collaborate with media to increase Ember’s outreach and brand recognition in CEE countries

• Author policy briefs and talking points ahead of key political events

• Build and leverage networks and relationships to reach key decision makers with Ember’s messaging

• Support power system modelling by providing input data, assisting with assumptions, analysing and visualising results and collaborating with partners  

• Co-author key publications, policy briefs and opinion pieces related to the CEE region and the whole EU

• Stay up-to-date with relevant energy policy developments and use your expertise to identify impactful intervention opportunities that align with Ember’s strategy

• Work collaboratively across Ember teams and build a wide network of partners to share data, ideas, analysis and expertise

Location

Any CEE country (remote) with willingness to travel within the region up to 2-3 times a month

Must have the right to work in the EU

Essential

• Five+ years of electricity, energy and/or climate analysis/policy work 

• Comprehensive understanding of the power sector and related energy and climate policy in at least one CEE country

• Understanding of CEE region’s geopolitics and regional initiatives such as Three Seas or Visegrad Group

• Understanding of EU climate policy

• Very wide network of contacts spanning policymakers, politicians, industry, NGOs, international organisations, financial sector and media

• Excellent written and verbal communication, with a track-record of policy publications

• Highly numerate, comfortable understanding and visualising data 

• Ability to understand complex concepts and communicate them with clarity, producing high quality, advocacy-ready analysis through reports and presentations

• Proven ability to create change and influence decision-makers using data analysis

• Self-starter with strong organisational skills and effective time management with experience working in a fast-paced environment

• Passionate about the global energy transition 

• Fluent in spoken and written English and at least one CEE language

Nice to have

• Experience using analytical packages such as Python, R or similar

• Familiarity with energy system modelling and/or analysing energy scenarios

• People management skills with ability to build others’ capacity and motivation

We are especially keen to encourage applications from people underrepresented in climate change analysis and campaigning. Climate change is a race issue, a class issue, and a gender issue. We welcome applicants with lived experiences of these issues.

Benefits

Salary: EUR 39,992 to 43,991 depending on experience 

Contract: 1-year contract subject to a 3 month probationary period. Full-time (but only working 9 days every fortnight with no reduction in pay).

Further benefits: We offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• We operate a nine-day fortnight meaning our full-time staff are given every other Friday off work with no reduction in pay or compressed hours

• 25 days holiday, plus UK bank holidays (unless local statutory minimums are higher)

• For each year that you're part of the team at Ember you'll receive an additional day of holiday, up to a maximum of 5 additional days.  

• Generous paid maternity and paternity leave

• Flexible working conditions, including the opportunity for part-time work and home working.

• Access to a local working space can be arranged

• Free annual eye tests

• Access to a counselling service

• Funding and allocated time for your training and development

• Paid volunteer day

• Two paid days off to enable low carbon travel

• Time off to donate blood

• Season Ticket loan

About Ember

Ember is an independent energy & climate think tank, using data to drive down carbon emissions from electricity generation and phase-out coal. We gather, curate and analyse data on the global power system - and use our findings to improve energy and climate policy. You’ll be joining us at a period of rapid growth, and be part of an innovative team that’s having a global impact in tackling climate change. We are also a founding member of Subak, the world’s first non-profit accelerator that scales climate impact through data, policy and behaviour change.

See our work at www.ember-climate.org  and https://twitter.com/EmberClimate