Jobs

Job openings in the Alternet community

Vacancy: Research Assistant (Alternet)

Alternet is hiring, 0,5 to 1,0 fte (50% to 100% of a full position), with certainty until the end of December 2026 and option to renew:

Policy area: Environment
Institution: iNGO Alternet
Degree: Bachelor
Place of employment: Home office in an EU country
Requirement: Indefinite resident permit in your resident country

Alternet
Alternet refers to “A Long-Term Biodiversity, Ecosystem and Ecosystem Services Research and Awareness Network” hereafter named “Alternet”. Alternet fosters the European science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Alternet brings together international natural and social science researchers from many European countries to integrate our understanding of biodiversity, ecosystems, and the services they provide to society and to create a platform for meaningful communication with policymakers and the public.

What we do:
Alternet brings together leading institutes from different European countries. They share the goal of integrating their research capability to assess changes in biodiversity, analyse the effect of those changes on ecosystem services and inform the public and policy makers about this at a European scale.

Alternet enables integration among its network of partner institutes. Transdisciplinary in nature, Alternet partners bring together expertise from both the natural and social sciences and supports platforms for high-impact interactions with policymakers, the scientific community, and the public.

  • Facilitating and engaging with the science-policy interface, including through management of the Eklipse mechanism
  • Hosting the Alternet Summer School in Peyresq, which has been providing training for young researchers in inter-disciplinary approaches to biodiversity and ecosystems research since 2006
  • Bringing together diverse scientific, policy, stakeholder, and NGO perspectives for bi-annual Alternet Conferences, often developed in cooperation with the European Commission
  • Supporting high-impact research on pressing topical issues facing science and society through the Call for collaboration 
  • Communicating and promoting targeted knowledge transfer with the scientific community, policymakers, and the public
  • Enabling international consortium building and internal sharing of funding opportunities through the Call Exchange clearing house mechanism
  • Supporting research infrastructure, including the LTER-Europe network of Long-Term Ecosystem Research sites (LTER), Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research platforms (LTSER) and LifeWatch; Alternet was instrumental in developing this major European research infrastructure
  • Establishing a vibrant international and interdisciplinary ecosystems and biodiversity research community
  • Participating in Horizon Europe funded projects, including COOP4CBD and BioAgora (see below)

Your  tasks

You will fulfil tasks on behalf of the iNGO Alternet, Europe’s Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Network (www.alterneteurope.eu) and will work on two Horizon Europe funded projects COOP4CBD (www.coop4cbd.eu) and BioAgora (www.bioagora.eu). You will do your work in cooperation with the Alternet council chair (NINA, based in Norway), the Alternet executive board chair (INRAE, based in France) and the Alternet Treasurer (based in Belgium).

  • Contribute to Alternet’s project deliverables in the EU projects Alternet is involved in (i.e. BioAgora and Coop4CBD), including databases, reports, etc. for dissemination. These deliverables will be reviewed by the European Commission and disseminated throughout Europe’s science-policy interface on biodiversity.
  • Facilitate science-policy interface: organize and host meetings, workshops, trainings and communications between project partners, experts, policymakers, stakeholders, and more. 
  • Development of COOP4CBD-BioAgora joint database of experts; maintenance of database; supporting future scanning work
  • Report back to Alternet representatives and present progress updates as the project develops. Represent Alternet in person and virtually at project meetings.
  • Interface with experts: meet, engage with, and help share the recommendations of international experts and knowledge holders.
  • Together with the management and executive boards (Organisation – Alternet (alterneteurope.eu) you will follow project collaboration opportunities for Alternet and its partner institutes, that are of potential interest to subscribe to.

Your profile

  • You have a Bachelor’s degree at the minimum, preferably with a background in database management, social media and communication, complemented by proven relevant experience from a professional or private context.
  • You have experience or are acquainted with biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem research and are familiar with its Science-Policy Interface.

Your work experience

  • Work experience within communication and administration is a plus, but not a requirement.
  • Work experience with international policy processes is a plus, but not a requirement
  • Work experiences with management of databases is a requirement

Your technical skills

  • You have an excellent knowledge of English (both speaking and writing).
  • You have excellent communication skills and are able to work independently; you are prepared to work from your home address without permanent support of colleagues.
  • You have practical knowledge about digital communication tools, such as PowerPoint.
  • You can work smoothly with the current Office software (Word, Excel, …) and Google Apps for work.
  • Knowledge of the themes of the Alternet partner institutes is recommended.
  • You are willing to learn about the Alternet themes and to get to know the expertise of the individual Alternet institutes

Your behavioural skills

  • Taking responsibility – level 1: you take responsibility for your work.
  • Customer focus – level 2, you optimize service to stakeholders within agreed frameworks.
  • Communication – level 2: you take care of interactions.
  • Collaborating – level 1: you inform, consult and work along working together alone.
  • Carefulness – level 1: you deliver correct work with an eye for detail.
  • Analyse – level 1: you see the essence of a problem.
  • Planning and organizing – level 1: you plan and organize your work effectively and efficiently.

Flexibility

You show openness to other disciplines beyond the scope of your own job and are willing to evolve in a different direction if Alternet specific circumstances require this. You will work at home but may also work at different Alternet partner institutes if relevant and if needed. Travelling and attending events in different countries should not be a problem for you.

How to apply?

Applications can be submitted until 31st of October, 2024. To apply, email your letter of motivation and resume to Jiska.van.dijk@nina.no and philip.roche@inrae.fr. 

Selection procedure 

  • Preselection based on your letter of motivation and resume.
  • Candidates, selected on the basis of their resume and letter of motivation, will be invited by mail for the eliminating component, consisting of a competency interview that takes place in November 2024.
  • You can count on a smooth and discreet treatment of your candidacy and the possibility to ask for feedback at the end of the selection process.

Pre-qualified candidate pool 

For this function, we will build a pre-qualified pool for successful candidates, in order of their results. If you at the top of the list of this pool and a similar job becomes vacant we will contact you to fill in this vacancy.

Our offer

  • A 0,5 to 1,0 fte contract of definite duration, with certainty until the end of June 2027, but with an option to renew when salary budgets are available.
  • A fascinating and challenging function.
  • Working with a diversity of people from different nationalities, cultures and expertise across Europe.
  • You will work in a dynamic organization that has an eye for innovation and pursues a permanent improvement in service.
  • You get ample opportunities for education, training and support with modern ICT resources.
  • The workload can be high, but serious efforts are being made to combine work as closely as possible with your private situation
  • We offer 35 days of vacation per year (with a supplementary number of 14 officially recognized holidays) and a system of sliding working hours . 
  • You are recruited in the degree of Bachelor (scale NB111; i.e. level B, rank B1, degree expert). 
  • Your talent is more important than your sex, gender, origin, age, orientation, disability or chronic illness. Apply as a candidate and help build Alternet of tomorrow! 

Want to know more?

For additional information about the content of the function, you can contact:

Jiska van Dijk
E-mail: jiska.van.dijk@nina.no
Tel: + 47 99 39 31 48

Or

Philip Roche
E-mail: philip.roche@inrae.fr