Junior Expert, Events and Project Communications

Start date: 1 August 2026

Duration: 2 years (with view to extension)

Location: Freiburg, Germany

Deadline for application: 15 May 2026

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 180 staff from all over Europe and beyond, covering a broad variety of professional disciplines and expertise.

Working with us, you will have opportunities to:

• Be part of an internationally recognised organization that inspires, supports and critically evaluates new trends in (co-)creating sustainable, climate neutral and resilient cities;

• Deepen your understanding of how cities design and implement sustainability and climate neutrality policies, what kind of challenges they face and how best to support them;

• Be part of, and attend, a diverse and exciting slate of global and European events and move forward the dialogue on sustainable cities;

• Contribute to European and international processes that influence urban policies, such as the EU Mission ‘100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities’, the EU Green Deal, the New European Bauhaus, the UN SDGs, etc.;

• Grow professionally in a flexible, family-friendly work environment with opportunities for professional development, European travel, and cultural exchange.

Your position will include the following main tasks:

• Support the communication and dissemination work in European projects (i.a. Horizon Europe funded), including working with a multi-partner project team, external service providers, cities and funders;

• Support the organization, promotion and implementation of in person, online and hybrid events, including programme development and speaker and participant management, working with host cities, funders and co-organizers;

• Support the development of communication plans and products including, visual identities, newsletters, promotional materials, press releases, media articles, social media channels and content, etc.;

• Write and edit content for project websites and web content management;

• Support the evaluation of communication channels and the assessment of their performance against KPIs;

• Conduct organizational tasks, like documentation, minutes writing, communication with external partners, budget-related support tasks;

• Represent ICLEI at events and present the organization and its work;

We are looking for a new colleague to join our Events and Project Communications team with the following experience, skills and character:

• Relevant academic degree, ideally in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, political science, international relations, or a related field and a strong interest in sustainable development.

• At least one year professional experience in a similar position related to developing and organizing events or delivering impactful communications activities.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; curious, creative, and independent mindset; able to adapt and self-organize in dynamic, sometimes fast-paced international contexts involving stakeholders from grassroots organizations to government ministries.

• Full computer-literateracy; knowledge of website CMS (Typo3, Drupal or other CMS) as well as Adobe package (InDesign and Premiere) is welcome.

• Proficiency in English (spoken and written); additional languages are an asset.

We offer you the following conditions:  

 • Initial 24 months contract with potential for extension;

• Gross salary according to the Junior Expert position in ICLEI’s salary grid (indicative: EUR 41.700-44.300 per annum);

• Place of work: Freiburg (Germany);

• 40h working week with flexible working time and the possibility to work up to 50% from outside the office ; 80% working arrangement possible;

• 6 weeks of paid leave per annum;

• Working language is English;

• Occasional travel within Europe is foreseen.

ICLEI Europe’s hiring policy is geared to ensure that the organisation hires employees without regard to their colour, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital status, socio-economic background or sexual orientation. ICLEI’s policy is that applicants for employment and career progression are considered solely based on their qualifications and competencies.

Please note that applicants must – due to legal reasons – hold EU citizenship or valid EU residence permit and a valid German work permit. Applications not meeting these conditions can unfortunately not be considered.