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WE'RE HIRING! 

Network Coordinator

About us

The mission of Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) is to empower communities in order to redesign our relationship with resources. We campaign for zero waste strategies in Europe and beyond, and support local groups and change agents who have the potential to drive change in their region. Currently, ZWE is the only pan-European organisation specialising in waste issues from prevention to disposal and on local, national and European levels. ZWE is the European chapter of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).

ZWE is an independent, nonprofit association created in late 2013 in the Netherlands aiming to: 

  • Promote zero waste strategies in Europe and elsewhere; 
  • Act as a catalyst for European good practices in the field of circular economy, waste and resources; 
  • Empower local groups to develop community-based strategies for the prevention, reduction, separation, recycling, and composting of waste; 
  • Promote a responsible treatment of waste and prevention of non-sustainable solutions such as landfilling and incineration; 
  • Increase awareness about the health effects of the current economy of waste disposal, and promote non-toxic alternatives; 
  • Promote environmental and social justice.

We are a successful and fast-growing NGO where personal development, fairness and inclusiveness are high on the agenda. 

About you

You are a highly motivated individual with excellent communications skills, who displays leadership qualities while being service oriented towards ZWE members. You are the driving force behind the network of groups and NGOs, with the purpose of making Europe zero waste. You are an intuitive, passionate, organised person, knowledgeable about strategy development and with experience in network building at the international level. You know how to build a strategy, identify stakeholders and build a trustful relationship with them. You are at your best when acting as the hub of the network, fostering alignment between the organisation, the members and the stakeholders. You are very good at identifying challenges and opportunities and finding creative solutions quickly. You excel at personal relations and enjoy teamwork; you are capable of running different tasks simultaneously and like working in an international environment. 

About the role

The Network Coordinator will lead our efforts to maintain, grow and engage a network of groups and NGOs, with the purpose of making Europe zero waste. Their core responsibilities will be to:

  • Overall network development strategy:
    • Set up, maintain and continuously improve structures that allow for organic and healthy growth of ZWE network whilst nurturing existing membership
    • Lead on the development and implementation of the Network Strengthening Plan 2022-2024 in line with ZWE new Strategic Framework 
    • Be the driving force behind a member-centric approach at ZWE 
    • Proactively contribute to the development of ZWE fundraising strategy targeted to support joint campaigning and members’ work, facilitating the flow of information between members and ZWE team
  • Membership coordination and development: 
  • Develop the network further, ensuring integration and long-lasting relationship building. This work will include:
    • Manage relationships with ZWE members, providing support and maximising potential synergies and opportunities for collaboration
    • Build the capacity of ZWE to work effectively as a network organisation, by creating infrastructure and systems to facilitate members’ engagement and communication and providing guidance to the ZWE team
    • Design and support the creation of collaboration and peer-learning spaces, and lead on implementation of capacity-building opportunities 
    • Identify and engage with relevant organisations to be part of ZWE
  • Define, implement and manage the application and onboarding processes of applicant organisations - associate and full members.
  • Lead the organisation of ZWE members governance and strategy events, including our Annual General Meetings and strategy meetings, according to the strategic plans and goals, being responsible for the overall project management and implementation
  • Lead on supporting the development and consolidation of the national alliances within ZWE, from governance and strategy perspective 
  • Represent European network building and coordination in the global GAIA network to facilitate cross-regional cooperation; and co-lead on creation of cross-regional collaboration and peer-learning spaces for GAIA members
  • Oversee the membership administration, including financial contributions of members

Person specification

Experience 

Essential

  • Experience in leading the development, coordination and engagement of a civil society network or relevant equivalent
  • Experience in capacity building and training, leading and organising engaging meetings and events
  • Proven track record of successful project management 
  • Excellent communication and persuasion skills, including proven writing skills
  • Experience in working with people from different cultures and nationalities in a way that facilitates conflict prevention and values community wisdom

Desirable

  • Experience with social/environmental campaigning with NGOs or non-profit sector at the local or international level 
  • Experience with facilitation and strategic planning processes with the non-profit sector at international level
  • Experience with project and events management, including budgeting and fundraising, at international level

Knowledge, skills and understanding 

Essential

  • Excellent command in English (spoken and written), as well as ability to work with non-native English speakers
  • Understanding of functioning of the EU institutions

Desirable

  • A university degree in social or political science, environmental governance or other relevant field
  • Knowledge on environmental issues, in the field of resource & waste management, climate or environmental justice
  • Training (or proven experience) on facilitation
  • Other languages, apart from English are a plus
  • Solid IT competences with collaborative tools (Google Drive, Slack, Trello)

Personal qualities

Essential

  • Outstanding communication and interpersonal abilities 
  • Initiative, self-motivation and team player
  • Problem-solving attitude and results-oriented
  • Commitment to accuracy, efficiency and a high standard of work
  • Ability and willingness to use initiative and take decisions under pressure and uncertainty
  • A strong commitment to Zero Waste Europe’s ethos and network structures
  • Willingness to work with flexible schedule, as required 

Location, Compensation and Work Environment

This is a full-time position and is Brussels based. The initial contract will be closed for a one-year period, with a likelihood to be extended into a long term contract depending on available funding. A valid working permit for Belgium is required. 

We offer a competitive NGO salary plus benefits, including lunch vouchers (8eur/day), a 13th month, 20 vacation days plus 4-10 extra-legal holidays, travel insurance, health insurance, additional maternity/paternity leave, and other similar employment protections. Further to this we also offer a flexible working environment, including hybrid working for all staff, with guidance set at 50/50 home / office working.

Salary will be negotiated according to a transparent bandwidth defined by the internal salary policy of the organisation and depending on your skills and experience. 

We take pride in our ability to support one another's work in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect, and look forward to introducing the successful candidate to our welcoming and highly motivated team and network members.

Start date: As soon as possible. 

Equal Employment opportunity

ZWE is committed to the principle of Equal Employment Opportunity for all employees, regardless of sex, marital status, nationality, religion, age, sexual orientation and any other characteristics unrelated to the performance of the job.

TO APPLY:

Please send your CV, motivation letter with two references in English (all merged into a single PDF document) by filling in the appropriate form on the Zero Waste Europe website (“Work With Us” page): https://zerowasteeurope.eu/join-us/work-with-us. Please note that only the applications sent via this form will be taken into account. We can only guarantee that short-listed candidates will be contacted. Position remains open until filled. 

Deadline to apply: December 15, 2021, at 23:59 CET.

Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. We encourage potential candidates to submit their applications when ready, and not to wait until the final deadline. Our 2-round interview process will include an assignment for selected candidates.

this job offer is not open for applications