Job location: Brussels / Belgium (flexible working environment but Brussels-based)  

Reports to: Senior Policy Manager, Energy Systems 

Employment Type: Full-time, one-year contract (CDD) 

Start Date: As soon as possible (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early) 

About Bellona

Bellona Europa is an independent, non-profit organisation that meets environmental and climate challenges head on. We are solutions-oriented and have a comprehensive and cross-sectoral approach to assess the economics, climate impacts and technical feasibility of necessary climate actions. To do this, we work with civil society, academia, governments, institutions, and industries.     

Achieving climate neutrality in the EU by 2050 requires radical cuts in emissions in every sector of the economy. It is crucial to enable and incentivise a just and green transition by creating, ensuring and safeguarding well-functioning sustainable markets in line with net-zero by 2050. For Bellona, this is crucial across topical areas such as renewables deployment, grids, hydrogen, CO₂ capture and storage, carbon dioxide removal and lead markets for low-carbon products.  

As an environmental organisation, Bellona Europa has always been at the forefront of environmental innovation and industrial decarbonisation. Being a group of evidence-based environmentalists, our goal is to implement new, more sustainable actions to rapidly reduce manmade climate breakdown. We advocate for pragmatic approaches that deliver the greatest impact, today and tomorrow. As a watchdog against greenwashing, unafraid to address contentious issues, we also endeavour to cooperate with all stakeholders interested and serious in delivering immediate climate action.  

From our Oslo and Brussels Offices, and more recently Berlin and Vilnius offices, we have been advocating for transformative climate action for decades.  

Bellona Europa is currently seeking to engage a highly motivated and qualified professional to join our team as “Research Adviser Energy Systems”. The selected applicant will possess proven technical or techno-economic expertise in hydrogen and/or electricity and be interested in developing their work both at EU and national level.  

Key Responsibilities

• Energy policy analysis: Produce technical analysis relevant to energy systems: 
  • Hydrogen. Analysis on issues such as: 
    • Estimations on hydrogen production costs and volumes, including consideration of resource requirements for hydrogen production, such as raw materials and electricity. 
    • Estimations on hydrogen supply required from no-regret sectors, including timelines. Comparison with energy needs of sectors like heating and cooling, and SAF and other transport applications.  
    • Infrastructure needs for hydrogen. 
    • Carbon footprint of different types of hydrogen. 
  • Electricity system. Analysis on topics such as:
    • Market design, the risk of cannibalising of renewables by hydrogen production, PPA design and contribution to decarbonisation, energy efficiency measures, additional demand from heating and cooling sector, or flexibility of industrial processes. 
    • Interpret the results of the analysis to inform Bellona Europa’s science-based positions and recommendations. 

• Advocacy outreach.
  • Contribute to the monitoring of developments in energy systems, participate in the production of briefings, reports and other written pieces on energy systems related topics and convey recommendations to policy makers (e.g., with regards to the European Commission’s delegated acts setting additionality rules for renewable hydrogen and methodologies for greenhouse gas emissions calculation, and upcoming policy legislative initiatives on electricity grid development and industrial decarbonisation). 

• Contribute to the formulation and implementation of Bellona’s strategy on energy systems. 

• Collaborate with Bellona’s staff in Brussels and other offices, as well as in other workstreams beyond energy systems as necessary. 

• Represent Bellona in relevant meetings, conferences, working groups and events. 

• Connect and collaborate with academia, the scientific community, other civil society experts, industry associations and other stakeholders. 

• Ensure project/grant deliverables and funding requirements are being met where relevant for the role. 

• Provide strategic direction on the workstream and see out funding opportunities to expand where relevant and appropriate for the role. 

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Economics, or related technical field. A Master’s degree is advantageous. 

• Experience: Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in the key responsibilities outlined above. Academic experience could also be considered if combined with a PhD degree. 

• Skills: 

• Fluency in English is required; fluency in other major European languages is advantageous. 

• Strong understanding of energy systems and global sustainability challenges. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

• Solid planning and analytical skills. 

• Ability to collaborate effectively in a multicultural and decentralised environment. 

• Ability to work autonomously. 

• Eligibility to work and reside in Belgium/in the EU (Bellona is unable to sponsor a work visa). 

• Some international travel may be required for this position. 

These requirements are meant to be indicative not prescriptive. We encourage applications from candidates who have similar qualifications, even if they do not fulfil all of the above.  

What we offer

We offer an initial one-year contract full time (38 hours a week) with a competitive NGO salary package with various employee benefits (monthly telework allowance, meals vouchers, flexitime, phone and internet bill reimbursement, and public transportation/cycling compensation) and continuous internal learning in the role. Bellona promotes a multicultural, flexible, inclusive, and collaborative work environment.  

How to Apply

Please send us your application respecting the following instructions: One PDF document including both your cover letter (1 page max) and your CV (2 pages max). Please include a publications list with links in your CV if applicable. Your PDF file should be named as follows: surname_name.pdf. Please send your application by email to our HR mailbox hr@bellona.org to the attention of Guillermo Ramo (Senior Policy Manager, Energy System) indicating “Research Advisor Energy Systems vacancy” in the subject line, by 27 April 2025 at 23:59 CET at the latest. Kindly indicate where you found our vacancy. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early.    

We thank you in advance for your application and your interest in this position. While we try to respond to every applicant, if many applications are received, we may not be able to do so. If you receive no feedback within 4 weeks after applying, please consider you have not been selected.