Project Manager, Water industries and pollution – European Environment Agency (EEA)

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is organising an open competition with a view to recruiting a contract agent to work as Project Manager within the area of assessments of impacts and measures from water industries and utilities regarding water pollution (chemicals and nutrients) and further with a view to establishing a reserve list.

The EEA is an Agency of the European Union (EU) and one of the decentralised Union bodies. The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment, through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy-making agents and the public.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Under the responsibility of the Head of the Water Group, reporting to the Head of Natural Systems and Vulnerability Programme (NSV), the Project Manager will lead work on assessments on water pollution and chemicals. This shall include assessments using information coming from Member States, water utilities (also via legislation) and water industries, as well as the assessment of technological innovation and resource efficiency approaches in the programme of measures under the water Framework directive (WFD).

Water pollution by the different sectorial drivers via point and diffuse sources is still a major problem for the quality of European water ecosystems. The measures taken and implemented by actors like water utilities and water industries is a very important part of any water management, river basin management plans on national level and a major objective of European water policies. Even though the pollution with nutrients and hazardous substances have markedly improved, both remain a problem for many water bodies; nowadays emerging substances like endocrine disruptors or nanoparticles are of high concern for water managers. To tackle those new challenges a rethinking of water management is needed using new approaches and innovations in water technologies, water resource efficiency or e.g. in the water/energy nexus.

The successful candidate is an experienced professional, creative and motivated by environmental matters at large, has very good knowledge in water technologies and chemicals in water, connecting with the respective networks to enable comprehensive assessments. The candidate is able to help further improvement in the necessary information and knowledge base on water-related issues, and possesses a deep understanding of the water area and its complex legislation.

The position will entail the following tasks:

• Leading on integrated assessments of water pollution and emissions to water, their trends and related water management practice. This will be done by building on the information EEA holds under the different legal reporting streams and other voluntary contributions from key partners;
• Improve corresponding indicators that analyse key trends in reports, and their corresponding fact sheets and concise briefings;
• With assistance of the experts on data and information systems and with the help of the EEA European Topic Centre, be responsible for maintaining and improving the content of the knowledge-base for assessments, and fostering the information exchange between partners as well as its targeted dissemination;
• Maintain and develop the network with key stakeholders in the field like water utilities, water industries, and their respective associations as well as with Member States and the Commission (e.g. the DGs ENV, RTD, JRC and Eurostat);
• Representing EEA in the policy work related to chemicals in water, emissions, UWWT, the industry water directives and the EIONET;
• Manage and communicate with the different capacities outside EEA (ETC’s, contractors and consultancies also in EU Water Framework Directive context) to integrate the complex work;
• Organise meetings and workshops with experts from across Europe (including the EIONET) in the field of expertise.

The place of work will be Copenhagen, Denmark.

Closing date for application: Monday 15 December 2014, at 12.00 (Central European Time)

Read more and apply here.