Future Earth vacancy: Secretariat Global Hub Director (Paris)

Location

Paris (France)

Closing date

10 April 2018

The Future Earth initiative

The challenges facing the planet and its people today are vast and complex. Coral reefs and rainforests are disappearing, global temperatures are rising and in societies around the globe, inequality is soaring. At Future Earth, we are convinced that the only way to accelerate transformations to a more sustainable and equitable planet is for the world to draw on its collective knowledge. We build on our global network of thousands of researchers to spark and guide scientific inquiry on the planet’s land, air and water – and the people and biodiversity that depend on them for their survival. We also recognise that the research community on its own cannot adequately address these challenges. That is why we also collaborate with innovators in policy, business and civil society to generate research that meets society’s needs. We believe that only by working together can science and society shape and harness knowledge that is more than just the sum of its parts – knowledge that can empower people around the world to transform their communities and environment in sustainable and equitable ways.

Future Earth builds on the scientific legacy of its 20 Global Research Projects to accelerate transformations to sustainability through research and innovation. We are a major international convenor that fosters a culture of an engaged research based on the co-design and co-production of knowledge and tools. We work to incorporate the latest research findings into government, business and community decisions and policies. The Global Carbon Project’s annual projections of greenhouse gas emissions, for example, have helped to shape the targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change. We experiment in generating new ideas, innovations, and collaborations. In that vein, we are working with tech companies to develop new approaches to reducing carbon emissions. We also foster networks of early career researchers and other innovators, encouraging new ways of thinking about how sustainability research and practice gets done.

A globally distributed Secretariat

Under the leadership of the Governing Council, Future Earth has completed its start-up phase with an Advisory Committee, and a fully operational Secretariat. The architecture of the Secretariat is unusual in its global distribution. It encompasses five global hubs located in five different countries: the US (Colorado), Canada (Montreal), Japan (Tokyo), Sweden (Stockholm) and France (Paris), connected through a dynamic network that includes regional centres and partner organisations. While distributed on three continents, the Secretariat operates as a single entity under the direction of an Executive Team (composed of the Hub Directors and the Executive Director).

Future Earth’s mission is to accelerate transformations to global sustainability through research and innovation. To achieve this mission, the Secretariat fosters and coordinates activities that aim to facilitate and amplify research, convene and mobilise networks, spark and promote innovation and turn knowledge into action. 

The Paris Hub

The French funding consortium for Future Earth is composed of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESRI), the French National Alliance for Research on Environment (AllEnvi), the French National Funding Agency (ANR), and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).

The Paris Hub is administered by CNRS and hosted on the Campus Pierre et Marie Curie of Sorbonne University. It is currently composed of a Global Hub Director, a Hub Manager, 3 Scientific Officers and an Administrative Officer

The Paris Hub is currently involved particularly in four Knowledge-Action Networks, which focus on the nexus between water food and energy, on natural assets, on risks, and on ocean sustainability. In addition, it is instrumental in facilitating the interactions between the Future Earth community and WCRP, IPCC and UNFCCC.

Role and responsibilities

Like the other Global Hub Directors, the Director of the Paris Hub reports to the Executive Director and is a member of the Executive Team of the Future Earth Secretariat, sharing collective responsibility to deliver the organisation's strategy and vision.

Locally, the Paris Global Hub Director is responsible for raising new funds for Future Earth activities and the Paris Hub. In close collaboration with the Paris Hub Manager, she/he ensures that the Paris team is fully connected to the other Hubs and works towards Future Earth’s global goals.

We are seeking an experienced leader with a strong international profile, who will:

• Contribute to ensuring integration across the hubs to achieve optimal collaboration, communication and cooperation between the various parts of the headquarters team
• Support the Future Earth staff in achieving strategic and programmatic objectives, and develop new projects
• Raise the profile of the organisation among key stakeholders, including the private sector
• Develop and grow key partnerships and relationships
• Develop new funding streams

Candidate qualifications

• University degree (Ph.D. or equivalent)
• Understanding of global environmental change and sustainability issues; integrated systems thinking on socio-environmental interactions and sustainable solutions
• 10+years of experience in leadership positions and/or as part of the executive team of an international organisation or research institution
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders
• Strategic thinker with strong project management skills
• Proven track record in fundraising
• Excellent communications and presentation skills
• Full command of written and spoken English; working knowledge of French and/or other languages is considered an advantage

Conditions

The position is a three-year appointment, commencing on 1 September 2018, with the possibility of extension subject to satisfactory performance. The contracting mechanism will be discussed with the selected candidate. Salary will be commensurate with the skills and experience of the successful candidate according to French salary scales.

Application procedure

Recruitment is carried out on behalf of the French funding consortium for Future Earth. Applicants to the Global Hub Director position in Paris are requested to submit a Curriculum Vitae, together with a cover letter describing their vision for Future Earth, the challenges and opportunities they foresee and how their skills and experience would help them meet the requirements of the role. Please also include the name and contact details of three referees and details of current salary.  Applications (preferably in one combined PDF file) should be sent via email with ‘Paris Global Hub Director’ in the subject line to pascale.braconnot@lsce.ipsl.fr. The closing date for applications is 10 April 2018, 23.59 CET. In person interviews will be held in Paris.  Further details on the Future Earth secretariat and the Global Hub Director position are available on request