Communication and Impact Officer

Communication and Impact Officer

Energy Community

Vienna, Austria

The Energy Community Secretariat is an institution set up under the Treaty establishing the Energy Community (the "Treaty"). The Energy Community is an International Organization with its seat in Vienna. The Secretariat has overall monitoring, coordinating and administrative functions in regard with the implementation of the Treaty by the Parties to the Treaty.

Based on the ongoing Energy Community Work Program, the Secretariat looks for a professional who is interested in an engagement opportunity at a position of COMMUNICATION AND IMPACT OFFICER (ref.:ECS/04/2025).

Under the supervision of the Director, the Communication and Impact Officer has the following main responsibilities:

• Serve as the spokesperson for the organization, representing our activities, achievements, and initiatives to the media, stakeholders, and the public;
• Proactively build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets’ representatives;
• Manage social media accounts to ensure timely and engaging content to build a target audience for each social channel;
• Respond promptly and effectively to media inquiries, serving as the point of contact for all media-related issues, and coordinate interviews;
• Create compelling written content, including press releases, articles, and other written materials to disseminate information about our organization's activities; achievements, and initiatives;
• Ensure that key messages align with the organization's overall communication strategy;
• Develop speeches and assist in the coordination of the talking points for the Director;
• Stay ahead of current events and ensure timely publication of relevant content;
• Participate in internal meetings to stay informed and aligned with key updates;
• Actively collaborate with internal units to identify impactful stories and key messages to be shared across various communication channels;
• Effectively identify and prioritize the most urgent communication needs;
• Accompany the Director in various events, conferences, and other relevant locations.

Requirements

The role requires a strong service-oriented approach, emphasizing data confidentiality and professional ethics. Proficiency in interpersonal and communication skills is vital for collaborating in diverse work settings and engaging with various stakeholders.

Core values and competencies:

• Professionalism: Demonstrates a high level of competence and ethical conduct in all tasks and interactions;
• Integrity: Consistently upholds the organization's core values and principles in all actions;
• Diversity: Respects and values diverse perspectives and contributions, fostering an inclusive work environment;
• Commitment: Actively contributes to the attainment of organizational objectives;
• Accountability: Takes ownership of both individual and delegated responsibilities, ensuring their successful completion;
• Collaboration: Effectively collaborates with colleagues to achieve shared goals and fosters a positive, trust-based working atmosphere;
• Result-oriented: Drives efforts toward achieving concrete outcomes and measurable results.

Selection criteria

Eligibility criteria:

• Citizenship of either EU Member States or of any Contracting Party to the Treaty¹;
• Physical capability to fulfil the responsibilities associated with the position²;
• University degree in journalism, communications, or a closely related field;
• At least 3 years of professional experience in media relations;
• Strong media relations skills in international context, securing media coverage, and managing media inquiries;
• Proven experience in managing successfully social media (e.g. X, Facebook, LinkedIn);
• Strong copywriting ability for multiple platforms and audiences (e.g. speeches, articles, reports, social media, website, newsletters);
• Ability to translate complex information into clear and engaging messages for diverse audiences;
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines;
• Proficient English language skills, both oral and written, preference will be given to near- native and native English speakers.

Supplementary criteria:

• Experience in journalism (clearly specify employer and role details in CV);
• Experience as a spokesperson (clearly specify employer and role details in CV);
• Experience in media relations in energy, climate or environment;
• Demonstrated impact on social media growth and engagement (clearly specify in the portfolio how the social media presence of an organization, media outlet, or project was improved, such as increased followers, engagement rate, or content reach, with data or examples).

Employment contract

The Communication and Impact Officer will be offered a contract for three years, with a probation period of 6 months, which may be renewed³. The duty station is in Vienna, Austria.

The salary ranges are defined by the Energy Community budget. For this position, the Energy Community Secretariat offers a tax-exempted salary of EUR 4.831. The final remuneration will be determined based on qualifications, experience, and outcome of the recruitment process.

Other benefits consist of:

• 30 annual leave days per calendar year, as well as the official national holidays of the duty station;
• Up to three work from home days per calendar month;
• Accident insurance fee coverage of 100%;
• Health insurance scheme in the form of a monthly reimbursement of up to EUR 500 of the actual cost of the individual health prime;
• Coverage of individual development and trainings in line with performance appraisal report.

The terms and conditions of employment adhere to the provisions outlined in the Energy Community Staff Regulations.

The commencement date of the employment is expected to be as soon as possible, preferably in May 2025.

Selection procedure and next steps

According to Article 69 of the Treaty, the Director selects and appoints the staff of the Secretariat.

The Director will be supported in the selection procedure by a Selection Committee established in accordance with item III.15. of the Rules for Recruitment, Working Conditions and Geographical equilibrium of the Secretariat’s staff of the Energy Community. The Selection Committee will agree on the shortlist of candidates meeting best the selection criteria as referred to in this vacancy notice.

Shortlisted candidates are expected to be invited, in April 2025, for an interview to take place in Vienna at the premises of the Secretariat, unless specified otherwise. They may be also invited to a written test in accordance with Article lll.18 of the Energy Community Recruitment Rules.

Non-discrimination

Any form of discrimination during the selection process is strictly prohibited, regardless of the grounds. All positions are equally accessible to any gender, with no consideration of race or creed. There shall be no favoritism towards specific individuals or nationals from any country, party, or signatory.

Applications and deadline

For applications to be valid, candidates must submit their application using the on-line recruitment form for the position. CV, motivation letter, and a portfolio confirming experience in successful communication by social media, must be attached. The form is available through the Apply Now button below.

Please fill in all the requested fields, avoiding sentences such as “Please find this information on my CV”.

Supporting documents (e.g. certified copies of degrees/diplomas, references, proof of experience, etc.) should not be sent at this point but must be submitted at a later stage of the procedure if requested.

Applications have to be sent by March 30, 2025, 24:00 CET (submission date of recruitment form) at the latest.

Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Data Protection

Please note that your personal data will be stored and processed by the Secretariat in line with and for the period required by the purpose of the recruitment procedure.

For this particular position, a reserve list shall be established. The reserve list shall include short- listed candidates and shall be valid 12 months. The recruitment procedure is deemed to be finalized once the reserve list expires.

The Energy Community Secretariat is committed to protect the right to privacy and has implemented measures to ensure data protection. If you want to learn more or have concerns, please send an email to data-protection@energy-community.org.

Should you encounter difficulties in submitting your application, please, contact recruitment@energy-community.org.

¹ https://www.energy-community.org/legal/treaty.html;
² Any formal appointment shall be subject to certification by a qualified medical practitioner, designated by the Director that the appointee possesses the degree of physical fitness needed for the post, in accordance with Article III.7 of the Energy Community Recruitment Rules;
³ Subject to funds availability.

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