Careers

Our think tank’s most important asset is our people. We value our extraordinary, inspiring, diverse and unique resources. We recruit people from a wide variety of professions and backgrounds, at different stages of their careers.

In addition to applications for advertised positions, CERRE welcomes spontaneous expressions of interest from academic researchers. For more information, please contact us at Recruitment@cerre.eu.

Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) is recruiting a Director – Energy, Mobility & Sustainability

A senior leadership role within one of Europe’s leading think tanks

The Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) is a respected Brussels-based European think tank. Its 55+ membership includes major energy, internet, telecom, media and mobility companies, as well as national regulatory authorities and prestigious university centres, from Europe and beyond.

CERRE’s mission is to contribute, in full academic independence, to ever better regulation in the above sectors. CERRE’s academic team includes many of the best experts in their respective discipline and area of expertise. This allows the think tank to deliver timely and relevant policy recommendations on its reports and issue papers, as well as dissemination activities (conferences, seminars, workshops, etc.), both deliverables being read and/or attended by senior level public officials, corporate executives and academics.

About the role

Amid its exciting on-going growth, CERRE is looking for a senior, dynamic, and well connected professional who will be heading its energy-, mobility- and sustainability-related activities. This is a senior position reporting to the Executive Chairman.
Starting date: as soon as possible.

Responsibilities

Driving CERRE positioning on energy, mobility and sustainability (EMS) in cooperation with the senior academic staff and the corporate and regulatory members;
Managing relationships with CERRE’s EMS members, academics, and institutional stakeholders;
Overseeing CERRE’s programmes of activities in EMS as well as at cross-sector level, and actively support the identification of novel, relevant and timely research projects, issue papers, policy papers and dissemination activities;
Bringing in new members and securing members’ involvement and financial support to the above projects and activities;
Managing the EMS team and collaborating closely with colleagues from the CERRE secretariat;
Overlooking the timely implementation of projects and activities in close collaboration with the Academic and Research Directors, the Head of Delivery and Tendering, and the Director of Communications;
As a member of the senior team, playing a key part in the definition and implementation of CERRE’s general development strategies and activities.

Profile

10-15+ year executive experience of energy, climate and ideally mobility and sustainability policy, and regulation developed in an energy supplier, a TSO or DSO, a regulator, a think tank, a consultancy or a trade organisation. Other equivalent experiences could, however, be considered.
Very good knowledge and understanding of EU energy/climate (and ideally mobility and sustainability) policies and regulation,
Previous academic work or publications in the EMS field are a plus,
A rich network of contacts at senior and operational levels among key relevant corporate, regulatory, policy and association players on the European scene, as well as good understanding of the latter’s functioning.
Evidence of achievements (and completion of objectives) in his/her various activities including the management of a business unit, or the equivalent in the non-profit sector.
Clear, fluent and concise analytical and (oral and written) communication skills, including a proven ability to address small as well as larger audiences, and media interlocutors.
Ability to work as part of a small and dynamic team (currently 15 people in the head office and 30+ academic resources being based in their respective universities).
Strong people management skills, diplomacy and tact allowing her/him to be recognised as a pleasant, respected colleague and/or natural speaking partner by top and senior management of current and prospective members, by third parties (including in particular EU officials) and by the CERRE staff including the (most often senior) academic resources.
Demanding standards for his/her own work and deliverables as well as for his/her colleagues’, including a keen eye for detail.
Positive, ambitious, resilient and solutions focused.

Languages

Fluent written and spoken English; French is a plus

Location

Brussels (Avenue Louise / Abbaye de la Cambre / Avenue Legrand)
This is not a remote position.

Salary

A competitive package is being offered

Application

Send your CV and motivation letter to Maryse.Fernemont@cerre.eu, with the subject line: “APPLICATION: Director, Energy”.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible as review of applications will begin immediately.

Note: only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Opportunity for Collaboration for Experienced Researchers in Energy or Mobility Regulation

CERRE, the Centre on Regulation in Europe, is a leading European think tank committed to providing top-quality, policy-relevant research in the fields of regulation in energy, mobility, and the digital economy. We are currently seeking outstanding and experienced researchers – economists, lawyers, engineers, political scientists – ad minimum at post-doc level, in the fields of energy and mobility regulation to join our interdisciplinary academic network.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to contribute to CERRE’s high-impact research projects, which inform and shape European policy and regulation. We welcome applications from scholars with a strong track record in energy and/or mobility regulation who are eager to engage in applied research and work closely with policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders from EU Member States, and third countries. Working with CERRE’s Energy, Mobility and Sustainability (EMS) practice encompasses contributing to research projects and multi-stakeholder discussions. Current focus areas include energy governance, sector coupling, security of supply and resilience frameworks, AI & energy, EVs and system flexibility, shared mobility, mobility data sharing, regulatory innovation in mobility and more.

Tasks and Responsibilities

As a researcher, you will:

Conduct original research and co-publish multidisciplinary CERRE reports and issue papers on a project basis;
Contribute under the guidance of the CERRE Secretariat and Academic leadership to the development of the CERRE Research Programme;
Engage with our membership community, composed of national regulatory agencies, universities and industry stakeholders, and actively participate in structured workshops, in relation to your research;
Participate in CERRE Academic Council meetings with an international academic community;
Present your findings at CERRE events in Brussels, at relevant conferences and policy debates;
Help prepare press releases or blogs to help disseminate your research findings;
Respond to media requests.

Who you are

You are a researcher with affiliation to a leading university in the fields of law, economics, engineering, or political science, with a specialisation in either energy or mobility regulation. Knowledge of related/relevant digital regulation is a plus. You have:

A solid track record of relevant high-quality research and publications in peer-reviewed journals;
A proven ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to non-academic audiences;
The ability to work autonomously and deliver within defined project timelines;
The skills to formulate policy recommendations aimed at contributing to current policy debates in Europe;
A willingness to engage in interdisciplinary work and, as such, to collaborate with CERRE’s Tech, Media and Telecom (TMT) practice;
A collaborative mindset to work effectively with an international, multidisciplinary team.

The ideal candidate will have:

Strong academic background in law, economics, engineering, political science or adjacent disciplines, combined with demonstrated expertise in at least one of CERRE’s focus areas;
Excellent command of English, both written and spoken;
Academic rank: from post-PhD researcher to Full Professor;
Experience in advising regulatory authorities, European institutions, or industry stakeholders is considered an asset.

Collaboration Framework and Compensation

The collaboration offers an opportunity to join a think tank’s academic community and to contribute on a project basis to CERRE’s research output with the (co-)authorship of policy reports and issue papers, as well as active involvement in CERRE’s dissemination efforts. Compensation is based on CERRE’s academic remuneration scale, which takes account of seniority and experience.

Please note that this is not a full-time position. Engagements are project-based, and researchers contribute on a flexible, non-exclusive basis.

How to apply

To apply, the following information should be submitted to ems@cerre.eu (in English):

A curriculum vitae (CV)
A one-page cover letter
A sample of written research (e.g. a policy or project report, an academic article, or a research thesis). Sole-author pieces are preferred.

Selected candidates will be invited to contribute as co-authors. Upon successful collaboration, CERRE may consider appointing candidates as Research Fellows, based on a recommendation from the academic leadership.

Further questions/enquiries regarding the position can be emailed to ems@cerre.eu.