Doctoral Network Manager on climate litigation

The CLIMALAW project

The bclimate group of the Department of Water & Climate is looking for doctoral network manager for the CLIMALAW MSCA Doctoral Network, to support both the administrative aspects of the network organization, coordinate the content deliverables of the project and support the consortium with content delivery. This position is funded by the EU as a MSCA-DN project.

Key words: project manager, coordination, climate change, climate litigation, PhD students, Horizon Europe, doctoral network.

Recent advancements in climate science now allow for the attribution of historical climate harms to human activities. In addition, increasingly reliable projections of future climate risks on regional and global scales now allow for quantifying the relative contributions of countries and companies to these risks. The CLIMALAW project (Bridging climate science and law for understanding Climate litigation) will significantly develop the integration of climate science and litigation theory and practice by empowering stakeholders to fully tap into the potential of litigation for climate accountability. To this end, the CLIMALAW network will spearhead comprehensive, interdisciplinary training for doctoral candidates that bridges the hitherto disjointed fields of physical climate science and law. The aim is three-fold: fostering interdisciplinarity across climate science and law, training the next generation of climate litigation experts and developing actional information for litigation practice. The interdisciplinary nature of the training and research agenda will cultivate a novel cohort of climate and legal experts, the CLIMALAW DCs, equipped with expertise and knowledge to address the urgent challenges of climate action. CLIMALAW will leave a lasting mark on academia, litigation practice, and society by mainstreaming climate science into climate lawmaking and enforcement and by contributing to the achievement of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals 13 (climate action) and 17 (peace, justice and strong institutions).

The CLIMALAW project official start date is on the 1st of January 2027 and will run for 4 years.

Starting date of the DN manager would ideally be in January 2027.

What is expected?

• Handle all the admin, starting with the hiring process of the 15 doctoral candidates in 12 universities across Europe.
• Support the 15 doctoral candidates throughout the 4 years: administrative, travel, project coordination, event support…
• Support the Coordinator (VUB) on scientific, practical and logistical matters (e.g. organization of project meetings and training schools, communication among project participants, exchanges with the Project Officer and External Advisory Board);
• Ensure compliance with the European Commission’s requirements for project execution;
• Support the design and content of the project website;
• Support VUB and partners in delivering with content objectives;
• Write/support writing expert reports for litigation cases;
• Support content-wise with the climate litigation help desk and lead its development;
• Be a point of contact for litigators;
• Work with lawyers, NGOs… to support research on climate litigation.

What is your profile?

• Holder of a Master’s degree or a PhD;
• Affinity with the research fields of climate science and/or litigation, through studies or research experience in a related field;
• Highly organized, with an aptitude in planning effectively to meet deadlines and an eagerness to maximize project outcomes;
• Ability to work in a high-pressure environment;
• Reliable, with a strong focus on detail;
• Proficiency in written and spoken English;
• Commitment to the project’s objectives, with the intention to bring the project until its closure;
• Good knowledge of EU projects within the Horizon Europe framework is a plus;
• Enjoy working in an international and collaborative research environment.

What do we offer?

• A position for 4 years (12 months contract, extendable following positive evaluation), with a competitive salary and other advantages.
• Time worked on the project (full-time/part-time) open for discussion, depending on your profile and interests, with the possibility to carry on research activities on the side.
• Being hired by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels, Belgium), in the department of Water and Climate (bclimate research group, led by Prof. Dr. Wim Thiery), a dynamic and international environment. Find all the information on VUB’s work environment here.
• International collaborations with world-leading researchers, universities, NGOs and law firms;
• Participation in events and conferences, including in 6 training weeks across Europe (Brussels, Leuven, Pisa, Bern, London, Leipzig).

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career. As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, or compensation if you come by bike;
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work and Ecocheques;
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps;
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone’s talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

If you would like to know more about what’s it’s like to work at the VUB, go to www.jobs.vub.be and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues. 

Are you interested in joining us on this project and make a change?

Make your application with ‘CLIMALAW DN Manager application’ in the email subject. This application should consist of a single PDF document that includes:

1. your CV,
2. a motivation/cover letter (max. 1 page)
3. a copy of your diploma.

Please do not include any other documents at this stage.

Applications are accepted the latest at the 4th of Oktober, but we encourage applications to come in before the final date. Tentative timeline for applications: interview invitations end of September, interviews early October.

If you have any questions on the CLIMALAW project or the DN manager position, don’t hesitate to contact us at bclimate_admin@vub.be, making sure to mention 'CLIMALAW DN Manager' in the subject title.