Who we are

Carbon Gap is a climate not-for-profit focused on eliminating the carbon dioxide that’s already heating up the planet. We exist to drive essential climate action by making Europe a leader in carbon removal, working with governments, scientists, NGOs, and businesses to unlock policy support for the full spectrum of carbon removal techniques, storing carbon safely in trees, soils, oceans, rocks, and the built environment.

Joining our team means being at the forefront of a new field of climate action in a new kind of organisation. We’re a young team that’s growing quickly; we’re philanthropically funded and don’t cater to special interests; we have a start-up mentality that lets us move fast and experiment; and we’re committed to being an honest voice for the planet on climate change and carbon removal.

Our mission

Carbon removal, alongside emissions reductions, is absolutely essential to preserving a stable climate. We’re focused on addressing the knowledge, policy, and ambition gaps that are holding us back from a carbon removal ecosystem that delivers real progress on climate change.

European leadership is critical, both for ensuring that carbon removal can reach the scale necessary to achieve global climate goals, and for ensuring that a progressive vision of carbon removal can emerge that is not dominated by fossil or other corporate interests.

Europe needs carbon removal in order to:

1. meet its net-zero targets
2. address its historical emissions that are already in the atmosphere causing warming.

Carbon removal needs Europe because no other region has both the financial muscle and the political will to scale crucial new climate solutions. Europe needs carbon removal, and carbon removal needs Europe, but neither has a a dedicated and honest voice speaking for carbon removal on behalf of the climate. Carbon Gap will be that voice.

The role

Carbon Gap is building a Brussels office and its EU policy team from the ground up, with opportunities at all levels. Our focus is on finding talented, passionate people and creating roles that work for them, offering autonomy, accountability, and direct engagement with policymakers and other stakeholders. We want you to be become a visible and trusted leader in EU climate policy.

We are recruiting several Policy Directors who will lead on a critical area of climate action, taking responsibility for developing and managing policy and advocacy projects, identifying and acting on opportunities for strategic interventions, and contributing to the future growth of the Carbon Gap policy team. You’ll need to be a team player, adapting as priorities change and keeping the needs of people and the planet at the heart of what you do.

Each Policy Director will be directly responsible and accountable for driving one or a number of thematic policy areas, focusing on the areas with the greatest potential impact on developing carbon removal. Immediate priorities include certification, innovation, infrastructure, or support for carbon removal deployment; we will discuss the initial priorities and your long-term interests during the interview process.

Responsibilities

• Working closely with the Carbon Gap leadership team, lead strategy development for your portfolio.
• Lead policy analysis within your portfolio, including analyses of academic and policy research; working closely with the Carbon Gap leadership team, develop policy recommendations.
• Develop and execute an advocacy strategy for Carbon Gap’s policy and legislative goals in your portfolio.
• Develop, expand, and cultivate relationships with EU policymakers, relevant government agencies, and interest groups (including industry, labour, activist groups, ENGOs, and other stakeholders.)
• Working closely with the communications team, lead the production of content within your portfolio, including research insights, policy briefs and reports, memos on emerging policy issues, presentations, press releases, explainers, etc.

What we offer

We take our team’s well-being and professional development seriously. We offer:

• A market-leading compensation and benefits package, bridging the pay gap between non-profit and for-profit roles
• A commitment to work/life balance, with generous holidays and the expectation that you fully disconnect while taking them
• Lots of flexibility within a hybrid working arrangement, with an office in Brussels being set up and regular retreats to come together as a team
• Support for your professional development as part of the Carbon Gap community, with opportunities to lead projects, publish content, learn from leading experts, work directly with policymakers and stakeholders, and take part in conferences and events

This role is full-time (100%); 80% may be an option pending discussion. We believe in the importance of teams working together in-person and prefer that candidates be based in Brussels, but can be flexible. 

Who you are

• You’re committed to climate action. You don’t need to be an expert in carbon removal, but the idea that we can take carbon from the atmosphere, stop climate change, and begin repairing the damage we’ve done to the planet excites you.
• You’re comfortable with new material. Diving into a new field, learning new acronyms and concepts, and digesting scientific papers doesn’t scare you. You want to become a master of new ideas and concepts.
• You make complicated things simple. You have a knack for understanding big, complex issues and distilling them into what your audience needs to know, especially through writing.
• You obsess about the bigger picture. You’re not satisfied unless your work leads to tangible results, and always want to know how what you’re doing now serves the long-term goal.
• You’re a relationship-builder at heart. You proactively make and maintain genuine connections, always looking for ways to help, and work well with diverse groups of people.

📢 Climate change is a race issue and a gender issue. Carbon Gap is dedicated to broadening opportunities for groups that are underrepresented in the climate and carbon removal spaces, and to building an inclusive team where people of different backgrounds can thrive. We strongly encourage applications from people who do not see themselves represented in the current climate ecosystem.

What we are looking for:

• Passion for climate impact and driving climate policy
• 6-8 years of experience in policy research, analysis, development, and/or advocacy in EU affairs, which can include academic research and techno-economic analysis.
• Strong knowledge of climate issues, especially legislation and policy action related to climate and energy, is a big asset. However, we are open to candidates committed to transitioning to climate work.
  • Specific experience with EU climate policy and relevant networks in EU institutions is an asset.
  • Technical knowledge related to carbon removal is an asset.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with an ability to explain complex and technical issues in clear, persuasive language.
• Experience taking initiatives from conception to execution with minimal oversight.
• A big focus on collaboration and the ability to keep multiple stakeholders aligned.
• Some exposure to and comfort with scientific material, whether through education or professional experience, is preferred.
• Fluency in English is required; fluency in other EU languages, especially French and German, is highly desired.

You don't need to meet all the requirements in order to be considered and we know you might need to grow into the role. As long as you feel like this is the right role for you, please don’t hesitate to apply.

Apply now

Apply ASAP via this form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the end of August and we will begin making offers to candidates in early August.

We are dedicated to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

Process

In the application, you will be asked for some basic information, an updated CV, and several short written questions to help us learn more about you.

The next step is an informal conversation with our Head of People to explore your career ambitions and experience, followed by a 2-stage interview process with the Carbon Gap team and, potentially, a final in-person meeting. We will also ask for any work samples you are able to share. You should expect to be tested on your ability to become an effective and innovative leader for Carbon Gap’s mission.

We aim to complete the process in 1-2 weeks. We appreciate that some people require extra time to complete assessments, require alternative application methods, and can also benefit from having interview questions or a guide to the type of questions pre-interview. If there is anything we can do to make our recruitment processes better for you and to allow you to show your best self, let us know.

We are open to any suggestions or requests that you may have and are always looking for innovative ways to assess talent. If you have any questions, please reach out to hannah@carbongap.org.