Head of the Sustainable Development Division

About the position:

The mission of the EssentialTech Centre is to harness science and technology to drive sustainable development, humanitarian action and peace.

In this position, you will lead the Sustainable Development Division of the EssentialTech Centre, whose main focus is to fight extreme poverty and inequalities. You will be responsible for supervising and for developing/growing the Division’s activities, in close collaboration with research labs on the one hand, and sustainable development actors and beneficiaries on the other hand.

Your mission:

Main duties and responsibilities include:

As the leader of the Sustainable Development Division, your role is to:

• Supervise ongoing projects and the respective project managers running these projects.
• Lead the initiation of new interdisciplinary projects that contribute to sustainable development, as well as the creation of the relevant partnerships, and raising the funds for the projects.
• Conduct research on Sustainable Development Engineering methodologies, as well as the development of tools and methodologies for monitoring and evaluating impact of projects. Publish the outcomes in leading journals.
• Provide guidance to the projects in the Division towards maximising their potential impact upon deployment in the field.
• Participate in the teaching activities of the EssentialTech Centre.
• Provide expertise and guidance to EPFL labs that are interested in partnering with Sustainable Development Actors on the one hand, and to Sustainable Development Actors interested in science and technology innovation on the other hand.

Your profile:

• PhD in Science and Technology.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in Sustainable Development.
• Confirmed leadership capabilities with a talent to motivate transversally. The candidate must be a team player.
• Proven experience in science and technology research, entrepreneurship or industry.
• Proven experience in leading multi-stakeholder projects. Facilitating negotiations between stakeholders with different motivations and aims.
• Fluent in English and French, as well as a great capacity to communicate and inspire, both in speaking and in writing.
• Access to large contact network for fundraising and support for project development.
• High personal drive and self-motivation in the event of difficult challenges and hurdles.
• Readiness to travel to low-income countries.

We offer:

• A position allowing a good autonomy within a multidisciplinary team.
• Work in a stimulating environment in contact with EPFL laboratories and other universities / institutions in Switzerland and abroad.
• A possibility to grow and expand your work a in a new field at the frontier between science, technology and development.

Start date: May 2022

Work rate: 100%