Cologne | starting as soon as possible | 30-38 hours per week

Who we are

ZOE, the Institute for Future-Fit Economies, is an independent think & do tank active in Germany and in Brussels. We are dedicated to policy-oriented research and evidence-driven advocacy for a future-fit economy. At the interface of politics, research, and civil society in the EU, we develop impulses for an economy that enables people to live well within planetary boundaries.

We are a small team handling all aspects of ZOE’s organisational processes and operations, working to organise ZOEs work processes– in Cologne, Brussels, Berlin and beyond. We value an appreciative atmosphere, close collaboration, and willingness to learn. Further we offer:

A motivating working environment in a small think & do tank that has become an established actor in Brussels in a short space of time

A strategic, agile, value and purpose-oriented working style

Flexibility of working time and place, supporting a healthy work-life-balance

Tasks

The role

In this role, your focus will be on supporting our day-to-day operations. This is an assistant-role within our internal framework, and we envision you to grow gradually into managing our IT systems, equipment, software and helpdesk activities, and taking on more responsibilities over time. Depending on the total amount of working hours and personal preference, this role also involves office management tasks.

Key responsibilities

As part of a motivated and impact-driven team you will carry out a variety of tasks, including:

Software Administration:

• Managing our Microsoft 365 environment, including user accounts and licenses, M365 groups, device management via Endpoint, among others
• Monitoring and documenting our software packages & subscriptions, including budget tracking
• Ensuring up to-date software on all ZOE devices, including testing and rolling out new software; ensuring updates are rolled to users on time and communicated with the team, in collaboration with our external IT partner

Hardware Administration:

• Managing ZOEs hardware pool and inventory, ensuring hardware availability and smooth operations for our offices (Berlin, Brussels, Cologne), as well as remote work settings
• Coordinating repairs when necessary
• Conduct product research and purchasing in collaboration with our Operations team

IT Support, Project Work and Knowledge Sharing:

• Coordinating IT support to the organisation in collaboration with an external partner
• Creating and updating written guidelines and manuals for hardware and software use
• Ensuring ZOEs IT security & data compliance in collaboration with our partner agency
• Support reviewing internal organisational processes with ZOEs Operations Team

Administrative Support for ZOE’s offices:

• Overseeing general office management tasks, ensuring compliance with house rules and company policies.
• Providing office management support to maintain a smooth and efficient office environment

Requirements

Core competences

We are looking for people that share our core principles: value-orientation, sustainability, agility, self-organisation. Your profile would include the following skills, background, and knowledge:

• Previous experience with Microsoft 365; especially Teams, Sharepoint and One Drive
• Previous experience in IT support and/or IT security
• Professional working proficiency in both English and German
• Agile mindset and problem-solving attitude, affinity for software and digital working environments

Ability to prioritise tasks

• In addition, the following competencies will be an asset:
• Experience with the technical administration of hosting solutions, cloud services, etc.
• Good communication skills and enthusiasm for communicating IT topics in an easily understandable way
• Familiarity with sustainability topics (i.e. in procurement), circularity, etc.

Benefits

Conditions

We are looking for someone to join our team for 30-38 hours per week. The position will start by the 1st December. This role involves the option to work remotely. However, please note that the completion of the tasks requires your regular presence in our office in Cologne.

The gross monthly salary for full-time (38 hours) is 2.230 - 2580 euros, prorated for fewer hours. The remuneration for this position is based on our internal salary framework, informed by the collective agreement of the public service of the Länder. For a full-time position, 30 holiday days are offered for 1 calendar year.

Initially, the contract will be limited to 6 months with the possibility of extension to one year– however as the position is intended to contribute to the long-term development of the organization, we are looking forward to a permanent cooperation.

Diversity

We believe that our society’s behaviour disproportionately hurts the most marginalised people – including people of colour, people from working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, women and LGBTIQ people. We are committed to challenge this through our work for socially just development and by creating a diverse workplace at our organisation. Hence, we strongly encourage applications from people who are members of marginalised communities.

We are continuously accepting applications and encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Please send: a) your CV (max 3 pages), and b) a motivation letter (400–500 words) explaining why you would like to work with ZOE Institute. Please do not attach a photo to your application. Please state "IT & Business Administrator” in the subject line. If we shortlist you for an interview, we will get back to you as soon as possible with dates for an online interview.