The Kühne Foundation was established in 1976 by the Kühne family and is one of the largest foundations in the German-speaking world. Based in Schindellegi, Switzerland, it is involved in the areas of logistics, medicine, culture and, since the beginning of 2023, climate action. The Foundation is independent, operational and international.
The Kühne Foundation's work on climate action aims to help decouple the growth of prosperity from greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to a just, low-carbon society. We therefore work on solutions to reduce emissions, remove carbon, and strengthen resilience; we focus on the role that logistics can play in facilitating the transition; and we use our capacities to support in particular low- and middle-income countries to seize the opportunities of their low-carbon and sustainable development.
Scaling up some of the promising Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) techniques will involve significant logistical challenges and opportunities. To support the identification and deployment of effective and sustainable CDR the Kühne Foundation is initiating a project on the logistics of scaling up selected CDR solutions (e.g. Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement and Enhanced Rock Weathering). For this purpose, we are looking to recruit a Carbon Dioxide Removal Project Manager (75-100%), preference for Hamburg, DE or Schindellegi, CH, hybrid or remote, to lead the design and implementation of the new CDR project.
Tasks:- Design and build up the Kühne Foundation’s CDR activities.
- Continuously monitor developments in CDR research and demonstrations,
- Undertake research into selected issues regarding the scaling of promising CDR solutions (e.g. costs, logistics, impacts etc.)
- Build partnerships and collaborations with CDR and logistics community
- Contribute to conferences and workshops,
- Contribute to relevant academic papers,
- Write clear briefings and synthesis reports,
- Outline possible future KF activities related to the field of CDR,
- Contribute to Kühne Foundation external communication activities.
Requirements:- Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in a relevant natural or physical science,
- At least five years of professional experience,
- Knowledge of Carbon Dioxide Removal techniques,
- Experience with Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement and/or Enhanced Rock Weathering an advantage
- Fluent in English (working language) plus at least one other language,
- Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing,
- Ability to develop and maintain working relationships with key partners,
- Analytical thinking and capacity to develop insights and knowledge from data,
- Experience of project an advantage,
- Experienced of working in international teams an advantage,
- Availability for regular international travel, including intercontinental trips,
- (if remote) Ability to work remotely effectively (within the European Union or Switzerland) and availability for occasional on-site meetings with the climate team
This is an opportunity to make a significant contribution to an important and emerging topic and build up a new area of work in the Kühne Foundation. We offer a high degree of creative freedom when setting up a new focus of work, high agility and speed of implementation as well as the provision of considerable resources for implementing projects.
Please send your CV and an application letter (including salary expectations, earliest possible starting date and preferred place of work) to recruitment-climate@kuehne-foundation.org.
