Communications Officer (m/f/d) - Project: Climate-resilient East Atlantic Flyway

Wilhelmshaven

Common Wadden Sea Secretariat

Communications Officer (m/f/d)

For the project Climate-resilient East Atlantic Flyway

Full-time temporary position

The Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) is seeking a qualified candidate for a temporary position as Communications Officer (m/f/d) for the project Climate-resilient East Atlantic Flyway (CREAF). The appointment is limited to three years, with possible extension of another 4 years and an anticipated start date being 01.02.2026.

About us

CWSS supports, facilitates, and coordinates the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation (TWSC), in which Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands share responsibility for the transboundary Wadden Sea World Heritage Site. For decades, CWSS has played an important role in facilitating the implementation of the trilateral monitoring scheme for breeding and migratory birds in the Wadden Sea. With the adoption of the Wadden Sea Flyway Vision and the launch of the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative (2012), CWSS became more active at the flyway level, collaborating with international partners in implementing monitoring and capacity building activities along the East Atlantic Flyway.

CWSS has recently been granted funding for an 8-year project by the International Climate Initiative working towards a ‘Climate resilient East Atlantic Flyway’. The project started on 1 March 2025 and will end on 28 February 2033. Working together with 14 international partners in 11 countries, this project will focus on addressing the threats faced by migratory waterbirds along the African part of the East Atlantic Flyway. By developing baseline data and assessing gaps in management and policies, the project aim is to guide future activities to find solutions that incorporate the needs of biodiversity, ecosystem services and people into climate adaptation measures at sites that are of international importance for migratory birds along the African coastline.

We are looking for an experienced communications expert to implement the project’s communication and education tasks. The position enables active participation in a broad range of partnerships and interactions with a large number of diverse stakeholder organisations and -networks across the East Atlantic Flyway, while engaging in the topic of climate change, one of the major challenges the world is facing today.

CWSS offers a diverse and dynamic working environment, covering many work fields in a trilateral political-management setting, with dedicated international staff. The working language of the Trilateral Cooperation and CWSS is English. The CWSS office is located at the seaside in the city of Wilhelmshaven, Germany. A remote work agreement can be made, depending on the project needs and demands, with at least one day per week to be spent in the office.

Your responsibilities

The Communications Officer’s general objectives are to take the lead in all communication and education tasks related to the implementation of the Climate-resilient East Atlantic Flyway project, working closely with the Project Manager and the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative Programme officer at CWSS.

Within this general framework the following tasks are to be fulfilled, in close cooperation with international project partners:

• Proactively act as the communications focal point for project-wide communication activities, ensuring timely coordination and high-quality outputs.
• Plan, produce and publish communication and visibility materials (e.g., web content, partner stories, social media posts) in line with funder requirements.
• Manage and strengthen partner communication, providing clear guidance and follow-up to build coherence and consistency.
• Maintain and coordinate the East Atlantic Flyway website, overseeing partner contributions, updates and other content development.
• Develop and curate an image and media library for the project and the Flyway
• Support the design and development of education materials.
• Collate information from partners and prepare reports and presentations to funders, stakeholders, and public.
• Organise and lead communication for, e.g., events, meetings, scientific symposia, workshops.
• Track and report on communication metrics (e.g., website and social media traffic, project reach).
• Take responsibility for specific communications deliverables and the assigned budgets.
• Carry out other tasks as assigned.

Your profile

• A university degree (minimum Bachelor’s) in communications, public relations, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be accepted if other requirements are met.
• At least two years of professional experience in project communication or public relations, preferably in an international or multi-partner context.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and deliver communications outputs independently, from concept to publication.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and media relations.
• Proficiency in content management systems (Drupal), social media management and design tools, e.g., Adobe InDesign and Canva.
• Excellent writing and editing skills in English and advanced proficiency in French is required for coordination with West African partners.
• Strong organisational discipline and reliability in meeting deadlines and managing multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Creativity, attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and quality control.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an international team environment.
• Willingness to travel within Europe and West Africa as required.

Our offer

• An attractive remuneration package at salary group 12 of the German Collective agreement for Civil Service Employees (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst; TVöD).
• A full-time position for a duration of 3 years. An extension of the contract up to 4 years may be offered depending on the availability of funds and the performance of the applicant.
• Flexible working scheme, good balance of remote work and presence in Wilhelmshaven.
• A motivated team and a good working environment.
• Possibilities to develop your skills and advance your career in the international nature conservation context.

Applications

We invite candidates with the relevant expertise and qualifications to apply for the position by submitting their CV and motivation letter including possible start date (combined into a single PDF) in English via email to the Head of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Sascha Klöpper, at

application@waddensea-secretariat.org.

Please include “Communications Officer CREAF” in the subject line of your email.

The application deadline is 12 December 2025.

This selection and recruitment process will be conducted in accordance with relevant German and European law. We will start reviewing applications and conducting interviews on a rolling basis. The potential start date is 1 February 2026, and applications will close as soon as we find a candidate with the right qualifications, skills, and suitability for the job, without bias.

For more information about the job description, please feel free to contact Kristine Meise by email at meise@waddensea-secretariat.org.

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective since May 2018, we are required to inform you about the processing of the personal data you provide during the application process. For more details, please refer to www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/website-terms-and-conditions