Job Openings

About the Initiative

The World Sufficiency Lab (WSL) is launching a network of Sufficiency Agoras as pioneering local spaces for dialogue, experimentation, and collective action around sufficiency.

The first pilot initiatives will be established in France, with the aim of developing, testing, and refining a model that can subsequently be replicated across municipalities and regions. Over the coming years, WSL intends to expand the Sufficiency Agora network to Switzerland and other European countries, including Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Spain, thereby fostering a growing transnational community of practice dedicated to sufficiency, democratic innovation, and socio-ecological transformation.

Conceived as both a physical space and an ongoing programme of activities, each Agora will provide an accessible and welcoming environment in which sufficiency can be explored, debated, and experienced in practice. Through citizen dialogues, deliberative processes, workshops, exhibitions, and public events, the Agoras will bring together residents, local organisations, public authorities, researchers, and practitioners to collectively identify pathways towards more sustainable, equitable, and resilient futures.

To support the implementation of this initiative, WSL is seeking several Sufficiency Agora Coordinators.

Mission

Under the supervision of the Executive Director of the French Sufficiency Lab and in close collaboration with WSL's Dialogues & Politics team, the Sufficiency Agora Coordinator will lead the local implementation and day-to-day development of pilot Agoras in pioneering municipalities and territories.

The successful candidate will play a central role in transforming the Agora from a conceptual framework into a vibrant community platform for dialogue, learning, experimentation, and action. This will involve building local partnerships, designing and facilitating participatory activities, conducting a territorial metabolism study, and documenting lessons learned to support the future scaling and replication of the model across the World Sufficiency Lab network.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of research, democratic participation, territorial innovation, and ecological transition, while contributing directly to one of WSL's flagship initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Establishing and Developing the Agora

• Identify, secure, and coordinate a suitable venue or recurring community space in partnership with municipalities and local organisations.
• Co-design the physical and social environment of the Agora to ensure it is welcoming, inclusive, accessible, and representative of local diversity.
• Contribute to the development of governance arrangements, participation mechanisms, and operational processes for the initiative.
• Support the long-term institutional and community embedding of the Agora within the host territory.

Designing and Delivering the Programme

• Co-design and implement a programme of citizen dialogues, deliberative processes, workshops, exhibitions, and public events addressing key sufficiency challenges, including energy, housing, mobility, food systems, education, health, leisure and territorial development.
• Translate WSL research and evidence into accessible and engaging formats that foster public participation and collective learning.
• Facilitate activities directly and coordinate external facilitators, speakers, and contributors where appropriate.
• Manage event logistics, communications, materials, scheduling, and participant engagement.

Community Engagement and Partnership Development

• Map and engage relevant local stakeholders, including residents, community organisations, educational institutions, public authorities, cultural actors, and local businesses.
• Build and maintain relationships that support trust, participation, and long-term collaboration.
• Develop outreach strategies aimed at engaging underrepresented groups and strengthening the inclusiveness of the Agora.
• Foster cross-sector dialogue and collaboration around local sufficiency challenges and opportunities.

Territorial Metabolism Analysis

The Coordinator will contribute to the development of an interdisciplinary assessment of the host territory's metabolism, analysing the flows and stocks of energy, materials, water, food, consumer goods, mobility, waste streams and associated financial resources

The study will combine quantitative and qualitative approaches, including data collection and analysis, spatial mapping and visualisation, interviews and stakeholder consultations, field observations and participatory research activities. 

The objective will be to identify key actors, governance structures, systemic barriers, opportunities for transformation, and priority sufficiency levers within the territory.

Outputs may include maps, dashboards, briefing notes, visualisations, and analytical reports intended to support local decision-making and inform WSL's broader research agenda, including its Sufficiency Gap Reports and participatory indicator frameworks. 

Documentation, Learning, and Dissemination

• Document programme activities, participation levels, outputs, and lessons learned.
• Collect participant feedback and contribute to monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Contribute to the development of a practical Sufficiency Agora Toolkit to facilitate replication by National Sufficiency Labs and partner organisations.
• Support the communication of the initiative through articles, social media content, photography, presentations, and event promotion in collaboration with WSL's communications team.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing activities across the broader WSL network.

Profile and Qualifications

Applicants should be enrolled in a Master's programme, or in the final year of a Bachelor's degree, and be eligible to undertake a convention de stage with a French higher education institution.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A background in social sciences, political science, urban studies, environmental studies, geography, sustainability studies, community development, or a related field.
• A strong interest in sufficiency, ecological transition, social justice, democratic innovation, and territorial transformation.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• Experience or aptitude for facilitating collective discussions and participatory processes.
• Strong organisational and project-management abilities.
• The capacity to work autonomously while collaborating effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• A proactive, resourceful, and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Excellent command of French and good working proficiency in English.

Desirable Qualifications

The following qualifications will be considered strong assets:

• Experience in community organising, participatory governance, citizen engagement, or local development initiatives.
• Experience designing or facilitating workshops, public consultations, deliberative assemblies, or other participatory processes.
• Quantitative and qualitative research skills, particularly in territorial analysis, resource-flow analysis, GIS, mapping, interviewing, or field-based research.
• Familiarity with local government, territorial planning, or sustainability-transition initiatives.
• Experience producing communication materials, data visualisations, reports, or public-facing content.
• Knowledge of sufficiency, and socio-ecological transitions.
• Strong alignment with the mission, values, and vision of the World Sufficiency Lab.

Internship Conditions

• Framework: Internship (stage) under a tripartite convention de stage between the intern, WSL, and the host higher education institution.
• Duration: Maximum six months.
• Working Time: Full-time.
• Compensation: Statutory internship allowance (gratification de stage) and applicable benefits in accordance with French legislation and WSL policies.
• Location: Paris and the host Agora territory, with limited remote-working arrangements where appropriate.
• Travel: Occasional travel within France may be required.
• Working Hours: Some evening and weekend availability may be necessary to support community activities and public events, with corresponding compensatory time off.

All activities are conducted in accordance with WSL's Code of Conduct, Ethics Framework, and Safeguarding Policy.

Application Process

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF document containing:

• A cover letter (maximum two pages) outlining the candidate's motivation and relevant experience
• A detailed curriculum vitae.
• Contact details for two referees.

Submission Procedure

Applications should be sent to: info@thesufficiencylab.org with the subject line: "Sufficiency Agora Coordinator - [Candidate Name]"

Application Deadline: September 4th, 2026

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis according to the candidate's motivation, relevant experience, interpersonal skills, and alignment with the objectives of the Sufficiency Agora initiative.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with members of the World Sufficiency Lab team and the relevant local authority.

The World Sufficiency Lab reserves the right to close the recruitment process before the stated deadline if a suitable candidate is identified.  

Context

WSL contributes to public debate through scientific publications, policy briefs, flagship reports, international conferences, and a leading online learning platform dedicated to sufficiency.

Through its network of National Sufficiency Labs and academic partners, WSL collaborates with organisations across Europe and beyond to accelerate the metamorphosis of the global economy towards more sustainable, equitable, and resilient societies.  

To support its growing portfolio of digital tools and data-driven research activities, WSL is recruiting a Machine Learning Engineer on a fixed-term contract.

Mission

Under the supervision of the Executive Team and in close collaboration with WSL's research, policy, and communications teams, the Machine Learning Engineer will design, develop, and maintain the Lab's digital and analytical infrastructure at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, and web development.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of innovative tools that support research, evidence synthesis, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and the dissemination of sufficiency-related knowledge.

Working across the entire data and software lifecycle, the successful candidate will translate scientific insights and policy challenges into robust digital solutions with tangible societal impact. He/She will contribute end-to-end, from understanding stakeholder needs and designing data models to developing, deploying, and maintaining AI and machine learning powered services that support sufficiency research, evidence synthesis, policy analysis, and public engagement.

This position offers a unique opportunity for an early-career engineer to develop technical expertise in a stimulating, interdisciplinary, and internationally visible research environment.

The successful candidate will work at the intersection of data science, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and public policy, applying advanced analytical and machine-learning techniques to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time, including ecological transition, resource security, social wellbeing, and socio-economic transformation. Working alongside researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, he/she will contribute directly to the development of innovative tools that help shape the transition towards a Good Life for All within planetary boundaries.      

Key Responsibilities

• Design, train, evaluate, and deploy machine-learning models addressing WSL's research and operational needs.
• Develop AI-driven tools supporting evidence synthesis, policy analysis, text mining, classification, forecasting, and stakeholder mapping.
• Explore and implement state-of-the-art approaches in machine learning, natural language processing, and AI where relevant.
• Ensure the robustness, transparency, and reproducibility of models and algorithms.

Statistical Analysis and Research Support

• Conduct rigorous quantitative analyses, including exploratory data analysis, statistical modelling, hypothesis testing, impact evaluation, and uncertainty assessment.
• Collaborate with researchers to develop analytical methodologies and translate scientific questions into computational approaches.
• Contribute to the production of data-driven insights, reports, policy briefs, and research outputs.

Data Engineering and MLOps

• Build and maintain data pipelines for data collection, cleaning, transformation, integration, and feature engineering.
• Develop scalable workflows for data processing and model deployment.
• Implement monitoring systems for deployed models, including performance tracking, drift detection, and retraining procedures.
• Promote best practices in MLOps, software engineering, version control, testing, and reproducibility.

Web Development and Digital Platforms

• Design and maintain web applications that integrate machine-learning models and analytical tools.
• Develop and manage APIs and backend services supporting WSL products and platforms.
• Contribute to user-friendly interfaces enabling researchers, policymakers, and external stakeholders to access analytical tools and datasets.
• Ensure the reliability, security, and scalability of deployed applications.

Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

• Work closely with WSL's scientific, policy, communications, and operational teams to identify priorities and develop technical solutions.
• Document methodologies, codebases, and workflows to facilitate collaboration and long-term maintenance.
• Contribute to the dissemination of technical knowledge within the organisation and across partner networks.
• Participate in the development of open-source tools and collaborative digital infrastructures where appropriate.

Profile and Qualifications

Applicants should hold a Master's degree, PhD, or equivalent qualification in computer science, data science, statistics, applied mathematics, artificial intelligence, or a closely related discipline.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, or a related field;
• Strong proficiency in Python and its data-science ecosystem (e.g., pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn);  
• Hands-on experience with at least one deep-learning framework (PyTorch or TensorFlow);
• Solid grounding in statistics, including probability theory, statistical inference, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and experimental design;
• Experience with web development, or a strong willingness to develop expertise in this area, including Python back-end development (FastAPI), RESTful API design, and front-end fundamentals (JavaScript/TypeScript, React, or equivalent frameworks);
• Ability to work across the full software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering and data modelling to deployment and maintenance;
• Strong interest in sufficiency, sustainability, ecological transition, socio-economic transformation, and public-policy challenges;
• Alignment with the World Sufficiency Lab's mission, values, and vision;
• Experience with MLOps, cloud deployment, AI, and large language models (LLMs) is considered a strong asset;
• Contributions to open-source projects, scientific publications, personal projects, or other demonstrable achievements showcasing both technical excellence and intellectual curiosity are highly desirable. 

Desirable Qualifications

The following qualifications will be considered strong assets:

• Experience with MLOps practices and production deployment of machine-learning systems.
• Expertise in natural language processing, large language models (LLMs), and AI applications.
• Experience with knowledge graphs, recommendation systems, or information retrieval systems.
• Contributions to open-source projects, scientific publications, or demonstrated technical thought leadership.
• Experience working at the interface of research, public policy, sustainability, or impact-oriented organisations.
• Familiarity with data visualisation tools and interactive dashboard development.
• Experience supporting interdisciplinary scientific research projects.

Contract Conditions

• Contract Type: Fixed-term contract (CDD).
• Duration: One year, with the possibility of conversion to a permanent contract subject to funding availability and performance.
• Start Date: Beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Location: Paris, with the possibility of hybrid working arrangements and partial teleworking.
• Salary: €42,000 - 45,000 gross per annum, depending on experience.

All activities are conducted in accordance with WSL's Code of Conduct, Ethics Framework, and Safeguarding Policy.    

Application Process

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF document containing:

• A curriculum vitae;
• A cover letter (of maximum two pages) outlining the candidate's motivation and relevant experience;
• Optional supporting materials, such as a portfolio, GitHub profile, publications, or examples of relevant projects.

Application Deadline: September 4th, 2026

Submission Procedure Applications should be sent by email to: info@thesufficiencylab.org with the subject line: "Machine Learning Engineer Application - [Candidate Name]"

Selection Process

Applications will be assessed on the basis of technical expertise, research and analytical capabilities, relevant professional experience, and alignment with the mission of the World Sufficiency Lab.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with members of the Executive Team and relevant project leads.

The World Sufficiency Lab reserves the right to close the recruitment process before the stated deadline if a suitable candidate is 

WSL is seeking a Sufficiency Community Manager to join its team at the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year on a one-year fixed-term contract  or a French work-study arrangement (alternance), including a contrat d'apprentissage, depending on the profile of the selected candidate, with the possibility of transitioning to a permanent position.

Mission

Under the supervision of the Executive Team and in close collaboration with WSL's research, policy, and communications teams, the Sufficiency Community Manager will play a central role in sustaining, expanding, and activating the World Sufficiency Lab's international community of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, learners, and civil-society actors.

The successful candidate will lead the management and continuous development of WSL's flagship Sufficiency MOOC, facilitate engagement across the Lab's digital platforms and networks, and design and deliver events that foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and collective action around sufficiency.

The Community Manager will also contribute to WSL's broader communications and outreach strategy, helping to strengthen the organisation's visibility, influence, and impact among partners, supporters, media representatives, and the wider public.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of research dissemination, public engagement, capacity building, and community development within one of the leading international organisations dedicated to sufficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Community Engagement and Network Development

• Facilitate and grow WSL's international community across digital platforms, including Mattermost and other collaborative environments.
• Welcome and onboard new members, moderate discussions, encourage peer-to-peer exchanges, and foster a vibrant and inclusive community culture.
• Curate and disseminate relevant content, resources, opportunities, and events that support knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• Monitor community engagement and identify opportunities to strengthen participation, inclusivity, and collective learning.

Management and Development of the Sufficiency MOOC

• Coordinate the day-to-day management and continuous improvement of WSL's Sufficiency MOOC.
• Support learners throughout their learning journey through participant engagement, forum moderation, and community facilitation.
• Coordinate content updates and improvements in collaboration with scientific, pedagogical, and external contributors.
• Monitor and analyse programme performance, including enrolment, completion, engagement, and participant satisfaction rates.
• Develop recommendations to enhance learning outcomes, accessibility, and user experience.

Events and Knowledge Exchange

• Design, coordinate, and deliver online and in-person events, including webinars, workshops, conferences, community dialogues, and networking activities.
• Coordinate speakers, facilitators, partners, participant communications, and event logistics.
• Support participant recruitment and community mobilisation for events.
• Conduct post-event evaluations and identify opportunities for improvement and follow-up engagement.

Communications and Outreach

• Produce high-quality written content for the WSL website, newsletter, reports, and communication materials.
• Adapt messages and formats to different audiences, including researchers, policymakers, practitioners, funders, and the general public.
• Support the development of digital communication assets and contribute to the management of WSL's communication channels, including LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
• Monitor engagement, visibility, and audience-development indicators to strengthen WSL's outreach and public presence.

Community Systems and Data Management

• Maintain and improve community management systems, databases, mailing lists, and stakeholder records.
• Support the collection and analysis of engagement data and impact indicators.
• Contribute to the development of processes and tools that enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of community-management activities.

Profile and Qualifications

Applicants should hold, or be currently completing, a Master's degree in communications, science communication, education, public affairs, sustainability, political science, or a closely related field.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both French and English.
• Demonstrated experience in community management, stakeholder engagement, communications, network facilitation, or related functions.
• Proven ability to cultivate and manage online communities and collaborative digital environments.
• Experience working in an international, academic, policy, nonprofit, or mission-driven environment.
• Strong organisational and project-management skills, with the capacity to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Experience planning and delivering events, including stakeholder coordination, logistics, facilitation, and evaluation.
• Familiarity with digital collaboration platforms, social-media management tools, CRM systems, and content-creation software.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences across sectors, disciplines, and cultures.
• A strong interest in sufficiency, sustainability, ecological transition, social justice, public policy, and social innovation.
• Strong alignment with the mission, values, and vision of the World Sufficiency Lab.

Desirable Qualifications

The following qualifications will be considered strong assets:

• Knowledge of German and Spanish.
• Experience managing MOOCs, online learning programmes, or educational communities.
• Experience working with international networks of researchers, practitioners, or policymakers.
• Familiarity with learning management systems and digital education methodologies.
• Graphic design, video editing, or multimedia production skills.
• Experience producing reports, newsletters, policy-oriented communications, or public-facing publications.
• Knowledge of sustainability, sufficiency, democratic innovation, or socio-ecological transitions.

Contract Conditions

• Contract Type:  The position may be filled either through a one-year fixed-term contract (CDD) or a French work-study arrangement (alternance), including a contrat d'apprentissage, depending on the profile of the selected candidate.  
• Duration: One year 
• Start Date: Beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Location: Paris, with the possibility of hybrid working arrangements and partial teleworking.
• Remuneration: Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.
• Prospects: Possibility of transition to a permanent contract, subject to funding availability and performance during the fixed-term period.

All activities are conducted in accordance with WSL's Code of Conduct, Ethics Framework, and Safeguarding Policy.  

Application Process

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF document containing:

• A curriculum vitae;
• A cover letter (of maximum two pages) outlining the candidate's motivation and relevant experience.

Application Deadline: September 4th, 2026

Submission Procedure

Applications should be sent by email to: info@thesufficiencylab.org with the subject line: "Sufficiency Community Manager Application - [Candidate Name]"

Selection Process

Applications will be assessed on the basis of relevant experience, communication and facilitation skills, community-building capabilities, and alignment with the mission of the World Sufficiency Lab.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview with members of the Executive Team.

The World Sufficiency Lab reserves the right to close the recruitment process before the stated deadline if a suitable candidate is identified.