Vacant job

Technical Specialist for Environmental Issues and Green Transition in the Mining Sector (Fixed-term Contract)

Do you want to contribute to the green transition, sustainable development, and the work to achieve Sweden's environmental goals? Do you want to work with major environmental and climate challenges and deepen your knowledge of new technology? Do you want the opportunity to broaden your perspective to a national and international level and contribute to the transformation of an entire industry? If so, we can offer you an exciting fixed-term position in a competent work group.

The mining industry plays a key role in the transition, both in terms of transforming the existing industry and developing the sector with new raw materials and increased circularity. We are now at the beginning of an intensive phase where several of the country's largest mines are applying for new environmental permits, while new mining establishments are being planned in several locations across the country. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is therefore seeking a technical specialist to join our mining group within the Environmental Protection Unit for a period.

The Environmental Protection Unit, part of the Division for Planning, Review and Supervision, is responsible for review, guidance, and regulation within environmentally hazardous activities such as mines, quarries, and metal and engineering industries. The unit also has overall responsibility for the Agency's work with review cases and system issues under the Environmental Code.

Your Responsibilities

You will work with mining-related environmental issues together with colleagues in the mining group. The assignment includes representing the public interest in court reviews, providing guidance to supervisory authorities and operators, and providing technical expert support to other parts of the Agency. You may participate in various government assignments, work on the development and implementation of various EU directives, and participate in the work on future technical documents at the EU level for the mining sector.

An important part of the work is to contribute to efficient environmental reviews, spread knowledge about environmental impact, counteract new environmental problems related to new technology, and contribute to wise balancing of different interests.

You will be part of an industry group with other technical specialists and lawyers, and will also collaborate within the Agency and with other actors. The unit's industry groups work very closely together on cases and issues that overlap (e.g., within the mining and metal sectors). We therefore place great emphasis on your ability to collaborate and contribute to a team spirit.

The position also includes extensive support to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's Global Development Unit, which is responsible for developing and coordinating the implementation of the Agency's aid-funded project collaborations. This includes project collaborations focusing on sustainable natural resource management/mining management, involving several countries in Africa and South America.

The responsibilities include contributing to the development and implementation of project activities together with partners in several countries. You will work closely with project managers at the Agency's Global Development Unit, other project participants, and subject matter experts from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The work is carried out in close dialogue with Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) and embassies, as well as partners in Sweden and our partner countries such as environmental authorities, ministries, UNDP, and its country offices.

Your Qualifications

Requirements for the position:

• At least three years of university-level education in natural sciences (e.g., geology, earth sciences, geochemistry, or hydrogeology) or a civil engineering degree in a relevant field, or equivalent competence.
• At least three years of recent experience working with environmental issues in the extraction or mining industry, at a government agency, in the private sector, or at a university/college.
• Good proficiency in Swedish and English.

Merits:

• Experience in applying the Environmental Code or other Swedish environmental legislation.
• Experience in permit review, supervision, or self-control.
• Experience working within the mining sector.
• Experience with post-closure issues or hydrogeology.
• Experience in institutional capacity building for other countries, as well as organizing and facilitating meetings, workshops, and collaboration processes with various actors, preferably in an international context.
• Experience from aid and cooperation with a UN body.

Personal Qualities:

• Ability to collaborate with colleagues and other actors with different perspectives and competencies.
• Ability to see the big picture in complex contexts and assess which issues are important.
• Ability to drive work forward, and plan, organize, and prioritize tasks in a structured manner.
• Ability to communicate and explain decisions and stances in a pedagogical way.

We place great emphasis on personal qualities.

About the Position

The position is a one-year full-time fixed-term contract. Start date as soon as possible or by agreement. Travel is included in the position within Sweden, the EU, and the rest of the world.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency aims to offer a flexible work approach through the possibility of remote work. We strive for an efficient operation and a sustainable work life. The Agency currently has offices in Stockholm and Östersund. The unit is represented in both locations.

There may also be the possibility to work remotely from another location by agreement. However, some presence at one of our offices in Stockholm or Östersund will be expected.

Application

When you apply, you will be asked to answer a number of selection questions related to the requirement profile in the advertisement. Your answers will be used as part of the selection process and may determine whether you move forward in the recruitment process or not. Therefore, it is important that you answer as thoroughly and clearly as possible. We do not use cover letters in the selection process because we want to focus on your experience and competence, which contributes to a more efficient and fair recruitment process. In your application to us, you will only attach your CV.

We welcome your application in the form of a CV by August 15, 2026.

Contact

If you want to know more about the position, you are welcome to contact the following people via the switchboard, tel. no. 010-698 10 00.

Karolina Ardesjö Lundén, Head of the Environmental Protection Unit.

Union representatives for Saco and ST.

About the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency drives and coordinates work for a good environment together with others. We build our work on knowledge and show possibilities for sustainable development. We are an environmental authority working on behalf of the government and responsible for issues concerning climate and air, land, biodiversity, contaminated sites, circular economy and waste, environmental monitoring, and environmental research.