Administrative assistant with an interest in water supply, emergency preparedness and critical infrastructure

Would you like to contribute to safeguarding Denmark's water supply? Then a position in a new secretariat for Denmark's Water Crisis Preparedness might be something for you.

The Environmental Protection Agency is the so-called sector-responsible authority for drinking water and wastewater supply. This means that the Environmental Protection Agency has the overall responsibility for resilience in the water sector, including with regard to cybersecurity and physical security.

The threat landscape against Denmark has changed, among other things as a result of the war in Ukraine and the hybrid warfare that Western Europe has been subjected to in recent years. At the same time, there has been a digitalization of the Danish water utilities, which opens potential weaknesses in relation to cybersecurity. This means that resilience has become an important focus area in our work with drinking water and wastewater supply.

About the tasks

In the Water Supply, Crisis Management and Inspection unit, we have a crisis team. In the team we are in the process of developing our governance framework and practices for our tasks as a sector authority. We do this based on the new legislation implementing the NIS2 directive and the CER directive, and based on the Ministry of the Environment's own crisis regulation, which is expected to come into force on January 1, 2027.

A central task is that we are about to establish a new Secretariat for Denmark's Water Crisis Preparedness. The Water Crisis Preparedness consists of a materials part with water tanks etc., which is located at the Danish Emergency Management Agency, and a knowledge part with a Water Crisis Preparedness Secretariat, which is located in the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Water Crisis Preparedness Secretariat supports an expert group of approximately 10 people, who are employed in the water sector as operations managers and the like. The overarching task is that the state shall support the handling of extraordinary events in the water sector, which can lead to acute water shortages. The expert group can assist municipalities, utilities and the emergency services when the existing crisis management is not sufficient.

You will play a key role in the Water Crisis Preparedness Secretariat, where your task will be to support the expert group. This work involves planning and calling for annual meetings as well as organizing drills and professional development programs that ensure the expert group has a high and uniform level of competence. The work also includes ongoing collaboration with both municipalities and the Danish Emergency Management Agency to ensure the overall task solution.

Another significant task you will undertake in the Water Crisis Preparedness Secretariat is to travel out into the country to municipalities, utilities, industry associations and emergency services events. Here you will explain and advise on the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations and actions in the preparedness area and possibly facilitate exercises in collaboration with municipalities and utilities.

We expect that you

• Have a technical/administrative education, preferably with experience from the utilities sector. Other educational backgrounds – especially in preparedness/disaster management – are also relevant.
• Previously have worked with preparedness, risk assessment, exercise planning or other related topics.
• Are systematic and structured and that you are able to coordinate across the expert group and plan an annual cycle that supports the expert group’s work.
• Can develop procedures and ensure familiarity with them across the expert group.
• Experience from other secretariat work is an advantage.
• Are a skilled communicator, both in writing and speaking, and are willing to stand up in gatherings.
• Have digital skills and are used to navigating and incorporating digital tools in your daily life.
• Have strong relationship-building skills both in supporting the expert group, the ongoing cooperation with the Danish Emergency Management Agency, but also in contact with municipalities, utilities and other partners.

Your colleagues are professionally competent and knowledge sharing is a natural part of the team's daily life. In addition, we value a friendly chat over lunch that also includes non-work topics.

Salary and terms of employment

The place of employment will be in Odense C, our main address is Lerchesgade 35.

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the current Collective Agreement between the Ministry of Finance and a number of academic organizations for academics in the state (the Academics Agreement).

The employment area is the Ministry of the Environment with its associated institutions.

Applicants must be able to obtain the necessary security clearance and to maintain it throughout the employment period.

Further information

If you want to know more, you are welcome to contact team leader Emil Skøtt Dalsgaard at tel. +45 23 66 78 34.

How to apply for the position

You apply online by sending your application, CV, diploma etc. no later than November 13, 2026 .

We plan to hold interviews in week 47.

Prior to any interview you may be asked to complete tests and/or prepare a case.