Deputy Director, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Deputy Director for the Coastal and Climate Adaptation Area

Would you like to help set the direction for Denmark's efforts in coastal and climate adaptation and at the same time contribute to leading a large, professionally strong and action-oriented environmental authority? The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking a deputy director with responsibility for the coastal and climate adaptation area.

You will become part of the executive management and will, among other things, have a central role in work on some of the major societal challenges where climate change, nature, citizens, businesses and political priorities meet. In addition, there will also be opportunities for other areas of responsibility, depending on your profile.

The Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency is part of the Ministry of Environment and the authority for environmental, coastal and harbour areas. Our mission is to translate professional knowledge into decision bases and political decisions into concrete results for the environment, nature, sustainable fisheries, climate adaptation, citizens and businesses.

We are about 900 colleagues across Denmark and have our headquarters in Odense.

Your professional area of responsibility in the executive

As deputy director you will have the overarching management responsibility for the Environmental Protection Agency's tasks within coastal and climate adaptation. The exact allocation of tasks and responsibilities will be agreed when we know the new deputy director's competence profile.

The area has great political and societal significance. Climate change places increasing demands on how we protect people, values, nature, and infrastructure against flooding and erosion, and how state, municipalities, citizens and other actors collaborate on long-term and robust solutions.

You must set a clear strategic direction for the area and ensure that strong professional expertise is translated into relevant decision bases and concrete results. You will have an important task of creating coherence between the framing tasks, where we develop professional solutions and the basis for policy and regulation, and the implementing tasks, where decisions are translated into reality.

You will engage in close and constructive interaction with the rest of the executive management on the overall leadership and development of the Environmental Protection Agency. We each have our own areas of responsibility, but take joint responsibility for the whole. We set clear direction, prioritize across the organization, and make timely decisions close to the task.

Competence profile

We anticipate that you have substantial management experience from a ministry, an agency, a municipality or another major politically led organization. Experience with leading other leaders is desirable.

You have strong generalist and administrative competences and a solid political understanding. We assume you have a relevant higher education degree.

It is advantageous if you have experience with coastal, climate, environmental or other related areas. Most important is your ability to quickly understand complex professional and political issues and translate them into direction and action.

We place emphasis on that

• You are an experienced leader who sets clear direction, prioritizes and makes decisions
• You can lead complex and politically prioritized tasks with many stakeholders and different considerations
• You combine high professional quality with timeliness and have an eye for when we know enough to act
• You take responsibility for the whole and naturally work across organizational and professional boundaries
• You have a lively interest in leading people and developing strong professional environments
• You communicate clearly and convincingly and build trustful relationships both internally and externally.

You should be prepared for a close, committed and engaged collaboration with the rest of the executive. Our ambition is to lead in the work of creating one cohesive Environmental Protection Agency , where we share knowledge, prioritize across and solve challenges together.

Salary and employment terms

The appointment is on a 6-year fixed-term contract under the 'Framework Agreement on the Appointment of Chief Executives in the State' with a base salary in Group 2 of 783,775.00 DKK. In addition to the base salary, there are an individual allowance, a fixed-term allowance, a pension scheme and a one-time settlement based on effort and results.

If you are already a civil servant, employment as a civil servant after a concrete and individual assessment can take place in LR 38.

The employing authority for contract-registered managers is the Ministry of Environment with its associated institutions. If you are hired as a civil servant, the employing authority is the Environmental Protection Agency.

The duty station is the Ministry of Environment, Lerchesgade 35, 5000 Odense C. A minimum of one weekly working day in Lemvig is expected.

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

The position is intended to be filled on 1 December 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Further information

If you would like to know more about the position, you are welcome to contact Director Jakob Møller Nielsen at tel. 41 72 16 07 or partner at Genitor, Hanne Kristensen tel. 25 11 71 37.

How to apply for the position

You apply for the position online by sending your application, CV, educational certificates, etc. no later than 18 October 2026 .

We will run a testing/assessment process in weeks 43 to 44, 2026. We expect the first interview to be held on 21 October 2026 and the second interview on 28 October 2026.

If you are currently a civil servant, the application should be addressed to the King.

Apply