Join Chatham House as Senior Research Fellow – Environment and Society Centre based in UK (£68,000 – £78,000 per year)

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Closing Date: 2 December 2024

Join Chatham House as Senior Research Fellow – Environment and Society Centre based in UK (£68,000 – £78,000 per year)

Description

Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute based in London. Its mission is to help build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world.

The Environment and Society Centre (ESC) provides governments, businesses and societies with the information, networks and tools to tackle environmental challenges and advance the world towards a sustainable future through independent, thought-leading research. Its research demonstrates the interconnected, systemic impact of environmental challenges on both international geopolitics and local communities – and generates solutions to help mitigate, adapt and build resilience in the face of climate change and natural resource depletion.

The Senior Research Fellow will form a critical part of Chatham House dynamic, multi-disciplinary team, taking a leading position in its work on water, trade, land and resource governance, with extensive experience in water governance. The Senior Research Fellow will play a leading role in Chatham House Fair Water Footprints programme, managing targeted engagement and research to affect systemic change in global trade, financing and investment in multi-national supply chains. You will be highly skilled in linking your in depth expertise with policy and decision making communities, and will be adept in navigating relationships with key governments in the global north and south, businesses, financiers and civil society.

You will have a curiosity for interdisciplinary approaches and extensive experience in leading teams to develop ideas, translating these into funded research projects, and leading the design and delivery of projects and their interaction of a wider programme portfolio.

Main Responsibilities

Delivery

Lead design and delivery of research and convening, within existing and new research projects, with a focus on water, trade, land and resource governance;
Author (and where appropriate co-author) succinct, policy-relevant research and analysis;

Generate impact by providing leadership and support to convening, research and dissemination, utilizing your knowledge of the topic and your existing network;
Be accountable for quality control of convening, research outputs, maintaining and improving existing high standards and continuously improving quality across the Centre and the institute;
Raise Chatham House’s profile through development of strong networks in relevant areas with policymakers, policy experts and the media, and ensuring projects gain publicity and visibility for activities and research through the website, social media, and other media channels;

Design engagement and research processes that enables trust building a diversity of voices, expertise and perspectives;
Build and nurture partnerships with internal and external research partners and co-create innovative research approaches that deliver recommendations for innovative solutions to environmental challenges;
Establish and maintain the strategic relationships with experts, academia, businesses, governments and non-for-profit organisations to expand our reach, visibility and impact.

People

Collaborate across Chatham House to optimize expertise from other thematic and regional programmes and help to mainstream sustainable resource governance issues and learning into the institute’s work;
Establish new and maintain existing networks with key individuals, businesses, and institutions which are relevant to our research objectives and expand our reach, visibility and impact;

Drive a culture of continuous improvement that fosters future leaders by inspiring others by example;
Empower and build a positive working culture for all staff to thrive, ensuring good practice is shared and Chatham House standards of behaviours are followed;
Create a working environment where all staff are protected from mistreatment, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, and humiliation. Staff across levels feel able to express their experiences, opinions, and concerns authentically and without fear of retaliation.

Strategy

Build our strategic position as a leader on issues relating to water, and water and resource governance, in geopolitics and economics in a changing climate;
Collaborate with the Centre’s Director and the Director of Chatham House to identify trends and strategic issues to shape an impactful strategy for the Environment and Society Centre (including people strategy) that aligns with Chatham House’s mission and overarching strategy;

Lead in the delivery new funding opportunities – crafting new research ideas, grant applications, and fostering new corporate relationships;
Maintain strong and long-lasting relationships with foundations, government funding departments, corporate sponsors, and other significant funding sources;
Build a presence and reputation across the house, engaging with Chatham House activities outside the Centre and positively collaborating with central operations;

Actively contribute to the delivery of the Chatham House EDI strategy, ensuring your team also positively impact this in line with outlined goals.

Requirements

Essential Skills and Experience:

An established leader in shaping innovative agendas on environmental sustainability and its intersection with water and two or more of trade; finance; diplomacy; land and resource governance;

Significant experience of successfully delivering substantial initiatives or multidisciplinary programmes of work with high impact;
A strong track record on engaging with and influencing policymakers and decision makers across different geographies in organisations of influence, including governments;
Positive experience of collaborative teamwork, planning and decision-making, delivering projects with external partners and consultants to tight budgets and timeframes;

A creative problem solver, with the curiosity to explore new approaches, topics and ideas and the skills to both think deeply and explore new ways of thinking;
A capable fundraiser with experience of securing financial support from an established network of philanthropic foundations, government departments, international organisations, businesses and NGOs;
Proficient author with consistent record of successfully leading the delivery of substantial research outputs;

Proven track record of effective communications through different mediums – and creative in identifying and delivering unique communication opportunities;
People management skills, able to successfully develop, lead and motivate individuals towards wider goals.